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Bringing a 740 back to life

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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 11:33   #1
Challo
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Default Bringing a 740 back to life

Hi All,

Firstly apologies for this thread as I know i have asked questions on other threads, but I thought a separate thread for my car will help me work through the problems. Also while I'm happy to service my cars, and fix issues I'm a complete newbie to car electrics and troubleshooting. As such I will no doubt be asking lots of stupid questions so please humour me as much as possible.

The car itself is a 1990 740 GLE auto with the B230F engine with 90k miles. It was running up to Dec 2020 when the MOT ran out and sat in a field for the last few months till i bought in Feb and got it back home. Apparently prior to the MOT running out it was running lumpy but that's all i have. The owner wasn't really a car guy and just ran it for 2 years with no servicing. The car itself looks clean underneath and doesn't appear to be any rust in the footwells or on the sills.

Current issue is that I cannot get it started. The car will crank but will not fire at all. I have done some reading and changed the following:

1. Battery - The previous one was flat initially and while it did charge, it kept running flat so thought bite the bullet and get a new one.
2. Bougicord HT Leads - The ones on the car looked old, and heard good things about these.
3. Spark Plugs - The old ones where black and oily. Fresh plugs installed, but I do need to re-check the gapping.
4. Fuel Filter - No history on when this was changed.
5. Fuel Pump - I know this might not be the issue, but the old one looked crusty and while changing the filter I thought might as well get a new pump on the car.

I have ordered a new Fuel Pump Relay as the one on the car is from 2005 and thought worth ordering just incase. I know it seems like I have chucked alot of parts at the car, but some I was going to change as the history is scarce and its a 30year old car. I have just ordered a new multi meter as my one is broken to test some of the electrics.

My main concern is I cannot hear the fuel pump prime when I turn on the ignition. From a post on the FB group I have been advised to check power to the pump with the multi meter, then check the fuses and power to the fuse box and then the relay. I can feel the relay clicking so I don't think its this but will check again to be sure.

I will hopefully get testing this week once the multi-meter arrives, but anything I should check at the same time to cross off the list?

Also just to add, I have checked the timing belt and all intact. The car has petrol in it, and I cleaned the MAF sensor when changed the air filter.
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File Type: jpg Pump.jpg (147.3 KB, 39 views)
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File Type: jpg fUSES.jpg (97.1 KB, 36 views)

Last edited by Challo; Mar 15th, 2021 at 11:49.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 11:50   #2
volvo always
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Challo View Post
Hi All,

Firstly apologies for this thread as I know i have asked questions on other threads, but I thought a separate thread for my car will help me work through the problems. Also while I'm happy to service my cars, and fix issues I'm a complete newbie to car electrics and troubleshooting. As such I will no doubt be asking lots of stupid questions so please humour me as much as possible.

The car itself is a 1990 740 GLE auto with the B230F engine with 90k miles. It was running up to Dec 2020 when the MOT ran out and sat in a field for the last few months till i bought in Feb and got it back home. Apparently prior to the MOT running out it was running lumpy but that's all i have. The owner wasn't really a car guy and just ran it for 2 years with no servicing. The car itself looks clean underneath and doesn't appear to be any rust in the footwells or on the sills.

Current issue is that I cannot get it started. The car will crank but will not fire at all. I have done some reading and changed the following:

1. Battery - The previous one was flat initially and while it did charge, it kept running flat so thought bite the bullet and get a new one.
2. Bougicord HT Leads - The ones on the car looked old, and heard good things about these.
3. Spark Plugs - The old ones where black and oily. Fresh plugs installed, but I do need to re-check the gapping.
4. Fuel Filter - No history on when this was changed.
5. Fuel Pump - I know this might not be the issue, but the old one looked crusty and while changing the filter I thought might as well get a new pump on the car.

I have ordered a new Fuel Pump Relay as the one on the car is from 2005 and thought worth ordering just incase. I know it seems like I have chucked alot of parts at the car, but some I was going to change as the history is scarce and its a 30year old car. I have just ordered a new multi meter as my one is broken to test some of the electrics.

My main concern is I cannot hear the fuel pump prime when I turn on the ignition. From a post on the FB group I have been advised to check power to the pump with the multi meter, then check the fuses and power to the fuse box and then the relay. I can feel the relay clicking so I don't think its this but will check again to be sure.

I will hopefully get testing this week once the multi-meter arrives, but anything I should check at the same time to cross off the list?
Are you getting spark at the plugs? Measure the voltage at the fuel pump wiring to confirm working. If same as 940 inside left boot cubby hole.
Did you empty old fuel and lines? Any rust sediment? When you crank does the rev counter move a bit? Have you replaced the disi cap and rotor arm?

Great on saving a 740.

