My son was driving his 850 GL, almost out of gas, when the Map Lights (yes, the map lights) started flashing, the check engine light came on, the green transmission arrow blinked as well, and he sputtered to a halt. He was then able to restart and drive a short way. I came to switch cars with him. Volvo acted like a car does when it's out of gas, also the ck engine warning flickered on a few times (but no 'light show') and I made it the 1 mile home.

Next morning, I disconnected the battery for 2 minutes, poured a gallon in from gas can, and took it for a 5 mile drive, during which performance was normal, but 'light show' reappeared for a flicker, and again for about 2 seconds.

All related to empty tank? Any thoughts?

Thanks.

You didnt really give much detail, but this reminds me of when my parents ford thunderbird's alternator went bad on them several years ago. Drive it more and post more details we can all try to help. This could be simething big could be something small, the more I think about it I am thinking it might be the fuel pump relay $60-90 DIY easy. A good place to buy used parts is erievovo.com

Being out of gas is not a friendly condition for the 850. The fuel pump can die out on you real easy, causing the loss of power.

Thanks!

I have since filled tank, driven (uneventfully) 20 miles to have codes checked (none). Then my son drove it and it started happening again. This time, he says, most or all of the dash warning lights lit up and the engine stopped momentarily (sounded like a hybrid at a stop light, he said) then caught again.

Know and love erie volvo from MY old 850 (a 94 Turbo that ran 280,000 miles + until it got hit and totalled (no casualties, twas a volvo.)

sounds like a fuel relay/pump problem. do the relay first, easier.

I agree with Greek.

Thanks, I will search the forum for relay replacement instructions. But, just curious, what made you zone in on fuel as opposed to spark, short or (the dreaded) onboard computer glitch?

If you ask me, the "dreaded computer glitch" is not a common phenomenon to begin with. Even for a 13-year old, there are only a few cases of it happening. Frankly, i have only heard 1 story about the lambda not cutting out no matter WHAT the other did. (And he has gone to great lengths, including re-harnessing the bleeding ob2 car :grin: ).

So, even if that were true in your case, the initial probability for that happening is very small. If it were a common issue, i believe Volvo would have issued a recall on this, as it is a design matter, not a wear-and-tear stuff. Especially for a market as big as the US.

Secondly, as i mentioned above, letting the car starve out of the fuel, for a 13-year old car is definitely not a savvy thing to do. All it takes is just ONE time, for the pump to seize. I have gone through this experience a FEW times already. All the while, paid the extra hundreds to have the car towed some 9 kms to my favourite old-timer Volvo mechanic (who is not top-notched about FWD Volvos, but i value his conceptual skills very much). And the kind of time span in between the changes were as low as within the same year! In the end, we came to a conclusion that i would be better off NOT to fill-up at a particular petrol station near my home. (I dont want to go into details).

I have even put some money on standby for a WALBRO pump for this reason, and thank God this last one did not fail on me prematurely.

Changing things again and again, can be very, very disappointing.

Coming back to your case, let's just look at your fuel-pump relay first.
At the base of your windscreen, there is a box of fuses. Unscrew all the four edges, and lift the whole cover out. You will see an array of multiple shaped relays in there. Green, pink/green, black J relays etc. Look for the squarish relay with the figures "103" on top. It should either be in green or in pink. The green one is the older version, and have been replaced with the pink one. I have heard that there is some fault there that they came out with a newer colour so that those who work on the car can just shove the green one into the bin, and replace it with the pink one. So, if yours is green, you MAY want to just replace it with the PINK 103 one. Its a simple ans straight swap, no other instructions are needed. Just pull it out, and press the new one in.

HOWEVER, if you want to test it first, put your palm and 'cup' the relay, and get your wife/son/daughter to twist the ignition to Pos II (until the christmas lights all come up). Try to feel for a click or an engaged vibration from the relay. If its there, then the relay is OK.

Next, go to the front of your car, above the radiator fan shroud, partly hidden is the injector relay. Again, with minimal movement, try to feel for the same vibration, when your wife/son/daughter turns the ignition to Pos II again. If no vibration, then that's the problem. The common issue here at the injector relay is the wiring connection. The wire there is so thin i think if a small bird FARTED while making a fly-by in front of your grill, the wire would be severed. Hehe. :grin: OK, just kidding. But inspect the wires as well.
If that is OK, then you're fine.

