I have a 2005 XC90, 2.5T with about 210K miles.

The issue began while driving at about 70mph on the highway. The car acted like it was running out of gas, skipping and hesitating. After getting off the highway the issue persisted. Accelerating from a stop caused the car to once again act like it was running out of gas sputtering and lurching. The CEL came on and it stalled once before getting to an AutoZone. The codes came back as P2177 (too lean off idle bank 1) and P0089 (fuel pressure regulator).

I limped home and parked the car for a few days to check out my options. After a few days the car drove perfectly with no issues. But the issue returned the same as before within a few more days. So here's what I've done thus far....

1. Replaced the fuel pressure sensor (no change)
2. Replaced spark plugs (no change)
3. Replaced fuel filter (car ran perfectly for a few weeks, self clearing the CEL)
4. Ran some Seafoam cleaner through a tank of gas (car continued to run fine)
5. A few days ago the issue returns, same as before
6. Cleaned MAF (no change)

After replacing the fuel filter and running the Seafoam it ran great. Then all of a sudden it's doing the exact same thing again.

I've scoured the web for more info but come up empty handed. My thoughts now lean toward the following...

1. Leak in the turbo system or TCV issue
2. Bad injector(s)
3. Bad coil(s)
4. Failing fuel pump
5. Random O2 sensor freaking out

I'd rather not toss $2000 in parts at the issue so any ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

measure fuel pressure at fuel rail. measure fuel delivery rate. or have shop do this. i would guess 4 but don't guess, measure.

 

I guess #4.

 

Should've put #4 at #1 because that's the direction I was leaning...just didn't want to admit it.

I'll check the fuel pressure at the rail and see what shows up and report back with more info.

 

Checked the fuel pressure tonight. Just FYI make sure the connections are tight since spraying fuel all over the engine and garage is less than desirable!

After tightening the connections I started the car up and let it idle. The pressure came up to 50psi and stayed there for a while. After a minute or so the pressure steadily dropped to around 30psi before shooting up to almost 60psi and then doing the same thing all over again. See the video below...


I didn't record this part but when revving the engine the pressure would drop even more to around the 10-15psi range.

So am I right in assuming it's fuel pump time?

 

10-15 psi is adequate for carbs but way low for fuel injection. pump is good bet at your mileage. possibly clogged fuel filter but not likely since you recently replaced (unless your tank is rusting inside or someting).

 

What's your VIN? There is a recall on some pumps, I can check to see if yours is eligible before you buy a pump

 

I already bought and installed the pump. However if you don't mind still running the VIN I'd be curious.

VIN YV1CN592151204494

Seems like a lot of the recalls don't apply with over 200k miles on the car but it's worth a shot.

I found the pump on TascaParts.com for $260 shipped which I was pretty happy with.

UPDATE: So far so good. The car used to lurch and buck after about 20 minutes driving it. I've driven a few times on the highway for 30+ minutes without an issue.

FWIW here's a tutorial I put together to help others with the replacement...
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...utorial-70880/

 

Nope, it wasn't eligible for the recall anyway.

 

Thanks for taking the time to check it out. I'm just glad it's running well again!

 

Well things were great until I got on the highway today and went to give it some gas and it starting acting the same way it did before. Intermittently hesitating, bucking and jerking when pressing the accelerator. Nuts.

So here's the timeline so far...

1. Replaced the fuel pressure sensor (no change)
2. Replaced spark plugs (no change)
3. Replaced fuel filter (car ran perfectly for a few weeks, self clearing the CEL)
4. Ran some Seafoam cleaner through a tank of gas (car continued to run fine)
5. Cleaned MAF (no change)
6. Replaced fuel pump (no change)

It seems to crop up when the car is warmed up a bit and go away after the car sits for a few days. Today I drove for about 1/2 hour, the car sat for 5-10 minutes then it began acting up after driving it again. Also the car had only about 1/8 tank. After getting some gas it still was acting up.

My PCV system is in pretty rough shape. There's a crack in the hose that runs from under the spark plug cover to under the intake. It also exhibits smoke coming out of the dipstick indicating it needs attention.

When changing the spark plugs all 5 plug wells had oil in them. I thought it was from the PCV system but it might be from the oil filler cap?

Anyway, not sure where to go from here, I'm back to this list...

1. Vacuum leak or TCV issue
2. Bad injector(s)
3. Bad coil(s)
4. Random O2 sensor freaking out
5. Bad MAF (already cleaned it with no change)

Any help would be great. By the time this is said and done I'll have a brand new car and enough experience to apply at my local Volvo dealership for a service job, lol

 

does the fuel pump have a sock? those can get clogged. it is like a filter for big stuff. you could have a bunch of scale or something in your gas tank. i would try changing the filter again. is it throwing codes? i've heard of maf being bad and sometimes not throwing code.

 

The fuel pump is brand new so it has whatever came from the factory. The pump itself is housed in a plastic basket with hoses leading over to the level sensor. I think the fuel pickup is part of those hoses which are covered in a screen material...kind of like a big coarse mesh sock.

It's not throwing codes right now but when the hesitation gets bad enough it was throwing P0089 (fuel pressure regulator) and P2177 (system too lean off idle).

P0089 lead me to the fuel pressure sensor to no avail. The P2177 code lead me to checking the fuel pressure in the video in this thread. The codes and symptoms point right at the fuel filter, FPS or fuel pump. But those are all new now.

I cleaned the MAF and it made no difference. So the MAF could be toast or just not the issue. I hate getting a new one for $200+ just to see.

What about the throttle body sensor / dirty throttle body? The other odd ball I thought about was the fuel pump relay?

 

The car ran great for a few days but it's now doing the same thing as before. CEL did come on so I had a place scan it. Same codes as before, P0089 (fuel pressure regulator) and P2177 (system too lean off idle) with a P0087 (fuel rail pressure too low) for good measure.

For the life of me I'm not sure what to do next. I've replaced the fuel filter, fuel pressure sensor and fuel pump. I'm running out of fuel things to replace. The only thing left is the relay and injectors but how could those effect fuel pressure?

My next step is to limp this thing home and check for vacuum leaks. Beyond that I'm open to suggestions. I'm thinking I might need to take it in but recreating an intermittent issue is tough. Anyone?

 

I'd bet the pump electronic module is bad or corroded. If equipped, its behind the passenger rear wheel well liner. Check to see if the connector is clean.

 

Thanks for the reply.
It's crazy you mention that because after a bit of research that does seem to be the ONE thing I haven't checked. Will check tonight if I have one and if it's corroded and report back.

 

Can someone be more specific about the PEM location? I've looked all around the gas tank and behind the lower part of the wheel liner. Does the whole liner need to be removed? Thanks!

 

Not all of them have a PEM. You don't need to remove the whole fender liner, just the bottom part toward the front of the car.

 

After posting I ran back into the garage because it was driving me crazy. You were right on. It was located exactly where you said. Getting the PEM and bracket off the chassis was easy...getting the connector apart was a bear. Finally came apart and the connection was definitely corroded. The PEM sounds like a maraca when you shake it.

I can't think of a worse place for piece of electrical equipment.

Nothing $300 won't hopefully fix...sheesh these suckers are expensive. I'm going to post a whole writeup on how to deal with the PEM because the resources on the web are pretty sparse regarding the XC90s.

Thanks again ES6T you've been an amazing resource! Will post back with a final verdict once replaced.

 

No problem.

Don't just replace the PEM, relocate it. They make a wiring adapter to relocate it under the passenger rear (center row) seat.