2010 XC90 3.2 P0087 - won't start after fuel filter & FPS

[DarthPepperoni]

Hello all,

2010 XC90 3.2 FWD, ~162k miles, new to me

EDIT: The car has a faint to medium fuel smell inside only after it has been sitting for a while, the smell goes away as soon as the car is started and start to drive.

I had an issue with P0087 coding after car sputtered and died driving a couple times the day after I bought it. Based on wealth of information available related to this code on the internet, including this site, I bought via FCP Euro with confirmed fitment:

- Volvo Fuel Filter - Mahle 32242189
- Volvo Fuel Pressure Sensor - Bosch 31272732

Car started with no issue and "CHECK ENGINE" light had even self cleared over the course of two days waiting for parts. Moved car to different part of my driveway and started the work.

- checked pressure at schrader valve behind fuel filter, pressure confirmed
- replaced fuel filter, fuel came out very clean from upstream (to motor) side, very dirty from downstream (tank) side. i would estimate 16-20oz of fuel drained from old filter and fuel lines
- replaced FPS. i would estimate 1-2oz of fuel drained from the fuel rail while swapping the sensors

Went to start car and just turns over. I tried this A LOT. I hooked the car up to jumpers with another car to ensure i did not kill the battery and i turned it over many many times with no success.

Some troubleshooting steps i took:

- Check fuel pressure at schrader valve behind filter: NO FUEL PRESSURE, just a little air hiss each time.
- swapped FPSs back and forth; no change
- disconnect battery and pull fuel pump fuse (fuse OK), let sit for many minutes, reconnect; no change
- loosen little black cap on left side of fuel rail and try to start, still turns over, no sign of fuel leaking/spitting out

Last step which i wasn't able to complete as it was too late at night and no local gas station was open (!!!) at ~11:30p:
- Maybe the car is actually out of fuel and not properly indicated on fuel gauge, will fill with more today to rule this out

I suspect this may be a fuel pump / sender issue ultimately, but just surprised that it worked before replacing two parts and now doesn't.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated before i go buy the pump and sender and take the seats out etc to do this parts swap

[DarthPepperoni]

UPDATE: i filled 1 gallon of gas and after turning the car over for a few minutes while hooked up to jumpers, it started! Worth noting, the fuel gauge shows just under half full and the message center indicates 180 miles to empty tank.

New/continuing issue:
- New CEL, have not confirmed what code yet until i get access to my code reader later tonight.
- Rough idle, sounds like maybe an injector is acting funny, car hesitates to rev in neutral and will stumble
- i was able to drive the car to move it across my driveway, but not sure i am confident to take it further down the road
- tried starting the car again about an hour later, will not start again

Will scan codes tonight…

[DarthPepperoni]

Further updates…

I have not been able to scan any codes, either can’t get the car started or no code to scan…

So, I received PEM Thursday and installed. Worth noting, this PEM is under the passenger side 2nd row seat which needed to be removed to access (just like if the fuel pump needs to be accessed but somewhat less invasive process). The PEM was NOT in front of the passenger rear wheel in the wheel well as the internet indicates and this does not appear to have been relocated as there was no available mounting location behind the liner in the wheel well.

PEM installed - will not start. No fuel pressure behind fuel filter at Schrader valve. Great. I ordered fuel pump assembly and fuel sender assembly (arriving today)

My gut still said something was up with fuel supply after having a positive response to adding 1 gallon of gas. So today I got 5 gallons, filled the tank with it and it fired right up, no check engine light, no rough idle, revs and drives around very nicely (only drove within my driveway as I’m not prepared today to deal with dying somewhere on the road).

The question now is… was there some sort of air lock struggled after replacing the filter and FPS on a low/nearly empty tank? Is the fuel sender Assy responsible for informing the car of the fuel level? If no, what is? The dash computer and the fuel gauge both went up after the 5 gallons were added but I wonder if it is reading accurately?

