Still having problems after Hall Effect Sensor replacement

  • Thread starter Thread starter Leiv Magne Faane
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Leiv Magne Faane

Hi,

I've written in this group before regarding my '86 244 GLE with B230A
engine. I have now replaced distributor cap, rotor, wires, coil, sparkplugs,
ignition module and now the Hall Effect Sensor (located inside the
distributor connected to vacuum-'clock'), also known as impulse sender her
in Norway. The engine has now stop dying on me while driving, but still runs
very irregular on idle, especially when then to temperature is dropping
below 5 Celsius degrees, which is very often a cold fact her in Norway, from
October to March.

When I use a tool (that blinks every time the first sparkplug sparks) the
ignition point is standing on the same place, but in the same rhythm that
the engine jumps or struggles, the ignition point jumps back en forth, and
stabilizes for a couple of blinks and, jumps back and forth again.

I have some questions:

1. Is a cheep third-party ignition module more likely to fail, than a
genuine Volvo module?
2. If all the parts I've replaced are working properly, what else could
cause the engine to act like this?

I would really appreciate your help. Thanks in advance!

Best regards
Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km
 
I corrected a problem similar to this over a year ago on my 1988 240
wagon. We too have cold and very humid winters here in eastern Canada,
as you may know. I discovered almost inadvertenly that two of the vacuum
hoses of the intake manifold had cracks in them, more specificaly where
they bend. The cracks were close enough to the end of the hoses so I
only had to chop off the end and reconnect them. I never experienced
this problem again. But before I found this, I too had tried everything
: Wires, plugs, distributor, coil, oxygen sensor. One other thing I can
think of might cause your problem: the ECU itself. I had to replace mine
this spring, at 330 000 km.

Good luck,

Richard Bouchard

Leiv Magne Faane a écrit :
 
I corrected a problem similar to this over a year ago on my 1988 240
wagon. We too have cold and very humid winters here in eastern Canada,
as you may know. I discovered almost inadvertenly that two of the vacuum
hoses of the intake manifold had cracks in them, more specificaly where
they bend. The cracks were close enough to the end of the hoses so I
only had to chop off the end and reconnect them. I never experienced
this problem again. But before I found this, I too had tried everything
: Wires, plugs, distributor, coil, oxygen sensor. One other thing I can
think of might cause your problem: the ECU itself. I had to replace mine
this spring, at 330 000 km.

Good luck,

Richard Bouchard

Leiv Magne Faane a écrit :
 
From a point at sea, to the circles of your mind, this is Leiv Magne
Faane:

2. If all the parts I've replaced are working properly, what else could
cause the engine to act like this?
Click to expand...

I have recently gone through a painful (expensive, time consuming,
frustrating) experience trying to diagnose an erratic idle. Some of
the symptoms sound very similar, and I, too, was convinced it was an
ignition fault.

It turned out to be a failed gasket where the inlet manifold joins the
cylinder head. Some of the injector seals may have been leaking a
little, too.

With the engine running, trickle water over the manifold joint and
injectors and see if this makes a difference.


--

Stewart Hargrave

A lot faster than public transport


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name
 
I have actually replaced the vacuum hoses. Forgot to mention that. But I
haven't checked the ECU. Do I have one? Thought I didn't, since the '86
B230A engine is a non-injection engine. But a new ECU sure sounds expensive.

Thanks for the input!

Best regards
Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km


"Richard Bouchard" <[email protected]> skrev i melding
I corrected a problem similar to this over a year ago on my 1988 240
wagon. We too have cold and very humid winters here in eastern Canada,
as you may know. I discovered almost inadvertenly that two of the vacuum
hoses of the intake manifold had cracks in them, more specificaly where
they bend. The cracks were close enough to the end of the hoses so I
only had to chop off the end and reconnect them. I never experienced
this problem again. But before I found this, I too had tried everything
: Wires, plugs, distributor, coil, oxygen sensor. One other thing I can
think of might cause your problem: the ECU itself. I had to replace mine
this spring, at 330 000 km.

