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Just ran my new(to me) 850 out of gas , now it won’t start!?!

Help, Advice and DIY Tutorials on Volvo's P80 platform cars -- Volvo's 1990s "bread and butter" cars -- powered by the ubiquitous and durable Volvo inline 5-cylinder engine.

1992 - 1997 850, including 850 R, 850 T-5R, 850 T-5, 850 GLT
1997 - 2000 S70, S70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70, V70 AWD
1997 - 2000 V70-XC
1997 - 2004 C70

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NUTSinTHEwind
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Joined: 17 April 2021
Year and Model: 1996 850
Location: Tucson, AZ

Just ran my new(to me) 850 out of gas , now it won’t start!?!

Post by NUTSinTHEwind »

:? So I just got an 850 with less then a 100k on it.... yesterday I ran it out of gas an barley made it home. It wouldn’t start again. I went an got a fuel filter an replaced it .... it fired right up an I took it around the block a couple of times ... all good. I then went out to run some errand an what not ... was going good for about an hour (15miles) now it’s not starting ... I can hear the pump turning on.... but havnt checked the pressure yet.... anything else I should be doing or looking into....

Ps I love this car. Any an all help/tips will be very much appreciated... thank you

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misha
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Post by misha »

99.9% you fried in-tank fuel pump since the car ran out of fuel.
'97 850 2.5 20v / fully equipped / Motronic 4.4 from the factory / upgraded with S,V,C,XC70 instrument cluster / polar white wagon
History of Volvos in the family:
'71 144 S
'73 144 De Luxe
'78 244 DL
'78 244 DL
'79 244 GLE
'85 340 GLS

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RickHaleParker
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Post by RickHaleParker »

Filter may be plugged up again.

Contaminants that settle to the bottom of the tank, can be stirred up and sucked up into the fuel system when the tank is run low. Check the filter again. Then start look for other parts of the fuel system that maybe plugged up.
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1998 C70, B5234T3, 16T, AW50-42, Bosch Motronic 4.4, Special Edition package.
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abscate
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Post by abscate »

You can use a tire pressure pencil gauge to confirm the fuel pressure at the rail. Throw it out when done as it will be full of gas
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misha
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Post by misha »

RickHaleParker wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 16:35 Filter may be plugged up again.

Contaminants that settle to the bottom of the tank, can be stirred up and sucked up into the fuel system when the tank is run low. Check the filter again. Then start look for other parts of the fuel system that maybe plugged up.
It would be almost impossible because of fuel pump screen filter in the tank(first line of defense).

If something is plugged up in the system after fuel starvation situation...it would be a screen filter in the tank.

I would say that after the fuel pump ran out of fuel...it ran bone dry for a while...and few seconds are enough for that.
It was overheated internally and overheat damaged internals of the pump.

The part where it ran for a while and car was driveable was just a borrowed time for the pump.

The other scenario is plugged up screen filter on the bottom of fuel pump and if that is the case....it can also damage and overheat the fuel pump internals.
'97 850 2.5 20v / fully equipped / Motronic 4.4 from the factory / upgraded with S,V,C,XC70 instrument cluster / polar white wagon
History of Volvos in the family:
'71 144 S
'73 144 De Luxe
'78 244 DL
'78 244 DL
'79 244 GLE
'85 340 GLS

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erikv11
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Post by erikv11 »

What misha said. Check the fuel pressure (what abscate said) to find out.
'95 854 T-5R, Motronic 4.4, 185k
'98 V70, T5 tune-injectors-turbo, LPT engine, 304k, daily driver
'06 S60 R, 197k
'07 XC70, black, 205k
'07 XC70, willow green, 212k
'99 Camry V6 :shock: 153k
gone: '96 NA 850 210k, '98 NA V70 182k, '98 S70 NA 225k, '96 855 NA 169k

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