hello! so my 2006 volvo s60 thay i JUST bought has started losing power, smelling like gas fumes, and making a noise similar to that of trying to start a lawn mower when i accelerate, worsened up hill (i’m guessing when i have to accelerate harder, faster). i checked the alternator and battery and charged the battery bc it was low but now it turns on just fine and starts kind of slowly i guess but the starter alternator and battery all past inspection tests at both autozone and o’reillys. it just sounds bad and i can’t emphasize the smell. i had my friend drive my car back home because i was late for an appointment downtown (no parking) and when i got home he told me that he pretty heavily scraped the underside of the car going over our ****ty streets unofficial “speed bump.” (giant raise in the pavement from a tree root). now it feels like the car has very little power, especially if it idles for a second. seems to get better at higher speeds but the smell gets worse. help? i’m not a mechanic but i know a little about my s60 from reading the forums and trying to diagnose things to avoid costly diagnostics/repairs at shops so detailed explanations are greatly appreciated! also it is not an s60r but the previous owner converted it to a turbo. i will post photos of the engine itself.

 

start by investigating the gas fumes problem 1) is the seal around the in-tank fuel pump good? 2) any signs of wetness around the lines going from the rear to the front? 3) and signs of wetness around the lines going to the pressure sensor/regulator (not sure if your model even has a pressure regulator/damper..but it may be under the intake manifold if at all) 4) check the return line and EVAP system connections

With all this loss of power, has the car set a check engine light? Scan for fault codes. Next, I'd pull the spark plugs - are they tan/gray or oily/black/wet? Are they all the same? After that I'd measure fuel pressure at the rail - first thing in the morning, then after starting.

Any other symptoms - ie long cold cranking, difficult warm starts? The fumes suggest you have a leak somewhere which can impact fuel pressure or it could be something like a leaky injector (there are injector cleaning services which will test)