Intermittant starter problem - C70 Coupé

Mr. Larson

Hi folks,

The Problem:
My C70 Coupé has been cutting out fairly regularly - immediately after starting the engine. When it starts - it fires up and cuts straight back out again, no matter how much revving I give it. Subsequent attempts to start fail - the starter just ticks over but does not fire up. I need to take the key completely out of the barrell and try again. It never cuts out when it's running and it doesn't happen all of the time. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with the engine being cold.

The Car:
It's a used 2002 C70 Coupé and I still have approx. 5 months left on the Dealer Warranty. The mileage is low, 30k and the car has been serviced every year with low mileage between service intervals. So it's in excellent condition. No other problems to speak of.

I've tried:
I put it in for a service and had the mechanic in the dealer also attempt to diagnose and try to fix it. Both have failed. They claim that they have taken apart and cleaned everything possible that might cause the issue. The Volvo dealer also checked for error codes and claim that there were none set - which is unusual. I've tried all keys I have and it happens on all.

Anyone know what it might be or have any suggestions about how to diagnose/isolate the problem would be most welcome. It's quite embarasssing sitting into a lovely car that won't start sometimes!

Thanks! :eek:

SoBe

weird alright,was gona post up about the volvo forums but i see you already posted there,good luck with getting the problem sorted

Toon--soldier

sounds like theres an engine sensor telling it to shutdown

Mr.Diagnostic

Typical immobiliser symptoms.

I dont see many Volvos so this is a generic reply.

Does the car have any kind of immobiliser light? Your owners manual will tell you this. Some have a symbol in the dash (often a yellow key) and some an LED. This usually works as follows, lights up with ign on and will disappear once it confirms the key has been read correctly. If you can ID this indicator then check how it responds when the does start correctly and compare to what happens when the car does not start.
Even allowing for you having tried two keys there could be a fault with the immob. Often the aerial that reads the key goes faulty.

No fault codes logged, I doubt it too. maybe get someone else to check it. You need to have the immob system read too.

If this only happens very occasionally then it can be difficult to diagnose. My way with this type of fault is to read, record and clear all codes then let the owner take it until it plays up again. Then read it again as soon as possible and see what codes come up.

Good luck with it.

crosstownk

It does sound like a classic immobiliser problem. Try the spare key as Mr.D suggests. It is quite possible that no fault is logged - I've seen this happen on many occasions which makes a definitive diagnosis difficult.

JHMEG

Sounds like an intermittent electrical problem like a bad earth somewhere, or a slightly loose connection. Could also be a dodgy fuel pump, or a dodgy power/earth to the fuel pump. Could also be the immobiliser.

I would try a *good* auto electrician.