Ugh

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 02/24/2019 at 16:56 • Filed to: Miata. Always the answer

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I’m tired of Volvo problems. The V70 isn’t starting. Getting a code for cylinder 1 misfire. Anyone wanna offer up some troubleshooting advice?

Full disclaimer, because of the snowstorm and work craziness I haven’t driven the V70 a single time since coming back from San Jose. I started it once a week ago, but the engine shuddered a bit and ran rough so I turned it off immediately. Decided I’d take care of the problem later. Well.... Today is later. So the car made the 900 mile drive home with absolutely zero issues, then on the next start up it ran very rough for a few seconds before I shut it off (after sitting in the snow for 10 days untouched) and a week after that showed a cylinder misfire with my scan gauge. That’s my info.

I will also say that the gas gauge shows maybe 1/16 of a tank, and I’m parked on a hill. I’ve learned first maybe it’s not getting fuel? Would that cause a misfire code for one cylinder though?

The idea of throwing money at a car is very unappealing right now, so I’m hoping I can figure this out. Taking it in to a shop isn’t really on the table. I’ve got a covered spot I can store it for awhile if need be, but... It would have to be running to get there. No way for a tow truck to maneuver it into the stall.

Plug looks good yeah? Believe it or not this is somehow the first time I’ve taken out a spark plug... Not really sure what I’m looking for here, besides a disgusting blackened mess of corrosion or maybe a plug coated in oil.

I attempted a compression test in that cylinder but I’m not really confident that I did it correctly. I wish I I was neighbors with a friendly Volvo mechanic.

AestheticsInMotion > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:00

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Also, mobile kinja. Please stop sucking. I'm tired of the left side of my text being cut off in the editing view. 

Aremmes > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:05

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Does that engine use coil-on-plug ignition? If so, swap the #1 coil with that from another cylinder and see if the resulting code changes accordingly. If not, try getting new plugs and wires.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:08

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[shakes you by  the shoulders]

Cuuuuuuuut youuuuurrrr lossesssssss!

You can even use my driveway whenever you need to wrench on the Miata.

[More shaking]

Buuuuut yoooou haaaave toooo drawwww theeee lineeeee

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:09

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Can you swap a plug wire with your other Volvo and see if that’s the problem? Those engines can be temperamental about plug gaps too so I’d check that. Also check the cap and rotor. If it is a plug wire  you will want to get the OEM B ougicord wires or NGK wires, in my experience.

If none of that is the issue then check the coil and the fuel injectors. I may have an old set of white injectors for that motor.

Echo51 > Aremmes 02/24/2019 at 17:10

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From the image it’s the modular, so single coil, into a cam-driven distributor it spins. Check the points in that and the cable to the bad cylinder, plug look ok but wouldn’t hurt to replace with another from a different cylinder.

AestheticsInMotion > Sovande 02/24/2019 at 17:14

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I’ll give the wire swap a shot and check the plug gap.

As for cap and rotor, what would I be looking for there? 

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/24/2019 at 17:18

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I'm getting closer to that point

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:20

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I owned three Tercel wagons. Maybe one day in person I can tell you how much I lost on  all three combined. I really regret not just paying out the nose for a single exceptional specimen. I’m projecting onto you, I know. But I’ve seen maaaany familiar phases since you bought that first one.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:24

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I’m not gonna say it, I’m not gonna say it....

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/24/2019 at 17:30

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Should have bought a GTI?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:36

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What? But they have such a reputation for being reliable!

BeaterGT > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:42

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Plug seems fine, maybe a tad rich if anything unless that is oil on the plug. 

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/24/2019 at 17:47

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I’m not paying a dime to fix it, but no, my “I told you to not get a Volvo.” speach.

I would buy another VW, but I’ll never own a Volvo that I didn’t plan to destroy. 

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 17:50

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*channels Zoidberg*

Oh, so sad!

So what you’re saying is, you’re looking for someone to take it off your hands, yeah?

Hmmm ?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm?????

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 18:09

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That plug looks fine

What does it do when it doesn’t start, is it trying to run, just cranking endlessly (not hitting on any cylinder), or ? If one is missing it should just run poorly, not not start (unless it’s got an overzealous safe-mode going on).

Depending on if it’s not getting fuel or spark the troubleshooting paths diverge.

arl > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 18:09

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The hill + low gas sounds fishy. Maybe some dirt/rust in the tank, plus a clogged fuel filter? I’d get a bunch of gas in it and see if it starts up. Then get a new fuel filter in there. 

benjrblant > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 18:10

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At the risk of stating the obvious, you need fuel, air, spark, and compression. It is possible that a single cylinder could not get sufficient fuel if an injector is faulty, but I’d start with checking for spark first.

Sovande > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 18:18

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Just looking for wear, cracks, excessive dust and arc spots. You might also consider changing to a copper plug. They won’t last as long (20,000 miles or so) but they are cheap and seem to work better than the iridium or whatever you are holding in the picture. Get NGK BKR6ES or Bosch FR7DC. You should be able to find both for pretty cheap.

