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low pressure fuel pump error code

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

BUDFORCE

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Just wana sense check this.

My Volvo S60 T3 2012 is throwing up a P254022 fault code on scanning, which is "Low Pressure Fuel System Circuit Range / Performance. General signal Failures. Signal too high.

It came up about 6 months ago and I reset it, and it didn't come back so I forgot about it. It came up last week, reset it again, but now its come up again so I think there actually may be an issue.

The car is driving absolutely fine. Which would lead me to assume..... the actual fuel pump is ok.

Am I correct in thinking?

- The fuel pump is just powered by a dumb 12v feed, as in, car is on, fuel pump is fed 12v, it's not "controlled" in any other way?
- Therefore if the sensor is playing up, in theory it shouldn't actually affect the running of the car other than throwing up the fault code?

I checked and it looks like replacing the low pressure fuel sensor is actually pretty easy, it's located on the top of the engine along the fuel rail and I haven't properly looked in to it, but on the face of it is a pretty easy 30 minute job. The part is reasonably cheap as well. Hopefully.... its not the actual fuel pump as that is another story, to be honest I would just get the local garage to do that.

Reason I am asking is, whilst I will get around to changing the sensor, I'm trying to gauge if there is any urgency.
 
jpaul said:
fuel filter done ? under maintenance schedule -
had had some trepidation doing it myself so gave the part to the garage when they did other stuff.
Click to expand...

No never done that.

I assume that's on the arse end on the fuel tank so like you Id just get the garage to do that.

I watched a good YouTube video since posting that shows you how to test the sensor using a meter so I'll try that in a bit.

I was wondering though if the filter was blocked enough to start setting off fault codes would you not feel it through the car? It does drive absolutely fine.

I guess I need to test this sensor and see what it's doing, or not.... (Hopefully the latter)
 
jpaul said:
when does it register code during warm up when engine would make higher demands on pump/filter ... or erratically during drive perhaps suggesting sensor.
Click to expand...

Just came on on startup.

Right........

Annoyingly, I cannot find any youtube video or even image showing the low pressure fuel sensor location for my particular engine, its a B4164T3 engine (actually a ford engine) even searching for ford stuff I cant find it, also on any part on any part site the part (even if I put the reg in) it's showing the low pressure fuel sensor is like a T shaped part, with the sensor going in the top and 2 ends either side you plum the fuel line in, there isn't anything that looks like that on my car.

What I think.....is the low pressure sensor is just a single cylinder shaped part the connects in to a hard metal fuel line, but it isn't the one at the end of the fuel rail, which I believe would be the high pressure sensor.

I plugged the diagnostics in again and found where it will give you the live voltage reading out of the sensor, car with ignition on, engine not running was 2 something volts, and I started it, the voltage went up to something like 4.7v, which I am guessing it about right. I watched another youtube video of not the same engine, but similar volvo and the sensor works off 3 pins, a ground, one 5v feed, and then a 5.7v "sensing" current, there is a proper name for this but I cant remember.

The fact the voltage is reading what seems about right, not erratic, and is changing after starting the engine would lead me to believe, at least when I tested it just now, the sensor is ok.

So.........either, there is something intermittent with the sensor, or it is related to the filter/pump itself. The wierd this is, watching the voltage on the sensor whilst running the car and revving it a little, it seemed absolutely fine, I even cleared the fault code, ran the engine for 5 minutes and no issues.......no fault code, although I am sure it will be back.

I might fill up with premium and put some reddex it in, probably wont do anything but worth a go I suppose.
 
1000026679.jpg


The left side one circled I think is the high pressure sensor and the right side low pressure.


1000026680.jpg


Low pressure sensor

1000026681.jpg


High pressure sensor.



...... I think.
 
hmm actually, it seems replacing the fuel filter might not be that hard.

I'll have a look under the car tomorrow and see if the one on my car looks anything like this youtube video, going by my luck so far probably not lol.

EDIT: Nope scratch that:

On a 2013 Volvo S60 T3 ( petrol engine), there is no external, serviceable fuel filter. Instead, the fuel filter is integrated directly into the fuel pump assembly inside the petrol tank. It is designed as a "lifetime" component and is not intended to be changed during routine maintenance.

And I checked the part it very much looks like an integrated fuel filter :(
 
Last edited:
jpaul said:
do you get further errors after warm up - perhaps if you don't get further errors after warm up that further exonerates the sensor, not erratic anyway.
Click to expand...

