hey guys, this is the second time this has happened, basically I park the car when it's low on fuel, as in gas light is on and it saysd 60mi to empty. Then I try to start the car and it just cranks. today the car happens to be parked on a slant, but the last time in was in it's own level parking spot. I guess, i shouldn't let it get that low but I was just wondering why it would run, then not restart. The message console says," Start prvented retry", is this due to no fuel?

I'm going to dump some gas in the tank and try then, I'll let you know. Thanks.

 

Well I poured in a gallon or so of fuel and tried to start it, it kept saying start prevented and then started to read ,"Reduced Engine Performance". Well, needless to say i gave up and pushed it fdown the driveway a bit to it's regular parking spot, thinking I was going to have it towed to my mechanic for some crazy Volvo diagnostic work. Well, as I back it into it's spot I decided to gibve it one least shot and cramnked it, the engne fired right up and sounded fine, the reduced performance message was still there so I drove ti easily up the driveway and back and the message went away.

It seems absolutely fine now, I guess I just really should nopt let it get that low, the estimated miles till empty is off I'd say by about 60 miles then. Anybody else had a similar experience.

 

Man, what are you doing letting the gas get that low? Just kidding.
IMO its the car preventing damage to the fuel pump by running it dry. The car will probably stay running until you go dry if its already on, but if the gas is very low (I think) the relay keeps the car from starting.
Personally I don't like to let the car get that low. Not because I am afraid of damage, but because I dont want to get stuck filling up when gas prices spike. If you're on E then you don't have a choice but if you have a half tank or so you can usually wait it out.

 

Thishas happen to my wifetwice now aswell.She no longer turns the car off if there is less than 90 mileson the tank withoutputting gas init. I thinkthe real reason is Volvo over reaching theircommitment to safety. Volvo thinks that it is safer not drive the car at all, then to run out of gas on the freeway at 80 miles per hour. Therefore they will prevent you fromstarting a car with less than a certain minimum amount ofgasoline in the tank.

 

Im not sure what year your s60 is but here is a tnn I found which may apply to your vehicle and may help you out .
MODEL/YEAR: S60, S80, V70, V70 XC, MY 1999-2002
SUBJECT: Crank No Start, No Fuel Pressure
A crank no start condition with the fuel level below one-quarter tank could be caused by a
faulty over flow valve in the fuel pump assembly. Whenever the vehicle is parked at an
angle, such as facing downhill, the fuel in the tank will settle away from the pump pick up.
The fuel pump assembly incorporates a reservoir that supplies the initial quantity of fuel to the
pump to start and run the engine. The overflow valve may allow the reservoir to drain down
below the level of the fuel pump pick up resulting in a no start condition. This drain down
takes several hours, typically overnight. Adding fuel to the tank will fill the reservoir, allowing
the car to start.

 

very nice info B5254t. I think that solves that one. i kinda figured it to be thta kind of issue.

 

I had a problem like that, and the Volvo dealer said it was some kind of computer and they replaced for free because I got the extended warranty.

 

Sorry for the resurrection but I just wanted to say thanks for this thread - managed to get my '02 V70 2.0T re-started following this advice. I'd decided it couldn't be down to fuel level as I'd parked it with less than 60 miles left on loads of previous occasions. Also, the dash flashed up a few messages like "immobiliser see handbook" and "reduced engine performance" so I was beginning to resign myself to coughing up for repairs. Once I read this, the fact that the car had been facing downhill for 2 days gave me a bit of hope and now it's up and running again.

 

My XC90 gave me this message the other day and it hasn't appeared since. I think I was running low on fuel. I took my car on a 80 mile trip that day. When I left on my trip the car said I had 120 miles to an empty tank so I figured I was good till I got back into town to fill the tank. I figured I had enough fuel when I got back because it said 60 miles to an empty tank but usually after a freeway/hwy ride, the fuel meter doesn't register the tank level well. I came into town and parked it to make a stop and the start prevented message came on. I waited a few minutes to try again. After three tries it finally started and I made it to the gas stations. It hasn't happened since. I'm also wondering if it might have something to do with the battery going bad on my key. There was another another post that mentioned this could also be an issue as well.

 

could any of these problems be down to the in tank fuel pump i have been having the same issues car not starting showing 70 miles in tank put diesel in car stars runs fine have been told faulty in tank pump ??

 

Car was parked overnight on slight downhill slant (front of car). 55 Miles remaining. Car turned over strong and even started but then sputtered out and wouldn't restart. I allowed the car to roll in neutral to a level spot and it started again, sputtering out after a slightly longer period. After I put a gallon of gas in the car, it ran just fine.

Thank you for your posts!!! It saved me a tow and mechanic fees just to tell me I needed more gas. I guess I won't allow the car to get below a quarter of a tank again!