Hi! My lovely 1990 740 GL has been giving me the middle finger lately.

At end of October/beginning of November I began to notice that it was idling roughly. Didn't call my mechanic... a week later it didn't want to start. Luckily one of the guys I work with got it going for my by jiggling my injector lines. It did it again a few days later, played with the connections myself for about an hour, and he fired up. A few days later he didn't want to start at all and I had to use my AAA card to get to my mechanic.
He ran his diagnostics, double-checked the relays and fuses I had already ruled out as the culprits... Called and told me it was the fuel pump. JUST the fuel pump. So I had it replaced.
A week later I was towed back in for the same problem.
He told me this time it was the entire assembly that needed to be replaced..... So I had it replaced.

When I got my car back, it ran. But it idles even more roughly, there is a fuel smell coming from the undercarriage, most noticeable by the driver's-side rear tire (fuel tank).....
OH and not only is my fuel gauge BROKEN, but my gas mileage has been cut in half, from ~20mpg to ~10mpg.
Already twice because of this I've run out of gas. First time I was right next to a gas station, the second a half mile away and had to call AAA.

I tried calling my mechanic in the beginning to get my car back in there to be properly repaired, but he has never returned my calls. He credited me for the part on the first repair, so the total, with an oil change, came to be $380... Haven't paid him yet.

Aside from dropping my car at my mechanics and leaving a note along the lines of fix it or else, does anyone have any advice as to what I can do? Honestly, at this point I don't give a flying **** about whether or not the fuel gauge is operable (which really, is most likely due to an incorrectly installed float) or if it still idles like crap sometimes, just concerned about the obvious fuel leak and the crappy gas mileage.

I work at a truck repair facility, access to tools and possibly one of the lifts if I beg my boss.

The registration is due to be renewed at the end of this month, as is the insurance. Economically, continuously putting in gas and hoping it doesn't run out again simply isn't feasible.

This used to be a great car, I don't want to be forced to sell it, or worse scrap it.

Any advice given ASAP would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

If it were me id:

Crawl underneath and locate the leak. It should be easy to find if it smells that strongly. It must be a huge leak because I've had some large fuel leaks that didn't effect the mileage much.

Forget calling, show up at the shop you took it to and show them the problem. If they can't or won't fix it, find a good independent Volvo mechanic. Every town has one.

 

Ironically, I had taken it to the "good independent Volvo mechanic".....

Anyways, one of the mechanics I work with, who knows absolutely nothing about volvos, got my car up on the lift and found extremely loose clamps, almost like a baby had started tightening them by hand then got bored and wandered away.

Currently hoping that's the only place that was leaking (huge stain on my tank)... however the car seems to be idling a wee bit better lol so it just may have well been.

Oh, does anyone have a diagram of how the sending unit / float is supposed to be installed? I'm going to check it this weekend.

 

Indy mechanic with ADHD...smh...