Hi All. 1995 8-valve 940 Wagon 225k. Single in-tank fuel pump - as unique to the 1995 model year.

Trying to decide if my pump has failed.

A little history. My fuel pump failed abruptly back in May. I bought a brand new OEM fuel pump from Tasca volvo. Installed it, and had trouble-free operation until yesterday - January 14, when the car suddenly failed on my wife in a parking garage.

One day and a $150.00 tow truck ride later, I've confirmed that I am getting NO FUEL at the fuel rail. I've checked fuses and the relays. Fuses are good, relays are clicking. There is fuel in the tank.

With the fuel hose disconnected and put into a bottle, I cranked and confirmed nothing at all is getting out. The hose is dry.

I headed to the rear, pulled the connector for the pump and applied 12 volt power to the pump - here, I hear a small knock (pump against heavy plastic fuel tank) and I am pretty sure there is a small buzz. I'm going to pull the panels and listen more closely.

With 12-volt applied, there is *still* no fuel getting up to the front of the car.

My competing hypotheses are these:

1) Fuel pump has jammed or otherwise failed.
More power will just burn it up. I must pull the whole assembly (again) to confirm and then drop another $200.00 on yet another OEM Volvo Pump.

2) No power is getting to the pump from the car.
Seems unlikely since 12-volt power causes the pump to jump and make noise but nothing is getting up to the fuel rail.

3) My fuel filter is amazingly clogged.
It is older, haven't changed it for a few years at least. Seems like a good candidate, but the failure doesn't seem to jibe with the symptoms. It should let *some* fuel past or should have failed more gradually - slowly choking the car over a few months, not a sudden death in the middle of the day.

That's all I can come up with.

I'm going to pull the old fuel filter and see if I can pump some fuel from the tank to a container.

Aside from confirming voltage is going to the pump from the electrical system I can only think of pulling the pump assembly again (which is no fun at all).

Change the $10 filter first and then let us know what happened. They do clog.
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See the 700/900 FAQ at the drop-down menu above right.

I was about to pull the filter when I noticed the pressure-release valve and the brass fitting on the main fuel line. Checked the valve and found a lot of fuel it in. I opened up the line and found fuel draining from the line before the filter. Not a whole lot - mainly draining back from the filter. It was nice and clean...

Since the system was open, I took the main line and put it into container and alternately cranked and applied direct power to the pump.

Nothing it getting into the container from the tank. I was really to curse Tasca Volvo for the bum pump, when I heard the sound of an indoor waterfall.

With the car up on jackstands, I can clearly hear the trickle/drain sound of the pump happily cycling fuel inside the tank - except it is not getting out.

That's somewhat good news, but now I've got to pull the whole assembly and find out why there's no fuel getting out.

News could be a lot worse. I'm guessing that the hose from the pump to the system has come off. It's had a heavy clamp on it, but who knows - maybe it worked its way loose?

Only one way to find out.

it sounds like from what you described the hose out of the tank is not attached.

here is another somewhat rare happening which can kill a fuel pump fast, especially one in the tank where you won't hear it whine from over pressure.

this happened to me recently on a brand new oem fuel pump fortunately under the drivers rear seat so i could hear it whining.

the spring inside my fuel pressure regulator failed SHUT and would not allow excess fuel to return to the tank thereby causing and immense increase in fuel line pressure causing real strain on the pump. this does not sound like your trouble but something to keep in your mind.

The lesson here is not to reuse the original clamps when you replace your fuel pump.

The new pump I put in back in May did not have much of a barb on the hose outlet, and apparently the original permanent clamp was not sufficient to hold the new hose on the weak barb.

As frustrating (and costly with the tow) was, at least it was minor and we get to keep the 940 a while longer. Plus, I've now removed and reinstalled the fuel pump/sender assembly three times now. I got it out, fixed, and back in under an hour.

Thanks for advice!