ran out of gas now car will not start

[turbowagon1776]

Well my gas gauge is broke and I ran out of gas. We filled it up with 2 1/2 gallons but now I can't get it to start.
What is the most likely cause? I called the parts store to ask how much a new pump would be but they told me there was 2 on my car. One in the tank and one on the outside that I'm guessing is under the hood. Which pump could it be and is there anyway I can test to make sure it is definetely the cause before I buy a few hundred dollar parts to slap on it? It is a volvo 93 940 turbo, It was running fine until now!

[billofdurham]

You do have two fuel pumps. An in-tank priming pump and a main pump which is mounted under the car.

Before throwing large amounts of money at the car check:

1. Fuses 1 (main fuel pump) and 11(in-tank fuel pump).
2. When you switch on the ignition, with the door open, you should be able to hear the main pump running, especially if you have run out of fuel. You can also hear the in-tank pump if you remove the filler cap and have someone switch on the ignition whilst you listen at the filler.
3. The fuel injection system relay is on the relay board behind the front ash tray. It is in the second row, extreme left. Put your finger on top of the relay and switch on the ignition. You should be able to feel a click each time you switch on. If there is no click flick the relay with your finger as this can nudge a lazy relay into action.
4. The 940 is fitted with a radio suppression relay which is mounted in the engine compartment. This relay actually controls the injectors and if it doesn't work you will have no power to the injectors. On the turbo model the relay is mounted on the driver's side of the engine compartment in front of the shock tower.

Bill.

[turbowagon1776]

1. fuses 1 and 11 are good
2. I can hear the main pump cut on. If I listen to the fuel tank I can hear what sounds like something cutting on then a dripping noise, kinda like if I was to suck up coke in a straw then spit it back into the cup.
3. relay clicks
4. I have found a few things that I suspect are this relay but I do not know for sure. I searched some older posts and found a document you uploaded that showed it being on the passenger side near the coolant tank. do these relays just look like clips attached to wires? How can I tell if mine is bad.

I'm checking the spark plugs now to see if they are bad. What about the fuel filter?

This is making me a little nervous now, I would have rather paid 200 bucks for a new fuel pump and put it in myself then have no clue as to why my car wont start. I am no proffessional by any means, is this a job for the shop? I don't want to start randomly buying and replacing stuff that I can't test. any feedback would be appriciated!

[billofdurham]

found a document you uploaded that showed it being on the passenger side near the coolant tank.

The location of the radio suppression relay has always caused confusion. My book shows the non-turbo relay is on the passenger side and the turbo relay is on the driver's side but, apparently, it is not carved in stone. The relay sits on a bracket and has four wires to it - red; grey; black and blue/yellow.

As a quick test for the relay jumper the two larger wires leading into the radio suppression relay connector. If the engine then is able to start, your relay is defective. If not, your problem is elsewhere. Don't leave the jumper in place or your battery will discharge, this is for testing only.

You have obviously searched the forum for answers but have you seen the posts about the in-tank pump being defective and the associated problems? The main pump can manage to supply fuel without the in-tank pump when the tank is half, or more, full. As the fuel level drops the main pump starts to struggle and eventually cannot cope. As your fuel gauge does not work I am wondering if the wiring to the in-tank pump is intact. The sender and the in-tank pump are on the same fitting in the tank and share the same wiring. This is on the top of the tank and is subjected to all sorts of nasty conditions. You can access the top of the tank through an inspection panel in the floor of the luggage area. Just pull up the carpet and you should see it. Check the wiring and you can also listen more closely for the in-tank pump kicking in. If it is working you will only hear it momentarily so you need someone else to switch on the ignition. I use a long screwdriver as a stethoscope to listen to things like this.

It is unlikely that the plugs are the problem as you would, in all probability, have noticed poor drive-ability before this happened. The filter may be causing a problem if a lot of the rubbish at the bottom of the tank was pulled through when the tank ran dry.

Bill.