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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 01:19:57 AM

Title: people who know about cars.
Post by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 01:19:57 AM
hey car people! help me out

i have an old 87 Volvo.


recently i've been having some weird problems. for one when i'm idling the car shakes like its running out of gas or something. also it stalls sometimes when it's idling.

even more recently it's been having a hard time accelerating often i can only get up to aroudn 50 or 55 until it starts lurching and it won't go any faster even if i'm flooring it.

some people i know have theorized that it's something with the fuel filter or something else that's dirty

does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong with it and how i could fix it myself? i'm pretty low on cash right now and i want to avoid getting scammed at some garage.

Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Andy on September 10, 2008, 01:44:21 AM
are you CoconutColin?
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 02:14:19 AM
no
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Andy on September 10, 2008, 02:33:13 AM
oh.  one of the volvo frums that came up when I searched had a post from someone with that name that was having similar issues with his 87.  They seemed to think it had to do with his fuel filter.
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 03:24:31 AM
weird. ok well i'll read up on what i can do about the fuel filter
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: masterofsparks on September 10, 2008, 08:08:15 AM
My guess would be fuel filter or fuel pump.

Why not give Car Talk a call?
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: buffcoat on September 10, 2008, 10:05:38 AM
hey car people! help me out

i have an old 87 Volvo.


recently i've been having some weird problems. for one when i'm idling the car shakes like its running out of gas or something. also it stalls sometimes when it's idling.

even more recently it's been having a hard time accelerating often i can only get up to aroudn 50 or 55 until it starts lurching and it won't go any faster even if i'm flooring it.

some people i know have theorized that it's something with the fuel filter or something else that's dirty

does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong with it and how i could fix it myself? i'm pretty low on cash right now and i want to avoid getting scammed at some garage.



Colin - I actually had a late 80s Volvo at one point with the same problems.

Apparently, the problem is that the designers did not make the hole in the fuel plate large enough, so it gets clogged easily.  My Volvo would stall out even running down the Interstate.

Unfortunately, after taking it to the dealership several times, everyone gave up and we sold the car.  It seems like it's a design flaw with that era Volvo.

More info can be found here (maybe more than you can stand):

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:fWxavVEIAmwJ:answers.yahoo.com/question/index%3Fqid%3D20070907062429AABaB2N+87+volvo+stalling&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us

Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on September 10, 2008, 11:52:58 AM
im glad i found this out.  i was think of trading in my old honda civic for an old volvo wagon. 
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 06:48:23 PM
hey car people! help me out

i have an old 87 Volvo.


recently i've been having some weird problems. for one when i'm idling the car shakes like its running out of gas or something. also it stalls sometimes when it's idling.

even more recently it's been having a hard time accelerating often i can only get up to aroudn 50 or 55 until it starts lurching and it won't go any faster even if i'm flooring it.

some people i know have theorized that it's something with the fuel filter or something else that's dirty

does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong with it and how i could fix it myself? i'm pretty low on cash right now and i want to avoid getting scammed at some garage.



Colin - I actually had a late 80s Volvo at one point with the same problems.

Apparently, the problem is that the designers did not make the hole in the fuel plate large enough, so it gets clogged easily.  My Volvo would stall out even running down the Interstate.

Unfortunately, after taking it to the dealership several times, everyone gave up and we sold the car.  It seems like it's a design flaw with that era Volvo.

More info can be found here (maybe more than you can stand):

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:fWxavVEIAmwJ:answers.yahoo.com/question/index%3Fqid%3D20070907062429AABaB2N+87+volvo+stalling&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us



do you think thats something i can check and clean myself or should i get a mechanic to do it?
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Patrick on September 10, 2008, 11:07:44 PM
is it a 240 and is it automatic or manual?
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Denim Gremlin on September 10, 2008, 11:45:42 PM
yes its a 240 and its an automatic
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Patrick on September 11, 2008, 10:57:18 AM
it could be the fuel pump, that was the ultimate demise of my volvo....  but you might be lucky and it might be any number of other super cheap things to fix.  the first is that over time the seal on the windshield breaks down and water can get in it, what was happening to mine was that water was then making its way to the fuse box and shorting out some of the fuses...  the one that runs the fuel pump might be the problem.  you can fix this by cleaning all the contacts and replacing the fuses, and greasing the connects up with some special grease that conducts electricity, you can get it at any car parts store.  also at about 150,000 miles i had a vacuum hose blow and it made my car almost undrivable, it was a super easy fix, and the part was less then a buck.  so check to make sure that all your vacuum hoses are connected....

i hope its not the fuel pump....
Title: Re: people who know about cars.
Post by: Patrick on September 11, 2008, 10:59:11 AM
oh also if its an automatic the transmission could be shot, if that the case its time to go car shopping....  sorry!!  lets hope its one of those things i mentioned above...