Then, go to the fuel rail. At the end of the fuel rail, is a pressure valve (similar to the tyre air-stem-guide). By now, your wife/son/daughter may look a little bored already, but ask her/him to be patient, and turn the ignition to Pos II again. Put a dry cloth to capture the spraying petrol around the valve and depress the valve as soon as the key is turned. If you see petrol gushing out, then its ok.

If you have a pressure valve, this would be a good time to plug that into the valve mouth to see what the pressure is. Some valves would even carry an indication of whether the pressure was good or not. I would suggest you get this one. If you dont, i am sorry cos i dont remember what a good pressure is supposed to be.

Lastly, get into the driver's cabin, and turn the ignition yourself. Try to listen for the whirring sound of the pump working. If you cannot hear that, there is a good chance that your pump is either weak, dying or dead.

Pop the cargo bay and take out the pump. And test it again.

Let's see which one comes up.

I hope its just some wiring connections that came loose.
:)

+1 from me. always go for th easy one. and keep away from the gassy birds where the bear lives. horrendous. and they feed them black beans. should be a law against cruelty to living beings around farting birds. :banana:

Thanks to all! Will hope to perform tests this coming week-end, but one Q: What's a fuel rail (or should I not touch it if I have to ask?)

the fuel rail is the section of pipe that feeds the injectors on the intake manifold. most of it is hiding under the aluminum injector shield. at the end of the shield/rail you should find a valve stem cap (a lot like the one on your tires). this is where you can check pump pressure.

good luck!

Yes, the fuel rail is just above the intake manifold, towards the top of the engine.

OKAY, I think I'm all set to try an amateur diagnosis with your pro tips, but this kicker just came in over the transom (aka in box.) The same day I signed up with Volvo Forums, I posted my original Q on WikiAnswers, and today finally got a response. Now, as you may recall, I had rebooted the onboard electronics, so got no codes when I checked. But the answer below intrigues me because it is the ONLY place on the internet I have found the same bizarre display of warning PLUS interior lights mentioned (by the questioner in the post quoted below):

From WikiAnswer

In: Volvo 850

Q: Volvo 850 with a trouble code 214 sometimes all lights come on on dashboard including interior lights in car?


[Edit]

Answer

Code 214 engine speed (RPM) sensor

Intermittant signal"

So, what do you think? Could this RPM sensor be part or all of my issue? And if so, what does that mean in terms of repairs?

Thanks

It is possible.

But instead of changing it, just remove it first and clean the sensor tip with a cloth dipped in petrol. If the message comes back and you are confident that's the problem, then you can replace it.

Definitely not!

All the WikiAnswer does is identify what is causing the fault code - nothing else.

WikiAnswer doesn't even give the slightest hint this fault code is in any way, shape or form, responsible for your instrument panel (IP) warning lights coming on.

I haven't a clue what is causing your cabin lights to come on, but I do know if a fault occurs within the generating system (i.e. alternator) of an 850 (and maybe other Volvos as well), the 850 is designed to bring on all the warning lights on the IP.

Maybe the alternator on your vehicle is in the first stages of failing.

I dont know. I've seen a few sensor problems that could lead to such split-second loss of power and lights. I've even experienced one, just cant remember if it was the CMP or the flywheel (RPM) sensor...

Ampang,
I'm not disputing that sensors will cause the car to stop (but I'd be surprised if they also switched off the lights) however, my response was to the 'bizarre display of warnings lights' smhcine refers to.

As I've said before, one of the symptoms of a faulty alternator on Volvos is that most - if not all - of the warning lights will come on.

We are not disagreeing - we are simply focussing on two separate problems, you, the 214 fault code, and me, the flashing warning lights.

Hmmm... OK, i understand what you mean.

If he has a voltmeter, he can check if the alternator is charging right.

Cheers, dude.

He sure can.

With the vehicle switched off, a good quality voltmeter (10 M Ohm or higher internal impedance) connected across the battery poles should read 12.6 volts for a 100% fully charged battery.

When the engine is running the voltmeter should read somewhere between 13.5-14.5 volts (depending on engine revs).

If the voltage is any less than this, then I'd be taking a good hard look at the alternator.

Yuppp, i agree.