Volvo Engine won't stay running RESOLVED!!

Doral 310

Member
exMember
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
RO Number
13068
Messages
168
2003 volvo 5.7 GFI. It will start and run for 15 seconds then stall. Turn the key and it does the same thing. Took the IAC and swapped it out from the other engine . Same issue. Where else should I look. Thanks.
 
Check oil level and then oil pressure sending unit. If ECM doesn't get oil pressure signal, it'll shut down.
 
How does it stalled?. Slowly loosing power then stalls or it's just stalls like turn key off?.
 
The oil level is good, sitting between add and full. It seems the engine is loosing power tthan stalls. If I try to give it more gas, it runs real rough and then dies. Sometimes I can hear it backfire as I give it more gas. It worked fine all summer. Thanks for the help.
 
It sounds like the fuel pump is shutting down for some reason. I would check the connectors to the fuel pump and to the air flow sensor.

Mike
 
Yeah, fuel pressure is being interrupted causing lean and dying.

Most likely a cloged filter.
Next, fuel pump problem.
next,air leak in fuel supply system...cracked fuel line or loose fitting.
next, float or valve sticking.
 
My 1996 5.8FSI exhibits this phenomenon when the kill switch is pulled or doesn’t make the complete connection. The fuel pumps ground connections are made via the ECM when in the ‘cranking’ mode, engine will start and when the key is released the fuel pumps ground is removed and the fuel is cut off the engine dies. Your 2003 GM based maybe different.
 
Hey Joe,

When I had the other Chris Craft the black square relays would go for no apparent reason. Swap them out from the good motor. Hope it's an easy fix.

Billy K.
 
You aren't holding the key to Start the whole time it remains running are you?
Does the OP on the gauge get up to normal cold range or stay extremely low?

If the fuel filters and the OP switch connections look good, I might tend toward swapping out the OP alarm switch( not sender) between engines, or possibly just testing it with wires disconnected (and starter circuit bypassing it) with an ohmmeter to see if it switches as the oil pressure briefly tries to pump up during the running. Not sure how well the latter might work.
But if that switch was bad I'd expect shutdown might be more abrupt.

I'd think if a fuel pump relay or ECM relay was bad (or their on-engine fuses) it likely wouldn't start at all.

You might also see if you can find a friend or tech with a MEFI- 4 diagnostic scanner like Rinda TechMate, MercScan or their Marine Diacom , or similar software like OBD Diagnostics' MEFI-Scan4, ... with the Volvo adapter and a MEFI diagnostic manual ( included with the Diacom.) That could reveal for instance whether and out-of-parameter Engine Coolant Temp (ECT) sensor was telling the ECM the engine was hot when it was cold, etc. . As Meide suggests above , a faulty sensor feeding contrary voltage input to the ECM can quickly throw fuel/air mix or timing out of running range. Or a perfectly good sensor sensing what it is supposed to sense that is bad.

Probably not related, but it might be worth mentioning again that at least 2 posters here have reported their quick-stalling issue ended up being caused by an internally-shorted hour-meter that was grounding out the ignition to stall out the engine anytime the hour-meter made its every-30 second advancement "click". That meant the engine would stall any time from 0-30 seconds after starting depending on when it next "clicked".
 
Thanks for all the input. I agree, its something related to the fuel delivery. I wont be back to the boat until the weekend but i now have several things to check thanks to you guys. BK- I will give the relay swap a try, once I locate them.
 
If it's EFI, there's a few second run time when we turn the key "ON" and that's probably what it's firing on. Then in "RUN" some other circuit takes over and that's where the problem is.
 
check the high pressure fuel pump...Had one here at work that was giving me weird issues. I tapped it and it ran well for a bit, then went back to the same issue. Replaced the pump and now it's fine
 
Problem resolved! After checking some of the items suggested here, thank you all, and putting a pressure gauge on the fuel system it was determined the low pressure side of the fuel pump was not getting power. The cause of the power issue was a corroded connector at the fuel pump. The connector must have been arcing and heated up to the point of melting the inside of the housing. Thanks again for all the help.
 
Good find and congrats on getting back OTW. But I'm a bit surprised it would run at all so perhaps it may have been pumping weakly for very brief benefit as a lift pump. Happy cruising!
 
Yes, the connector was replaced. Lucky for me my friend had some old harnesses that were replaced in "Sandy" boats and he cut the connector off. Volvo does not sell the connector alone, need to by the whole wiring harness.
 
Back
Top