Any collaboration on ideas for next step would be great. Car does still have a low level fuel smell in car so I do suspect there is still a pump/sender issue and I will likely still proceed with replacing them but would love more feedback.

[DarthPepperoni]

Follow up from last post

I filled the tank fully after getting the car started and only 8 gallons went in, so the +5 added to get the car to start was NOT the only fuel in the tank, instead, about 8 gallons or so were already in the tank but unable to be properly supplied to the motor.

Fuel pump and sender did arrive, upon first attempt at installing the fuel pump I broke the fuel pump tank hose off at the base of the assembly. Not an easy installation, it is very tight and the ID of the access port is so very slightly bigger than the OD of the fuel pump can assembly.

Got another new fuel pump, ok time to start over again. This time, fuel pump went in OK but was still a big challenge to get the fuel pump tank hose routed across the fuel tank. Ultimately got it, level sending unit installed pretty easy, and then finally got fuel pump in.

Word of warning, it was horrible to perform this task with a full tank of gas. I spilled it everywhere, had my arms fully submerged in the tank, etc etc, so if you have to replace a fuel pump, probably common sense, but don't do it on a full tank if at all possible.

Everything seemed to be all good after swapping the fuel pump and sending unit. I drove the car for a week and about 200 miles or so. It drove great. Well, this week, with about 280 miles on the trip odometer and ~1/3 of a tank of fuel remaining, the car stuttered to a stop again and threw a CEL. I was unable to scan this at the time but archive codes indicate another P0087 (also had other transmission related codes archived which surprised me). After filling the car up fully with fuel, CEL went away and car seems to drive fine again.

I am bringing it to a professional tomorrow, I am very frustrated. More to come...

[chitownV]

You may have a venting issue. While you are reaching 3/4, 1/2 tank, did you try to open the fuel filler cap and hear any vacuum?

[DarthPepperoni]

You may have a venting issue. While you are reaching 3/4, 1/2 tank, did you try to open the fuel filler cap and hear any vacuum?

I haven’t explored that. If I have a venting issue, then what would be the solution? I assume this may be correlated with a faint fuel smell (driver side of tank, level sending unit side)?

[DarthPepperoni]

Update,

I took the car to a garage and had a disappointing quality of diagnostic from them (suggested based on DTC to just start with a new fuel pump) so I took it back. The thing they suggested which I hadn’t really thought of was manually clearing DTCs so the car can break out of any potential “limp mode”. So with that done, the fuel issues have been largely resolved. One problem driving the car over the last week was an inaccurate fuel level display. I pulled the level sending unit out and found it to be somewhat entangled with the hose and cable from the fuel pump. Additionally the gasket and channel were filthy (my own inattentiveness the first time around) so thoroughly cleaned that and replaced the gasket, reinstalled level sender, and closed it all back up again. Looks to be fully resolved now

[brbrob]

Having same problem on 2007 XC90 3.2L..
DICE cable coming tomorrow to further troubleshoot.

Replaced so far..
Fuel pump twice
PEM twice
Fuel Level Sending Unit Once
Fuel Pressure Sensor once
Crank Shaft Position Sensor Once
Fuel Filter twice

Trying to methodically troubleshoot yet feel like just throwing parts at it.

The fuel pump engages with ignition but it does not dispense fuel..

Assumption is the something from the ECM is prohibiting Fuel Pump from dispensing?

Suspected air lock..
Released pressure at Fuel Rail Schrader valve..
Attempted to bleed fuel lines..

Without the pump engaging there is no way to bleed them...

Hoping with VIDA/DICE can override and command the fuel pump to dispense fuel?

Fuel Level Currently just under half tank..
Per Op's posts I will add fuel and see if any change

[brbrob]

Update after adding fuel..
Full Tank
Still no start

[bfry]

Had something similar a while back. Ended up my tank was FILTHY dirty.

Dropping it to clean is a MASSIVE undertaking.

Have heard of ppl supposedly positioning strong magnets to help keep debris from circulating. Plausible I guess, but don’t know if i believe it.