1.7 340 not starting...... Any help appreciated!

[Jonofdoom]

So my 340 that I've had for 3 days now left me stranded by failing to start.. Not a good beginning to my 300 ownership.

I don't know much about these these cars (all engine experience so far being aircooled VW) so any pointers would be very useful..


Facts (rather basic ones) as I know them:
-Engine turns over on the key but fails to start.
-With the filter off I noticed vapor / smoke type stuff coming from the carb when throttle applied.
-Couldn't spot anything obviously not attached or loose, there was some fuel in the bottom of the fuel filter, though not much.
-Twice (with the choke off) it sounded a tiny bit like it was trying to fire up, but this was short lived.

That's about it.. It was 1 in the morning in a residential area (45 miles away from home near where I work) so i didn't want to keep cranking it for ages checking all kinds and waking the whole street.

I've not driven it much so far and I've only ever started it from cold, save once or twice after very short runs. Up to now, to my (noob) ears it's sounded normal, and has felt just fine. longest journey of about 40 minutes. Today, the car was driven for 15 minutes, well up to normal (I assume) operating temp, then left for an hour or so before this happened.. The head was still quite warm to touch. I played with various choke positions... It has apparently been stood for a few weeks before I bought it.


Before work tomorrow I'll try start it from totally cold and see what I get.. Then try the egg cup worth of petrol in the top of the carb thing.. Then pull a plug or two and check for spark, and check for moisture or dirt in the dizzy cap and try and find / clean the CPS sensor (and probably fail to locate it) if there's no spark. Then I'll get confused and angry if it still doesn't work after all the aforementioned simple things I read in a thread on here have been tried:D


So.. Any ideas? More things I should check? I've no idea what the hell I'm doing with this thing. It's a massive pain in the ass, i was just starting to like it..

Thanks:)

[Jonofdoom]

I say before work tomorrow, but I mean today, friday! I work evenings and keep stupid hours.. Bedtime now it is:D

[filthyjohn]

A service is always a good idea, I'd just try removing and cleaning all the ignition components, then if it's still not playing consult someone with experience of the carb on the 1.7 (Chris_C).
It might just be flooded.

[Chris_C]

Mine when I first got it running wouldn't start between 10 and 25minutes after I turned it off. I managed to suss it in the end down to the fact that it had a replacement weber carb, which didn't have a fuel cut solenoid and was flooding itself after you left it (I'm guessing the last few cranks were enough to fill the cylinders. After 25mins, that fuel would have evaporated and all was well.

So, I'd check see what carb you have (Weber or Solex). Then if/when it happens again pull out a spark plug and check you have spark, and if the tip is wet or dry. As FJ says, do a service on it anyway, the 1.7 dizzy caps and arms need doing every 12months at least.

EDIT: do you have experience of a choke? 1.7's need a lot more than most choke cars before they are happy, if it was cold last night (I had a beer jacket on, so have no idea ) it may just have needed a nadgers.

[Jonofdoom]

Thanks.. I will go try a few bits soon before I go to work, I'll have a peek and see what carb I've got and check for spark / wetness if it doesn't start again.

I've some experience with a choke, first car was a 1.4 renault 5... It was a nice night last night by the way, you didn't need that beer jacket:D


Service anyways seems like a good idea, I'll do that... By the way, where do folks get their parts from? Is everything still available from the parts counter at volvo dealers?

[Chris_C]

It depends tbh, last time I tried to get a dizzy cap form Volvo they said they'd gone NLA, but worth an ask. Halfords caps are shite, so ECP or something is always a better bet.

[Speedy88]

This happened when I wanted to go shopping. Think i flooded it, fiddled with choke, then pumped the throttle and cranked it for about 6 times then it spluttered into life

[glasgowjim]

With mine (1.4) it had stood in a garage for months then I came bought it and hammered 478 miles up north , halfway up he damn thing started to misfire and it was an easy fix check he socket onto the spark plug on one off mines it had been pushed back up into the sheeth and had an intermittent contact . 5 mins and a pair of long nose pliers and I had a smile on my face

[Jonofdoom]

Cheers for the posts people:)

Tonight after work I went to try start it, and it worked just fine... Drove it about a good while and it started ok twice after 10-15ish minutes turned off each time... To be fair the second time required a bit of choke to get it going, but it worked and ran fine with the choke off after a minute or so.. Then I left it for a little over an hour and tried it again, and it wouldn't start at all. Tried with no choke, with choke, and blipping the throttle about after they failed, still no joy. Checked number 1 and 3 plugs, a tiny bit of black soot but nothing that struck me as unusual.. Tips were dry.. Turned the engine over on the key with plug 3 out and visible from the drivers seat and I couldn't see a spark! I could however see an occasional blue spark coming from the dizzy area... Tried the pouring petrol directly into the carb thing anyways as it only takes a second, and as expected, no start. I didn't check inside the dizzy cap as I hadn't realized you need a midget screwdriver to get in there:D

Soo, it seems like something in the ignition system is not working after it's been warmed up then left for an hour!? Seems very strange to me, any ideas? Next plan is to try some new leads I've got going spare, then find a new dizzy cap / rotor arm.. Though with symptoms like this I'm really hoping that it might point to something specific - Ideally I was just going to run about in it for a month or two until I had the needed parts for a 16v conversion, it'd be nice not to have to spend lots of time / money replacing everything on this engine if possible.

Ta.

[Jonofdoom]

Oh yeah, and the carb is a Solex:)

[Chris_C]

Turned the engine over on the key with plug 3 out and visible from the drivers seat and I couldn't see a spark! I could however see an occasional blue spark coming from the dizzy area...

Think you've answered your own question dude... ignore buying leads for the time being. For easy dizzy change, take out the heater box, it's a 2 min job. Undo the removable cable tie holding the wires in (by the dizzy) undo the 10mm nut inside the blower box opening, undo the 2 philips screws. Jiggle the box over onto the expansion tank, being careful not to put damage the heater matrix... then normal screwdrivers work

Check the coolant hose from the stat isn't spewing water over/into the dizzy too... they like doing that.

[Jonofdoom]

Nice nice, new cap / rotor as soon as possible then.

[Jonofdoom]

Dammit.. All the volvo parts departments shut at 1 on a saturday.... Looks like it's the local motor factors then if they aint got one, halfords, dammit.

[Jonofdoom]

Failed to get a dizzy cap... All the volvo parts departments and my local motor factors closed mid day and Halfords didn't stock them.. Will probably have to wait till monday to continue all this.

[Jonofdoom]

Drayton Motors Wirral stocks dizzy caps etc, off to get one now:D