Sovande > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/24/2019 at 18:20

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Seems a bit extreme for a solution that is probably fixed with a new plug or a new plug wire... 

AestheticsInMotion > MM54 02/24/2019 at 18:24

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It will run poorly, but I also have to start it with a portable jump-starter for what it's worth. 

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/24/2019 at 18:34

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Well technically, the only time I've had to rely on the V70 it was absolutely perfect. So does that mean it's been 100% reliable?  

AestheticsInMotion > Future Heap Owner 02/24/2019 at 18:34

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Hi. Wanna buy a speedy boi? 

Kiltedpadre > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 18:47

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Any chance the coil is the same on both Volvo’s? If so try swapping the coil from the good Volvo into the car that’s running poorly. You could do the same with the plug wires and borrow a plug too.

I’d do it one item at a time though. That way if it fixes the problem you know which item to replace. I’d recommend getting more fuel into it too, but I’d be shocked if that caused a misfire in just a single cylinder.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:04

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Plug looks... usable. Not great, but not terrible. Misfire code rules out injector unless you have a pending injector code. Injector fault detection is pretty good in OBD-II.

Probably you’re looking at a distributor problem, and could be the misfire’s bogus in that you’ve got no spark on any cylinders. But because cylinder 1 is the first cylinder, it may only throw the cylinder 1 misfire code.

So yeah - pull the distributor and start there.

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:06

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The need for a jump is probably the battery being low from all the cranking; once it’s back to normal may want to consider a new battery if it’s older / unknown, for sure if it keeps up. That said, when it is running (poorly) what voltage do you see at the battery? It’s possible that it isn’t charging and the battery is low, which would make it run poorly (and eventually just die).

As for the misfire, a good first check is to swap that cylinder’s plug with one of the others, and see if the problem follows the plug. If not, try the same with one of the fuel injectors, try a plug wire, etc. Eventually it will follow the source of the issue unless there are some serious issues hiding somewhere.

What sort of ignition does this have, are there coil packs or is there a distributor?

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:07

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Not a Volvo expert, but I’d be looking at ignition components first, especially if you don’t know their history. Plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor used to be treated as wear items you changed every year for a reason, and usually I’d change them any time I pick up another vehicle . They’re also relatively cheap and easy enough to do yourself. D on’t pull more than one spark plug or wire off at a time, and you’ll avoid screwing up firing order.

If you’re on a tight budget you can check for spark first by pulling the plug, hooking the wire, and laying it on or (carefully and insulatedly ) holding it near a grounded metal surface and getting a helper to crank the engine. If there’s no spark, you can   swap the plug and then wire with another cylinder   to track an issue, then just replace the individual components . A #1 misfire will become a #2 when the malfunctioning component moves over, or if goes anyway entirely there could be a worn spot in the wires’s insulation that you moved away from a grounding point , or a poor connection or something that you made more permanent. Actually check for spark anyway. If you’re getting good spark, the next thing I’d do would be to swap #1 and #2 injectors, then see if the misfire moves to #2, and if it doesn’t then look closely at the #1 injector wiring. Usually if one injector fails the others won’t be far behind, so I’d replace them as a set, but you can sometimes clean them out to get them working , or replace indivi dually if you're  on a budget.

That plug doesn’t look terrible, but if it wasn’t firing it would get soaked in gas, which would clean it off somewhat. If it sat for a week after it last ran then the gas would easily have evaporated by the time you pulled it, they dry off quickly enough as it is when you pull them straight out.

Longtime Lurker > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:26

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Somehow I managed to miss that you bought a second Volvo.

USAFmx > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:26

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For this code:

1. Check your cam position sensor on the drivers side of the motor. A few screws and inspect for oil and fouling, as well as the le ad’s condition.

2. Another known solution is replacing the coolant temp sensor near the thermostat. ($15 part). The computer uses this info to manage  injection air and timing.

1998 Volvo S70

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 19:37

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Quite possibly, depending on a few factors (primarily whether that leather is actual leather or a synthetic facsimile). Which model year is it? I looked back at your post about buying it, and I didn’t see that mentioned. Could you tell me the VIN? If you don’t wanna put that online, email me at dlp @aperiodic.org

brianbrannon > AestheticsInMotion 02/24/2019 at 21:13

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If it does actually start (seems unclear) swap #1 coil with #3 and see if the misfire moves to cyl 3. If it does move to cylinder 3 then replace that coil

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > AestheticsInMotion 02/25/2019 at 00:20

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ti me to swap in 2 three pot geo metro motors

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 02/25/2019 at 00:36

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“ [shakes you by the shoulders]

Cuuuuuuuut youuuuurrrr lossesssssss!”

WITH A SAWZALL!!!

AestheticsInMotion > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 02/25/2019 at 04:38

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But I like 5 cylinders :(

Bchan > AestheticsInMotion 02/25/2019 at 14:40

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Rough ride and misfire for Volvo could be due to PCV clogged, common maintenance item for high mileage (100k+).  Cheapest way is Seafoam, 2 cans and a oil change might do the tricks for short term.