I must correct myself; the 190/2.3 did use KE-Jetronic from '84 on.

It contains a feature that the OP may not have encountered in his Volvo experience; the electrohydraulic actuator (EHA). The EHA is a mixture controller in the fuel distributor (FD) that responds to feedback from the O2 sensor. In addition to responding to exhaust oxygen, it also delivers an enriched mixture during start and warmup. Along with the possibility of a leaking accumulator, a defective EHA, or the lack of a signal to the EHA, can also cause difficult starting. If the accumulator is just starting to leak, the exercise of "whirring" the fuel pump 4 or 5 times to build fuel pressure before cranking the engine, will often identify the accumulator as the culprit.

The EHA is located on the side of the FD, and has an electrical plug attached. Unplugging the EHA connector MAY give some indication of the source of the problem. MAY, because the lack of a signal and an unplugged connector will have the same effect. With the engine warmed to normal operating temperature, unplugging the EHA while running should produce a change in idle if the EHA and the signal are good.

If this were at fault, would the car have trouble starting every start, or only the first start of the day? I was starting to suspect that this was KE-Jet when I saw the computer in the engine bay. haha. Am I right in assuming that this is the 3 prong connector on the front (standing in front of the car) of the FD?

The extra enrichment supplied by the EHA is effective primarily on cold starts. Once sufficient water temp is sensed, i.e., hot starts, the enrichment is cancelled.

The EHA, and plug, are to the rear of the FD.

I really hate when this happens. I found two wires near the battery that look like they should run to one of the battery terminals (judging by the connectors). They're not connected to anything at the moment and they look like they run back into the passenger compartment, so I don't know where they go. One has a blade fuse like half way down the wire. Where do I start in figuring out what these are and if they're important?

Well, fixing the vacuum leak really did nothing. It was pretty cold this morning, and took the car a bit longer to start. I did make a new observation though. The car will cold start, the idle is about 1k and then jumps up to 1.5k and then down to 500. That's when the engine stalls and you start it again. After a few times, the idle will jump back and forth from 1.5k to 500 and then finally settle at 1k and keep running. Any insight from this?

Edit: Also, unplugging the EHA when the engine is warm causes no change at all. Yet to determine if this is a faulty EHA, there is some shotty wiring running to it. There are some ugly solders on the EHA connectors and it is tied into the main harness with a wire nut.

this is exactly what my 103 engine does... have yet to figure it out.

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1989 300ce 129k
( facelifted front,updated tail lights, lowered suspension,bilstein sports, lorinser front spoiler, MOMO steering wheel, remus exhaust,stainless steel brake lines). (Gone)

1997 s320 154k (what a ride). Sold with 179k miles. Replaced with Hyundai Equus

1994 e320 Cabriolet 108k



1972 280se 4.5 153k Owned for 12 yrs, sorry I sold it


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I replaced the EHA yesterday and the car cold started on the first turn this morning. Still not sure if it was the EHA unit or not, but I don't feel like swapping the new one for the old one, since there's so much else to do. All the wires running to the EHA were just twisted together with a wire nut. I put it a splice on both wires and a new connector.

When I took the old EHA off, there was only one O-ring (Not sure if it's supposed to be like that), but it was spraying fuel everywhere when I put the new EHA on. So I had to get two O-rings that were close enough. So it's been a bit of an ordeal, running back and forth to get the car sorted.

The car still stumbles a bit on cold start, but starts on the first crank. It still doesn't idle perfectly or at the correct speed, so (as always) there is more to do. Yesterday, after the EHA was replaced, there was a bit of an episode. We stopped at the parts store to get oil and when we came out, the car started and had a miss. It was pretty alarming. We started it and turned it off a few times, and then it run normally. Not sure what happened. One of the wires for the EHA had come loose, but holding/twisting them together didn't help. I put the new connector in when we got home.

The engine seems to be purging some oil out of the valve cover vent, is this normal or something to be fixed? With the hose disconnected, it blows a little smoke from the hole also.