[jbg]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. The car did start easy and run well prior to parking it. I had a work trip overseas that had me park the car. Then when returning life caught back up and I lost immediate interest in the Volvo.

Now that I have moved from a townhouse to a single family home with some acreage it makes we want the Volvo back! Here is the list I made while an a long work conference call.

Volvo starting / driving checklist

1. Check engine fluids and top-off where needed
   [ ] Engine oil
   [ ] Transmission fluid
   [ ] Coolant
   [ ] Power steering fluid

2. Power
   [ ] Connect battery jumper and check voltage at the battery
   [ ] Turn ignition to pre-start and verify glow plugs turn on
       [ ] If not, tap on GP relay; repeat

3. Prime engine with oil
   [ ] Disconnect fuel cut-off solenoid
   [ ] Turn engine over for 15-20 seconds; wait 5 seconds, re-engage; observe low oil light

4. Start engine
   [ ] Re-connect fuel cut-off solenoid
   [ ] Cycle glow plugs once; start

5. Check tires, lights, and brakes
   [ ] Check tire air pressure; add air as needed
   [ ] Check headlights, markers, brake lights, and reverse lights
       [ ] Replace bulbs as needed
   [ ] Drive the car locally and verify brake performance

Originally Posted by v8volvo

You might want to try to get the engine oil circulating before letting it start the first time. You can remove the glow plug and injection pump power fuse (fuse #13 in the interior fusebox ahead of the shift lever on 1985 and up cars, might be different on earlier ones) to disable the engine from starting, and with the fuse removed, crank the engine over on the starter for a few stretches of 30-40 seconds to get the oil pump primed and build some pressure throughout the engine before letting it run on its own.

That's a good idea! My thought was to unplug the fuel cut-off solenoid to keep fuel from the engine. My new house is about 25 miles from where the car is now. My assumption that it could make the trip.

The front timing belt is an unknown. When I bought the car in 2007 it had a new belt according to the service paperwork. The car came with a large folder of receipts. Now here we are ~12 years later. I'll take a look at the belt and report back my findings.

Originally Posted by ngoma

The most unpleasant part for me is cleaning all the glass (inside & out) and the mildew in the interior before even wanting to drive it any distance. Don't ruin your windshield with shaggy windshield wipers.

Great Idea!

Thanks!