my 160000k 86 740gle killed on me recently and had borton volvo look into it and they said my intake pump sending unit needed to be replaced. they totaled out the bill to 650$, which is more than half of what i paid for it, and i havent had any luck finding a used part or any info on difficulty or instructions for personal repair. any input would be greatly apreciated, thanks alot.
oliver

im suprised no one has said to check your fuel pump relay if it malfuncations that would kill the car right away, you can either resoder it or replace it, i tend to replace all the items on my car being i can get them dirt cheap new since i have wholesale access to the parts.

Open the gas cap and just put your ear to the hole. Do you hear a whine or buzzing sound from the tank? It isn't hard to hear, so if you don't "think" you hear it then you don't (it's obvious).

If the in tank pump is shot I suggest you do the replacement yourself. It's an easy job, and the amount you mention is ludicrous. Get the parts from the following site:

http://www.importeccatalog.com

Just enter your make, model, and year and than go to the fuel category. You will want to purchase an in-tank pump and a new sock that sits on the end of teh pump and bottom of the tank. The socks get dirty over time, and you might as well replace your old one now.

You might also want to buy a replacment hose for teh sender arm. One known failoure is that a hole can form in the hose from the sender arm (metal pipe) to teh in-tank pump. When the gas level drops below the hole air enters the fuel line and tsalls the vehicle. If you are experiencing no start or stalls at about 1/3 or less of a tank this might be the reason.

The parts you should buy are listed below:

Fuel Screen: in-tank (pre-pump sock), $6.37
Fuel Pre-pump: in-tank, $33.93
Fuel Hose: right one for your vehicle, $4.77
(they list different ones for wagon and sedan, but I'm not aware of a difference in design of the senders.)

YOu should make sure this is the problem before you go to teh trouble of replacing it though.

good luck,
rt

I think it would be best to stay away from borton, whoever that is. That is an outrageous price for a pump replacement. Stay away from dealers except for warranty and recall issues. Find a good independent shop that likes Volvos.

You should be able to drive a car without the in tank it as long as the tank is kept fairly full, like more than half.
You would not save much buying a used part in this case as a pump is inexpensive (28.00 from FCP Groton), the labor to install will be more than the pump. It should be replaced with a new filter sock and a small rubber tube which will normally come with it.

You will find much info on the pumps in the F700/900 FAQ section.

Are you sure it is the pump????? What are your symptoms?
--
David Hunter

The in-tank pump (which is mounted on the fuel level sending unit in the tank)
will not cause your Volvo to die.) The main fuel pump is more than capable of picking up the slack but will have to work harder. This should not cause any major drivability issues. I recently drove my 86 740 for six months without the in-tank pump functioning at all. The sending unit itself is easy to fix yourself as I have just fixed mine. The power wires for both the pump and sender had become detatched on the inside the tank portion of the unit. Also the tang which rides on the resistor strip on the unit was bent up and had to be fixed. The unit is easily removed from the acccess panel in the trunk. You can repair the wires and check the function of the unit with a mulitmeter continuity tester before putting it back in. It is a pretty simple set up and can easily be fixed with supplies you have on hand. When the car is running you can stick the end of a funnel into your gas filler pipe and put your ear up to it to listen for the whirr of the pump to check its funtion. I tested mine out of the car with some wire and 12 volts. (I would be careful in trying this. Sparks and gas fumes don't mix!) I would have to say that you are being taken for a ride by these guys. Don't pay it!!!! If you could explain in more detail your car's symptoms, The people and FAQ's on this site can narrow it down for you and give you directions for home repair.

740man