James
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 12:01   #3
Challo
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Are you getting spark at the plugs? Measure the voltage at the fuel pump wiring to confirm working. If same as 940 inside left boot cubby hole.
Did you empty old fuel and lines? Any rust sediment? When you crank does the rev counter move a bit? Have you replaced the disi cap and rotor arm?

Great on saving a 740.

James
I havent checked the spark plugs as yet, but need to ensure the gapping is correct. Do I check the spark by holding the lead + plug next to the engine block to see if it sparks?

I will be checking the voltage when my new multimeter arrives.

Fuel looked clean when I changed the filter, no rust or crap came out.

Not looked at the rev counter, but will check when I crank it next. Not looked at the disi cap or rotar arm but will take a look as a precaution.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 13:51   #4
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I havent checked the spark plugs as yet, but need to ensure the gapping is correct. Do I check the spark by holding the lead + plug next to the engine block to see if it sparks?

Thats what I have done. Rested it near strut tower and turned it over, so didn't get zapped. Did this for each plug wire. Not sure it's the proper method but worked.

I will be checking the voltage when my new multimeter arrives.

Fuel looked clean when I changed the filter, no rust or crap came out.

Thats a good sign

Not looked at the rev counter, but will check when I crank it next. Not looked at the disi cap or rotar arm but will take a look as a precaution.
Should move slightly when cranking. Disi and rotor, could have oil contamination from Distributor oil seals perished. Also not the most accessible to change, so often left for years.

James.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 16:24   #5
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Open the tailgate and remove the left hand cubby hole cover between the wheelarch and D-pillar - should be a loop at the front end to make life easy for this.

Find the 3-way connector, this feeds the fuel pump and brings the sender output back. The two wires you're intersted in are pink and brown on the tank side of the connector. Back probe these with the +ve of your meter in the pink and the -ve of your meter in the brown. For 1-2 seconds when you first turn the key to position 2 you should see battery voltage and then also during cranking and for 1-2 seconds after.



You can see the pink and brown wires (with a grey one) more or less centrally)

If not, suspect fuses 1, 11 and the fuel pump relay.

The fuel tank is plastic so doesn't rust and also helps towards the use of E10 fuel - i'd still recommend using 98 octane super unleaded (E5) fuel though as these engines run better on it.

To check the spark, remove one of the plugs and clamp it to a convenient earth point on the hex, refit the HT lead and crank the engine. A strong blue/blue-white spark should be seen and if close enough, heard.

If not, remove the dizzy cap and inspect inside. There may be corrosion on the terminals, clean it off. Also check the carbon brush in the centre of the cap, should be about 10mm long and free to move in and out on its spring - don't pull it out as you'll never get it back!

If all is good so far, connect your multimeter to a good earth point with the -ve probe, set on 20V range and peel back one of the rubber boots on one of the injectors. Backprobe the green and turn the ignition on and then crank the engine - you should have battery voltage during this. If you have a NOID light, connect it to the injector and make sure it pulses as you crank the engine.

Assuming you have a spark and the injectors are getting the supply they need, after a period of cranking, remove one of the plugs. If it's completely dry you're not getting fuel for some reason. Prove this by using some Easystart in the air intake while cranking. It should fire up. However before you do that, it might well be worth removing all 4 plugs and dribbling either some engine oil or synthetic ATF into the plug holes. Leave it to soak for half hour or so then put rags over the plug holes to catch the oil and spin it over on the starter until the oil stops coming out. Refit the plugs and try starting it.

It may be the rings have dried out due to lack of use and as such, you're not getting proper compression so any fuel will just get blown by the rings into the crank case, hence the oil in the bores trick.

Give these things a try and if it's still a no-go (FTP - Fail To Proceed) let us know your findings and we can narrow it down some more.

PS it could be the CPS, located on top of the bellhousing if there's no spark - worth a visaul inspection of the wiring to it!


Location ^^^^^


What the wiring should look like ^^^^^


What the wiring usually looks like on a knackered one! ^^^^^

Bear in mind mine is a V6 so the cable is shorter but they sensors are near identical other than that.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 16:52   #6
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My main concern is I cannot hear the fuel pump prime when I turn on the ignition. From a post on the FB group I have been advised to check power to the pump with the multi meter, then check the fuses and power to the fuse box and then the relay. I can feel the relay clicking so I don't think its this but will check again to be sure.
If you turn on the ignition, the fuel pumps will only run for a short period to prime the system. Only once the engine picks up the pumps will run continuously. I am not even sure that the pumps will prime again if you switch the ignition off and on again. In a 940 they do not and resetting takes some time.
By the way, you have two fuel pumps: one in tank pump fed via fuse 11 and the one you have replaced, underneath the car. This is not fed via 11, but directly from the fuel pump relay.
The fuel pump relay is actually a dual relay and a fuel injection relay unit would be a better name for it. One of its relays is fed via the ignition key and switches the ignition on and off. The other is controlled from the ECU and switches both fuel pumps on and off. Clicking is therefore no indication that the fuel pump relay is working properly!

