1984 Volvo 244 Cold Start Problems

Please help!

My Volvo, which I bought this summer, didn't having any starting
issues until the temp first dropped to 32 in October.

Now, it sounds like a clunker. After Thanksgiving, it wouldn't even
start (well, it did, but after a few stalls it finally died).

This is when we replaced the spark plugs and discovered they were
covered in soot and grime. The new spark plugs seemed to be the
solution to my cold start problems and all was well with my Volvo
until today when my car had a very difficult time starting again -
bumpy and stalling. It finally died and wouldn't restart.

So, the spark plugs helped - but only for a week. Why is this?

Can anyone help me figure out what the problem is with my car?

I've read about Air Mass Meters and Fuel Pump Relays....I don't know
where to begin and I'm not, obviously, a mechanic by any means. I'm
just a woman who needs her car to run and doesn't want to make an
uniformed or unecessary trip to a repair shop.

Thanks for your help!

 

So this is a US car with LH-Jet injection?

Has the engine wiring harness been replaced? If it's original then it's
rotten and will cause all sorts of random problems like that. Look for spot
with exposed wires, if the insulation is crumbling from those there's much
more hidden damage inside the black sheathing.