2006 V70 2.4D cut out and won't start

[gck303]

I have had my V70 for a long time. It has about 165,000 on the clock. And, up until this morning, has been working fine.

I started it up and let it run. Recently it has had a couple of flat batteries, so I started it before I loaded up the kids.

It idled for about three minutes, then when I shifted it into D it cut out. And then will not start. It turns the engine over and there is no sign of it doing anything.

I suspect that the issue could be these. Given that it started, I have discounted glow plugs.
- fuel filter
- fuel pump
- crankshaft sensor
- low pressure fuel
- high pressure fuel

How can I diagnose this lot? The a defective fuel pump should be straight forward, but the others are going to be tricky without the correct tool.

Do I need to get a VIDA DICE from ebay, or is there a generic OBD tool that I should get?

Cheers, George

[reggit]

First, uncouple the air intake pipe from the air box and give it a good squirt of easystart. Does it run on this for a few seconds? It’s likely to sound like a bag of spanner’s!

How much fuel does the gauge indicate? Around 1/8 tank (First mark above the red) suggests the fuel pump has had it.

[gck303]

The fuel level is exactly 1/8 tank. The light is not on, but it is saying 125 miles left.

Sounds like it might be the fuel pump...

I have just found this, which explains how to test the pump.
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/fo...ic.php?t=52252

[Simon Jones]

I'd start by putting some more fuel in and seeing what happens. If the pump isn't working then the side with the pickup will be very low or empty now.

[simonwedge]

Is it parked with the front facing downhill? My S60 did exactly the same a few weeks ago when it was icy. I started it up and after a few minutes of scraping the windows it died and wouldn't restart.

The fuel level was low but the light wasn't on. I suspected fuel might be the issue and put a gallon in and it restarted after pulling the new fuel through.

My conclusion is that the fuel pick up pipe must be at the back of the tank and therefore the fuel level falls below it if the car is parked downhill. Once it uses the diesel in the lines it stops.

[reggit]

Fuel pickup is at the front of the tank, but due to shape of the tank it can’t access the last 1/8th if the pump has failed or if the transfer piping in the tank is kinked at broken.
Adding fuel will likely work as a short term fix, but the car may jump into limp mode under acceleration as the engine pump can’t suck enough fuel.

Also worth checking and changing fuel filter, just forward of driver side rear wheel.

[simonwedge]

Originally Posted by reggit

Fuel pickup is at the front of the tank, but due to shape of the tank it can’t access the last 1/8th if the pump has failed or if the transfer piping in the tank is kinked at broken.
Adding fuel will likely work as a short term fix, but the car may jump into limp mode under acceleration as the engine pump can’t suck enough fuel.

Also worth checking and changing fuel filter, just forward of driver side rear wheel.

Ah, I see. The link for testing referenced above seems to be for a petrol vehicle? Is that right or does the same process apply for diesel as well?

[Simon Jones]

You can check if the pump is running by listening for the motor when you put the ignition on. It should run for 10 or 20 seconds each time it's powered up. Doesn't mean the pipework feeding it is any good but it's a starting point.

[gck303]

Thank you.

I have tried listening for the fuel pump. I cannot hear it, but I am not quite sure what I am listening for. There is some buzzing underneath the bonnet, but I cannot hear the fuel pump from the rear of the car.

I have just spent 1/2 hour in the cold, with my three year old daughter, trying to find the fuel pump relay. Where on earth is it?????? The Volvo manual and Haynes manual make no mention of it, and I do not have a copy of VIDA installed.

It is indeed parked slightly down hill.

Next steps... go and get a spare gallon container and put a bit more fuel in it.

[petey]

If you open the fuel cap and then cycle the ignition, you should hear the pump through the filler neck. If it’s anytning other than on a flat level surface, with a low fuel level it’ll do just what you found.
VIDA will report what each of the fuel levels is reporting and you can see if there is a disparity of level but given it’s not exactly chucking spare parts at it, a couple of gallons would go a long way to helping.
Once you pour it in, cycle the ignition a couple of times whilst listening at the filler. It’ll probably sound gurgly and changeable. When it’s pumping fuel, it’ll smooth to an even deep tone.

If you can’t hear anything, then start with VIDA else you’ll be throwing parts at it willy nilly and as I’ve frequently been quoted as saying, the fastest, cheapest way to fix it is to guess and be right first time. However, the slowest and most expensive way is to guess and be wrong time and time again.