Starter motor 240 dead

Porkchop · 2024-02-07T22:14:18+00:00

My starter motor has just packed it in (40 years of service isn't too shabby I guess!) and I need some recommendations for obtaining a replacement, I'd rathe...

jamesinc

I think just rule out ignition first as it's easy, with the car switched to reds, check that the coil positive (marked + or 15) has voltage (somewhere vaguely in the 9V-12V range).

After that, the only thing that is likely to cause it to cut out after a few seconds would be the K-Jet relay not having power when the ignition is on (but not cranking).

You can test this on reds also. The K-Jet relay has a coil trigger sense input, i.e. it is designed to switch the fuel pumps on when the coil starts firing. With the ignition still on reds, all you need to do is disconnect the coil negative lead (marked - or 1) and immediately reconnect it. The pumps should whirr away audibly for a few seconds.

If both tests pass it would suggest that both your ignition and fuel system are functional, at least as far as the electrics are concerned.

Edit: the two yellow/blue wires that join to a single connector are supposed to be that way, don't cut them up

Porkchop

Hooked up a continuity test lamp between coil + and earth with the ignition on reds as recommended and barely the vaguest glimmer, almost too faint to see. Tested the lamp from the positive terminal on battery to earth and it fully lit up so the lamp functions ok. Not sure about next step.

jamesinc

Porkchop I think check the ballast resistor contacts and/or bypass it. It should be located on the driver's side, between the strut tower and firewall. It's a white ceramic cylinder thing. One one side of it you'll find a blue wire, this is your 12V switched supply, and on the other side you'll find two brown wires, one goes to the coil positive, the other goes to the starter motor. Bridge all three brown and blue wires together. Try to start the car. If no change in symptoms, disconnect the brown wire from the starter motor and try again.

Porkchop

Located the ballast resistor, oddly only one brown wire at one and one blue at the other, bypassed the ballast by joining them and voila the old girl burst into life, running smoothly without an issue, you deserve one of Phillip Adam's Gold Koala stamps in recognition! Seriously though James I'm impressed that you managed to troubleshoot this thing through to a conclusion.

One last question I'm guessing I permanently bypass the ballast or should I look for a new one through Volvrek etc?

jamesinc

Porkchop One last question I'm guessing I permanently bypass the ballast or should I look for a new one through Volvrek etc?

Bypassing the ballast is a get-you-out-of-trouble triage, but as @dmc said you are basically overclocking the coil when you do this.

You could get a non-ballast coil from a later 240 (any of the EFI 240s) and then d/c the brown wire and ignore the ballast, or you could replace the ballast. I think replacing the ballast is the easiest option.

I might even have a ballast to sell, I'll have to check.

It sounds like on the '84 loom the brown wires join at the starter motor rather than the resistor, no big deal just means you only see one brown wire at the resistor.

Porkchop Seriously though James I'm impressed that you managed to troubleshoot this thing through to a conclusion.

👈😎👈

dmc

running 12v into a coil designed for 8ish volts is a short game.

was it running fine before pulling the starter?

Porkchop

Auto electrics is one area of car maintenance that I have little experience or knowledge in dmc, tbh I think the running was a bit ropey over the last period of time, I haven't tried starting the car again since the temporary bypass operation hence my question to James…. The coil is almost certainly original i.e. 40 years old, would be happy to replace anything that merits it at this stage.

dmc

my money is on the resistor, my suggestion is call berrys and get another ballast resistor.

or get it warm then turn it off and plumb in the resistor. measure voltage at the coil, someone here should know the correct voltage at the coil. @jamesinc? none of my 240s have the old coil/ballast resistor arrangement.

Porkchop

Haven't got a multimeter unfortunately, James felt that it should be between 8-12v but I haven't got the means of testing it exactly unfortunately. Maybe I should just grab a new ballast resistor as you say and throw it in to see if that is the issue (can't imagine they'd be too pricey)…

Porkchop

Just had a quick look at the UK Volvo forum site and thought this probably is the answer: "The symptoms when the ballast resistor has failed are that the engine will fire while the starter motor is engaged but die as soon as you release the key." That is pretty much exactly the symptoms I'm getting, I'll ring Mark tomorrow and get one underway…

Ex850R

How is the main fuel pump?

I chased a non start issue firstly to the FPR then the pump outside of tank was bad. I did lift pump in tank as it was original one.

It’s just old car things needing done.

I’ll do the resistor as well. Just for reliability. Plus anything else that can fail…..

Porkchop

I susupect that the in-tank pump failed quite a long time ago, was aware of it but time and money constraints meant that I just had to keep running the car. If the fuel level is allowed to drop too low, which is normally something I carefully avoid, then the main pump emits that characteristic sound as it works overtime. I've had some pretty crap experiences with mechanics over the last number of years which I why I prefer to stumble through and get the job done myself.

I've been told that both fuel pumps should be replaced as a pair to avoid future grief, how hard was it to source them locally, I've got to ring Mark today to get the resistor underway I guess I could get a quote….

Ex850R

Porkchop

I just bought two pumps from him, not got invoiced yet.

Porkchop

Ex850R No hassle, just curious… He's going to ring me back on the resistor front so I can ask him then 😉

Porkchop

Not adverse to the idea of replacing coil with non-ballast later model, there's got to be few floating around this forum somewhere!

As an aside the rubber boot covering the power connection(s) had disintegrated so I modelled one out of Loctite Kintsuglue, it's suitable for low voltage situations, not sure of oil/solvent durability but better than having a bare contact:

Image description

Not pretty but…..

Porkchop

Ok sages, is there any issue associated with me fitting this new Bosch coil from an EFI 240 and bypassing the resistor https://www.extramileautoparts.com.au/fuelmiser-ignition-coil-volvo-240-1986-1991-2.3l-4 $135 + free postage sounds like a very affordable and better upgrade…

dmc

$135 for a coil!

i have a box of old 240 cools, will have a look tonight.

Ex850R

dmc

I remember one of many conversations with Graham Berry of BMG and we were in the isles of parts out the back of workshop he said he never saw problems with coils but that was probably 20 years ago so time has aged them and are less reliable.

What’s the test you can do to prove they are 100% reliable?

Porkchop

I guess I just want to end up with something that will offer long-term durability and not cheap-out on replacement products (within reason of course!) peace of mind is priceless. James has got a 2nd hand ballast for me but just wanted to check with Mark at BMG whether a new one is available otherwise I'll grab it…

jamesinc

240 coils hardly ever seem to fail, the best way to decide is to use a multimeter and measure resistance across the primary (+/- terminals), and resistance between secondary (the ignition lead terminal) and primary negative terminal. If both are in-spec, your coil is good and doesn't need replacing.

Primary: 0.6 Ω - 0.9 Ω
Secondary: 7.0 kΩ - 8.5 kΩ

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