I am having a problem with the Lambda light on my Volvo.
I purchased the Volvo for £1200 from a small dealer in North London in February and it ran well until a parking company {name generalised - DD} at Gatwick returned it to me at 12.30am with the Lambda light on. I did not realise the significance, otherwise I would have complained.
Since then I have had the car come to a dead stop (all dash board lights on) quite a few times. It will not start immediately, (I assume neat petrol is flooding the hot sensors) so one has to wait 1-2 minutes and then it starts easily and on we go, with heart in the mouth, waiting for the next time.
I have had taken the car to the garage, where perished air hoses have been replaced and the fuel system (carburettor??) inlets/jets have been cleaned.
The problem appears to happen when I am "freewheeling" i.e. my foot has come off/partially off the accelerator (obviously still in gear) as one is going down a hill, slowing for a speed hump, approaching traffic lights etc.
There appears to be no logic as to when it is going to happen. After being in the garage for the carburettor(?) to be cleaned, the garage owner took the Volvo for a protracted test drive, no problems; I collected the car and 400 metres later slowing for a hump I lost all power?? The garage owner suggested a long drive would ?blow it through?.
The next day (Thursday), having reset the Lambda light (by disconnecting the bty) I drove to Manchester. The car went beautifully. I did lots of starts and stops and I thought "hooray". The following morning (Friday) it started perfectly, more stops and starts and then, when coming to a halt at the traffic lights at the bottom of a steep hill I lost all power. Embarrassing!! After a minute or so, the car started.
It then went perfectly for 3 hectic days and then, out of the blue, stopped twice within a mile, on my way to join the motorway: It was inside lane and ?heart in mouth? all the way back to London!!
Suddenly, again out of the blue, when crawling in slow moving traffic (motorway road works) the tick over revs dropped from about 750 to 480-500. Lots of handbrake stops whilst keeping the revs up at around 750. It carried on like this all the way into London and then, having negotiated Marble Arch, going down Park Lane the revs suddenly returned to 750-800 and have stayed there ever since.
Since arriving back in London I have left the Lambda light on and thought that was it, ?cured? when on the way to the garage, slowing for a speed hump, all stopped again.
Any suggestions as to a cure would be welcome.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 21/08/2008 at 20:51
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Sylvan
The only way to find out which code is being stored is to get the codes read - I'm amazed that any garage wouldn't do that first.
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A code read on this car is so simple. It is detailed in a Haynes manual for goodness sake. Regards Peter
Edited by Webmaster on 21/08/2008 at 22:53
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Scanner only post '96. No selectable LED box; just a 16-pin socket in the cubby box.
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Oh pink fluffy dice, thanks screwloose. Regards Peter
Edited by Webmaster on 21/08/2008 at 22:53
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For Screwloose and Peter, many thanks for your advice.
The car is now back in the garage, together with a copy of your advice.
I assume from your coments that the garage will know what settings will be required
The garage will keep it for a couple of days and make several test runs
Sylvan
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Thank you for your advice, the fault may be cured.
The car "died" on the garage floor and the mechanic went back to basics and started fault finding on the electrics. Took off the distibutor cap and found it was worn beyond belief.
A new cap and new plugs and "touch wood" a weekend later all is well
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