What do you do for a living?

[Dac321]

Originally Posted by tsonka [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Service manager at a Volvo Dealer

Lol, good to know. My Volvo has been acting up.

[tsonka]

What kind of vehicle and what problem are you having Ayrik?

[Dac321]

Originally Posted by tsonka [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

What kind of vehicle and what problem are you having Ayrik?

2001 Volvo s40 130K miles. It has a hard time starting, and when it does smoke comes out. I know it's fuel related...i think. Also I've had it stall on me in the middle of turns. I also have a slight overheating issue. And a moderate oil leak. Lol..but I love it.

[tsonka]

Hard start as in excessive crank time and is this condition more likely to happen after it sits for awhile? Possible faulty fuel pressure regulator. One of the jobs of the fuel pressure regulator is to prevent fuel from draining out of the fuel lines back to the fuel tank. If this part is faulty you will not have available fuel pressure at the engine to start the vehicle, you will have crank the engine long enough for the fuel pump to build up adequate pressure.

Slight over heating + hard start + smoke out of the tail pipe like it is running rich? On Volvos the ECT (engine coolant temp sensor) likes to fail. This is the sensor that tells the cars ECU how warmed up the engine is so the vehicle can perform calculations such as air / fuel mixture. Failure of this sensor often happens because the engine thermostat failed and due to their close proximity the t-stat failure caused the ECT sensor to fail. In fact at my dealership we always install a new t-stat when we replace an ECT sensor. With your comment of smoke coming out of the tail pipe this may be a possibility. The ECT sensor is faulty causing the air / fuel mixture to be rich partially flooding it on starting and your comment of slightly over heating may be due to the thermostat.

Is the check engine light on? The fuel pressure regulator likely would not cause a warning light when the ECT sensor could.

If you are the kind of person to replace parts yourself be advised that depending on your ECU software driver version you may very well have to download the latest and greatest ECU drivers for a replacement ECT sensor to function properly.

[Dac321]

Originally Posted by tsonka [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Hard start as in excessive crank time and is this condition more likely to happen after it sits for awhile? Possible faulty fuel pressure regulator. One of the jobs of the fuel pressure regulator is to prevent fuel from draining out of the fuel lines back to the fuel tank. If this part is faulty you will not have available fuel pressure at the engine to start the vehicle, you will have crank the engine long enough for the fuel pump to build up adequate pressure.

Slight over heating + hard start + smoke out of the tail pipe like it is running rich? On Volvos the ECT (engine coolant temp sensor) likes to fail. This is the sensor that tells the cars ECU how warmed up the engine is so the vehicle can perform calculations such as air / fuel mixture. Failure of this sensor often happens because the engine thermostat failed and due to their close proximity the t-stat failure caused the ECT sensor to fail. In fact at my dealership we always install a new t-stat when we replace an ECT sensor. With your comment of smoke coming out of the tail pipe this may be a possibility. The ECT sensor is faulty causing the air / fuel mixture to be rich partially flooding it on starting and your comment of slightly over heating may be due to the thermostat.

Is the check engine light on? The fuel pressure regulator likely would not cause a warning light when the ECT sensor could.

If you are the kind of person to replace parts yourself be advised that depending on your ECU software driver version you may very well have to download the latest and greatest ECU drivers for a replacement ECT sensor to function properly.

Yes my check engine light is on, all the codes are leading to my cylinders which are misfiring. what you are saying about ECT makes a lot of sense and I wouldnt be surprised if thats the issue. As far as the Fuel pressure regulator, that would also explain the long cranking, and the very rough start as if it wasnt getting enough fuel.

[Vangorr_WAR]

Actually Blink my only child is two years old , so for the moment she is homeschooled. S he will be going to private school when she is of age.

[Blink]

Originally Posted by Vangorr_WAR [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

S he will be going to private school when she is of age.

Good, less mexicans that way.