Useful link:
http://www.stepbystepvolvo.com/Resou...20No-Start.pdf
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 17:24   #7
Challo
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If you turn on the ignition, the fuel pumps will only run for a short period to prime the system. Only once the engine picks up the pumps will run continuously. I am not even sure that the pumps will prime again if you switch the ignition off and on again. In a 940 they do not and resetting takes some time.
By the way, you have two fuel pumps: one in tank pump fed via fuse 11 and the one you have replaced, underneath the car. This is not fed via 11, but directly from the fuel pump relay.
The fuel pump relay is actually a dual relay and a fuel injection relay unit would be a better name for it. One of its relays is fed via the ignition key and switches the ignition on and off. The other is controlled from the ECU and switches both fuel pumps on and off. Clicking is therefore no indication that the fuel pump relay is working properly!

Useful link:
http://www.stepbystepvolvo.com/Resou...20No-Start.pdf
Thanks. I was under the impression clicking meant it was working.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 17:57   #8
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A couple of points on your 1990 740, the fuel pump relay passes current to fuse #11 for BOTH fuel pumps - on later 940s it feeds fuses #11 & #13, one for the main fuel pump and the other for the lift (in-tank) pump and Lambda sensor heater. It's worth checking that fuse #13 is intact on yours, just in case yours is a leter 740 with a 940 style electrical system.

Clicking from the relay means it is operating mechanically on the control signal, it doesn't necessarily follow the contacts are passing current to the pumps - hence my test as described above to see if power is reaching the in-tank pump.

Information about the early LH2.4 (as yours is) is a bit hazy about whether it reprimes after the ignition is switched off and then back on again, as Rob says on later models there is a time delay (10 minutes i think) before it primes on first turning the key to position 2 but either way, if the starter runs the engine, it will trigger the pump to run for a second or two after it is released from position 3 - this is normal across the 7/9xx range as long as it's electronic injection.

Run through those tests i outlined and see what you've got. If the tests don't give the results i suggest then let us know. As for the pdf Rob linked to, there are many differences there to how yours is set up, for a start the author claims he has LH2.2 but has a Lambda sensor. Not for UK models at least, that would be an LH2.4 which yours is.
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 18:30   #9
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A couple of points on your 1990 740, the fuel pump relay passes current to fuse #11 for BOTH fuel pumps - on later 940s it feeds fuses #11 & #13, one for the main fuel pump and the other for the lift (in-tank) pump and Lambda sensor heater. It's worth checking that fuse #13 is intact on yours, just in case yours is a leter 740 with a 940 style electrical system.

Clicking from the relay means it is operating mechanically on the control signal, it doesn't necessarily follow the contacts are passing current to the pumps - hence my test as described above to see if power is reaching the in-tank pump.

Information about the early LH2.4 (as yours is) is a bit hazy about whether it reprimes after the ignition is switched off and then back on again, as Rob says on later models there is a time delay (10 minutes i think) before it primes on first turning the key to position 2 but either way, if the starter runs the engine, it will trigger the pump to run for a second or two after it is released from position 3 - this is normal across the 7/9xx range as long as it's electronic injection.

Run through those tests i outlined and see what you've got. If the tests don't give the results i suggest then let us know. As for the pdf Rob linked to, there are many differences there to how yours is set up, for a start the author claims he has LH2.2 but has a Lambda sensor. Not for UK models at least, that would be an LH2.4 which yours is.
Thanks. I've got plenty to work on, so will crack on with those and report back the results.

One extra question. Yesterday I tried to remove the fuse tray and couldn't. I have removed the compartment above the ashtray, and been pushing apart the white clips and lifting up but only the left hand side comes loose. The right hand side seems completely stuck and will not budge at all.

Any tips?
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Old Mar 15th, 2021, 18:40   #10
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Thanks. I've got plenty to work on, so will crack on with those and report back the results.

One extra question. Yesterday I tried to remove the fuse tray and couldn't. I have removed the compartment above the ashtray, and been pushing apart the white clips and lifting up but only the left hand side comes loose. The right hand side seems completely stuck and will not budge at all.

Any tips?
Perseverance! They do stick sometimes, try lifting the right hand side of the fusebox first and then the left, pushing the fusebox towards the front of the car and then lifting and pulling backwards and generally give it a bit of a shake around to loosen all the dust and dirt from the past 3 decades that are probably holding it in!
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