Good luck,

Richard Bouchard

Leiv Magne Faane a écrit :
 
I've written in this group before regarding my '86 244 GLE with B230A
engine. I have now replaced distributor cap, rotor, wires, coil, sparkplugs,
ignition module and now the Hall Effect Sensor (located inside the
distributor connected to vacuum-'clock'), also known as impulse sender her
in Norway. The engine has now stop dying on me while driving, but still runs
very irregular on idle, especially when then to temperature is dropping
below 5 Celsius degrees, which is very often a cold fact her in Norway, from
October to March.
Click to expand...

An impulse sender and hall effect sensor are two different things that
serve similar puropses. If you put them on an oscilliscope you'll see
that they produce different signals. :>

Indeed what you have sounds an awful lot like an impulse sender. If
that's what it is, you may want to verify that it's adjusted properly.

But, I agree with everyone else that you should check for vacuum leaks.
Make sure your timing is correct, and make sure your fuel mixture is
spot-on.

None of the North American Volvos with carbs got electronic ignitions.. so
I don't know how yours is setup, but it is possible indeed that the
ignition computer could have failed. But I'd bet on a vacuum leak
somewhere first.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
 
With the engine running, trickle water over the manifold joint and
injectors and see if this makes a difference.
Click to expand...

I'll try that. Thanks for the input.

Best regards
Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km
 
A new ECU IS expansive! I went to salvage parts and paid 1/4 the price
of a new one. But sorry, I didn't know B230A's didn't have ECU...

Richard Bouchard

Leiv Magne Faane a écrit :
 
A new ECU IS expansive! I went to salvage parts and paid 1/4 the price
of a new one. But sorry, I didn't know B230A's didn't have ECU...

Richard Bouchard

B230A is a carburetted engine, there's nothing for the ECU to control, we
never got any of those in the US though.
 
An impulse sender and hall effect sensor are two different things that
serve similar puropses. If you put them on an oscilliscope you'll see
that they produce different signals. :>
Ok.

Indeed what you have sounds an awful lot like an impulse sender. If
that's what it is, you may want to verify that it's adjusted properly.
Click to expand...

Well, I can't be 100 % sure, but I think it's adjusted as it should be.
But, I agree with everyone else that you should check for vacuum leaks.
Make sure your timing is correct, and make sure your fuel mixture is
spot-on.
Click to expand...

It sounds very logical, but I've allready checked this. Replaced vacuum
hoses, adjusted the timing, and opened the carb and adjusted the floater,
and I've also replace air filter.
None of the North American Volvos with carbs got electronic ignitions.. so
I don't know how yours is setup, but it is possible indeed that the
ignition computer could have failed. But I'd bet on a vacuum leak
somewhere first.
Click to expand...

I'll check the vacuum hoses again, maybe I haven't noticed all of them last
time.

Best regards
Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km
 
With the engine running, trickle water over the manifold joint and
injectors and see if this makes a difference.
Click to expand...

It didn't make any difference. Maybe I need to have a bigger operation under
the hood.

Thanks for the input.

- Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km
 
It sounds very logical, but I've allready checked this. Replaced vacuum
hoses, adjusted the timing, and opened the carb and adjusted the floater,
and I've also replace air filter.
Click to expand...

Have you replaced the fuel filter?

I don't think those mechanical fuel pumps wear out quite like the electric
ones do.. but an unsteady fuel supply will often have a negative impact on
idle.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
 
Have you replaced the fuel filter?

No, the B230A carb engines doesn't have any, I tried to find it, but read
some place that only 240s with injector had that. But after I found out
about that, I have been wanting to mount one.
I don't think those mechanical fuel pumps wear out quite like the electric
ones do.. but an unsteady fuel supply will often have a negative impact on
idle.
Click to expand...

I'm beginning to wonder if I'll need some mechanics to take a look on the
car. This car is a mystery! I don't think I have the right tools to check a
fuel pump either.



Thanks for the input anyway.



- Leiv Magne Faane, Norway
'86 244 GLE, B230A, 260000 km
 
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