Engine: D52447: Message: engine system service required - dirty fuel / silt?

[Arianne]

Hello Volvo XC90 community,

I am posting this as it may help anyone who has a warning message appear "Engine System Service Required" and their XC90 D5 (185bhp) trips into Limp/Safety mode.

Background
We were on holiday in North-East Yorkshire. Our fuel tank was getting low but it's a strange place for fuel stations - they're all weird brands such as Imperial & suchlike. Hmm. I usually fill up with Shell V-Power diesel so I held out for either a Shell station or one of the major brands that do premium diesel (say, BP). Finally noticed that the little warning light on the fuel gauge was illuminated. This was intermitant when we were going down dale or up again (can't remember which). There's some pretty steep 33% hills in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

So when we got to Middleton, just outside Pickering (A170 we think), we filled up. It's a Total station and not too small. We filled up with Total excellcium diesel. And then we completed the last seven miles to our hotel for the night.

The next morning we got into the car, turned the key and were welcomed by one of the dreaded warning messages - engine system service required. We've never had that one before! But otherwise the car appeared to run fine and, because it's not a red warning, we carried on towards home.

Drove up the A19, then A1 to Beamish Museum (very nice by the way). Warning message had gone when we left Beamish but then reappeared on the 'up' ramp rejoining the A1 northbound. And then shortly afterwards the engine went into limp / safety mode and we had vastly reduced torque.

Limped home most of the way along A1, A68 back to the Scottish Borders which is home for us. The message would sometimes go away but the limp mode still prevailed. On a few rare occasions the limp mode stopped and we had full power. Usually the trigger for this was when the RPM was above 2,000rpm.

Diagnosis
After checking this website and engaging brain I thought we'd start with the simplest possibility first - namely that I had either sucked some silt from the bottom of our 100,000 mile fuel tank or the diesel from the Total station was dirty.

Treatment
Went to Halfords and bought some Millers Diesel Power Ecomax. Popped the double strength dose into tank, as per recommendation and then went to local Shell station where I filled up the tank with V-Power (about 1/3rd of a tank was needed before it was full again).

Results
We've done 150 miles over three days, including one longish run to Edinburgh & back. The good news is that yesterday the warning only came on at start up for a couple of seconds and there was only one little blip in the torque. Today the light has not illuminated at all, including at start up, and the performance of the engine has been fine and consistent throughout our journey up & down the A7. If you've ever driven the A7 you'll know that this is a 'driver's road' of Clarkson quality.

Prognosis
We will use the XC90 as our commuter car this week to & from Edinburgh. We don't usually do this as we have a Vectra SRi for commuting (as an aside we have learned to love the Vectra as it is the most uncomplaining, reliable car to run despite it's hard life. The dealer's an honest bunch in Selkirk and, while the service isn't quite as 'wow' as our local Volvo dealer, the service bills are a breath of fresh air!). Anyway, back to the point. I'll see what happens this week and then update the thread after approx. 350miles of commuting.

Moral of this tale
Well, if it works........Start with the simple solutions, use your brain and don't panic. My first reaction was to throw the XC90 straight into Clelands Volvo as soon as we returned home. £££. Maybe my little scheme won't work in which case I'll be grateful for Clelands help. But if it does work we'll have saved ourselves some cash!

I'll be back.......

[outnumbered]

you still need to no what code is stored that will tell you what the fault was.
mike

[Arianne]

Mike, this is true. But my priority is to see if I have resolved the problem without the need to visit the dealer. If so then I'll mention this to the dealer next time the XC90 pays a visit. It was only just serviced in late-March so the next scheduled trip will be for its winter tyres to be fitted in November.

I don't have an error code reader / software. But you are correct - to find out the error code it'll need to be properly read.

Regards.

[outnumbered]

good luck
did they change the fuel filter on the last service
mike

[searider]

Has the fuel filter ever been changed?

[In Reverse]

I've put similar post up previously re similar problem with our D5 a few years ago shortly after buying it. The fuel filter was filthy and had deteriorated and letting through dirt causing the car to go into limp mode and putting engine light on.

It was so dirty that I had fuel lines cleaned and tanked emptied as well as replacing the in line metering valve.

Loads of other posts on here suggesting these symptoms are due to far more serious faults (along with my ex Volvo dealer). Always worth checking the basics first.

I now change the filter regularly. Glad you too seem to have got sorted without any major outlay.

[Arianne]

Folk raise the question - when was the fuel filter last changed. Good point. I've just checked my invoices from the dealer and there's various references on the list to filter inserts & part numbers. But nothing specific about fuel filter. But then it doesn't specifically state 'oil' filter either. Each annual service does list something called a 'fuel treatment for £12.50'.

I'm hoping one of these 'filter inserts' means fuel filter. I trust the dealer to do everything necessary without me needing to stipulate the full list of regular service items on the schedule - that's why I pay a Volvo dealer their prices rather than the £99 service from the 'little garage in town'. I've come to the conclusion that, by & large, you get what you pay for (just an opinion).

Anyway, I have faith in the dealer and I'll give them a quick call tomorrow and ask them what they've done with the fuel system each year. Our 2006 XC90 has only ever been touched by Clelands Volvo in all of its 100,000 mile, six year life. So it'll be interesting to hear what they say.

The update on day one of the commute - Monday. Good news - performance fine, no warning messages and so we move on to Tuesday. So far so good.

Best wishes.

[Arianne]

Update on fuel filter:

Checked the part numbers from the invoice and the last change of the fuel filter was March 2011. It wasn't changed at the last service in March 2012.

It must be every two years as my records indicate it was changed in 2007, 2009 & 2011.

Regards.

[outnumbered]

for what its worth i do that change every year.
mike

[Coconut]

Even if it's not due yet, purely as a result of the problem you had - running on an almost empty tank,
where any crud in the bottom of the tank is likely to have been stirred up,
then filling up at a service Station where the quality of fuel was not known,
I'd be changing the fuel filter NOW, even though your problem seems to have
been cured by the treatment you added - just to be on the safe side :-)