Fuel leaking from tank 2004 XC90

[shiloh51933]

2004 XC90 T6 , leaking from passenger side right by front of tank, looks like its rolling from top or side of tank. What's on that side, sending unit?

[MagicMike]

Ours was leaking from split hose that joins the filler tube and the tank. Cheap part, fiddly to replace but very doable.

[shiloh51933]

I found fuel pooled up on top of sending unit.
So I ordered new seal, lock ring and sending unit.

[SuperHerman]

Good find. How bad does it smell in the car? Generally on Volvos of this era the fuel pump is the culprit.

The plastic on top gets brittle and starts to crack with age and time. It would make sense the sending unit side would do the same thing.

Some people fix the problem by "pooling" a thin layer of epoxy (like JB Weld) over the entire top to seal the leak. This is done after the area is cleaned up well and slightly roughened.

If you have to replace any hose clamps make sure you use the oetiker type if that was what was originally installed. If not many end up with fuel pressure issues shortly after the repair. Post more pictures if you could.

[shiloh51933]

Good find. How bad does it smell in the car? Generally on Volvos of this era the fuel pump is the culprit.

The plastic on top gets brittle and starts to crack with age and time. It would make sense the sending unit side would do the same thing.

Some people fix the problem by "pooling" a thin layer of epoxy (like JB Weld) over the entire top to seal the leak. This is done after the area is cleaned up well and slightly roughened.
Btw, we couldn't smell inside the car unless windows were opened and it only leaked when it was filled up.
If you have to replace any hose clamps make sure you use the oetiker type if that was what was originally installed. If not many end up with fuel pressure issues shortly after the repair. Post more pictures if you could.

Thank you for your reply. There's no fuel hoses on this side , the sending unit side. The fuel pump was replaced at Ramsey Volvo around 110k and I believe the sending was also replaced at same time but I have to verify the sending unit replacement by goi g through my paperwork. The mounting design for the sending unit was poorly chosen, I'm guessing they designed it this way due to clearance issues. If you don't line up the top of the fuel sending unit perfectly and then seal/close lock ring perfectly I could see how it could leak.

[SuperHerman]

That sheds some light on matters. From the factory, I have never heard of either side leaking while the car is young. After years of use the plastic top will fail and leak.

After replacement I have heard many stories of people messing up the o-ring seal - which may be what you have. If that is the case, you might be able to just replace that part and make sure it is seated properly. If it was serviced, which by its color it does look like it was, then Ramsey Volvo should fix it for free and pay you. They left you a potential bomb.

[shiloh51933]

That sheds some light on matters. From the factory, I have never heard of either side leaking while the car is young. After years of use the plastic top will fail and leak.

After replacement I have heard many stories of people messing up the o-ring seal - which may be what you have. If that is the case, you might be able to just replace that part and make sure it is seated properly. If it was serviced, which by its color it does look like it was, then Ramsey Volvo should fix it for free and pay you. They left you a potential bomb.

I'm sorry, Ramsey Volvo did FP a few years back not recently.

[shiloh51933]

2004 XC90 T6 w/plastic fuel tank; fuel sending unit o-ring and is also the fuel pump o-ring.

It wouldn't make sense to go through all this trouble removing the middle row of seats and skip replacing the o-ring. The plastic tank uses a green o-ring and the metal tank uses a black o-ring. I used my VIN # to order mine directly from Volvo because I wanted it ASAP but you can easily check underneath your XC90 to see what you have.

I found some useful information using Google, turns there was a recall on some earlier years of the XC90 concerning the fuel pump. From 2003-2005 some XC90's were affected, it was about 130k that were eligible for this recall...I think it worth looking into.

[shewolf3030]

My 2004 xc90 leaks at the driver-side rear door/wheel area when the tank is full. At first I thought the tank was bad. My mechanic said it’s a plastic tank and he’s never seen one fail before. Investigating this problem, I’ve seen many references to bad fuel pumps - front/ top/ driver-side of tank. I’ve watched a few vids on youtube that show you can remove the back seat and access the fuel pump that way for replacement. Our mechanic quoted almost $5,000 and said on this vehicle the fuel pump setup is different and can not be accessed under the seat. They would, instead, have to pull the exhaust/ drive train (not sure what all else) then the tank to access the pump on ours. I’ve tried looking up by vin number for exactly what tank we have, the only result I’ve seen so far states it takes gas and holds 19 gallons. Also, most of our dash gauges don’t work, including the gas gauge, I’ve been told that could be related to the pump. The lights on the dash also are only readable after dark, and the message center changes from SRS urgent repair, to other issues. Also, AWD is inop. We bought this through an auction site and were unaware there were so many issues. The mechanic says the car isn’t worth putting a lot of investment into it except for what’s necessary. Aside from the issues, I’ve really grown to love this car. Please, all comments and recommendations are welcome and I thank everyone who may be able to advise!

[Krons]

Worth getting a second opinion. I’ve grown to like my kids 05 XC90 too.

Could at least start by pulling the seat to verify pump access. Then can decide where to proceed and whether your cup should only be 3/4 full lol.