Cheers.

No I don't.

I have done a little more testing since yesterday. Seems it's only throwing up the fault code on a cold start. I drove yesterday, reset the code, parked up for about an hour, maybe hour and a half. Got back back in, fired up and drove about 6 miles home no warning light at all.

Fired it up this morning and straight back on, it basically stays on at the start, doesn't go away after ignition on and engine start.

Car is still driving absolutely fine.

I am tempted.....for the sake of £40 or so, to change the sensor anyway, even though I am not convinced it is that, to see if I get lucky. Other then finding the correct part (which is proving to be a right pain in the arse) actually changing it is dead easy.
 
Right made some good progress today.

Was testing it a bit more, pulled the connector out put it back in, had the diagnostic connected to it, and it was showing voltage running between 4.74 / 4.75. Reset code, engine running no warning light from cold.

Car off, back on again, warning light back on, check the voltage and its frozen. Unplugged connector, plugged back in, nothing.....

Checked the fuel pump voltage and everything looking absolutely fine, behaving.

So pretty sure it is just the sensor after all, seems to be intermittent, sometimes its working, sometimes not, seems every time its powered it decides if its working and either carries on working until that car if off again, or not at all.

New part was an pain in the arse to find, as every single reference was pointing towards this t shaped part, which it definitely is not. Eventually found what I believe to be the right part, £16 on ebay.

Fingers crossed that fixes it and job done, not so bad in the end.
 
aaronyuri said:
Start the engine and pull the fuel pump fuse. Engine will eventually stall once the fuel is exhausted. That's about as empty as the fuel lines are going to be for a job like this. Although, the low pressure side wouldn't concern me with a rag, TBH.
Click to expand...

Yes that's the plan, pull the fuse, run it dry.

Don't forget to put the fuse back in haha.
 
Well..........

You know how I said it's not the fuel pump and just the sensor.

I might have been the fuel pump..... currently sat on the side of the road waiting for breakdown recovery, car lost power driving, stalled.

Try and start it, it fires up a tiny bit at like 500 rpm before quickly stalling.

I scanned it whilst broken down, low fuel pressure readings both high and low and high pressure side as well.

Been sat here nearly 2 hours now and they said they might be another hour yet.....

Frustrating though it had been driving absolutely fine, if not I would have taken it more seriously, but it's just died quite suddenly.
 
aaronyuri said:
This is one of those things where HPFP is usually easier to change but more expensive, whereas the low pressure pump is significantly cheaper but much harder to change! You are going to get half screwed whichever one it is.

I would wager it's likely the low pressure pump due to the low pressure readings on both sides.

Hope you get recovered soon!
Click to expand...

Cheers yea got home about 20 past 10, broke down at about 7, so not terrible managed to get it recovered back to my preferred garage then dropped home.

It could have been a lot worse.

The garage I use are pretty good local indy I been using for years I'm sure they'll be able to sort it, I don't fancy trying to change the fuel pump it likely involves dropping the tank, not something I want to try myself.
 
jpaul said:
so did you contact you garage to get their agreement or on the street outside
(when I recently had a brake boost sensor go, out of hours, I had had approval from car park owner to leave the car, and was unsure about logistics
to allow it to be recovered directly to my local mechanic - their book could have been really full)
Click to expand...

Nah I just left it there they'll be fine though. Small village logistics, they've gotta earn their Christmas box of Stella somehow.
 
Right update on this spoke to the garage today.

He fired the car up, it did what it was doing, 500rpm baldy chugging for a few seconds before dying.

Moved it inside on to the ramp and then when he started it up later, it fired up, run perfectly fine. He actually showed me in person, fired the car up and it run fine.

Apparently on the top of the fuel tank not only is the low pressure fuel pump in there, there is also a fuel control module, and he thinks it might be that rather than the fuel pump, and it's failing as it's getting hot, which makes sense.

But if going in to that anyway might as well eliminate the fuel pump and change it anyway.

Good news is fuel pump reasonably cheap, even for a genuine one.

Bad news:

Fuel control module, not cheap.......at all.

Plus it's a drop the fuel tank job.......

He's gonna ring me later when he's looked a bit more.

I can see this easily being north of a grand though.
 
jpaul said:
Do you have a good online parts reference to know the part numbers ? - half the battle , used to have one for my bmw but for audi there is BA, no right to repair.

Had to have the tank dropped when my rear brake lines were done on my old 3er - as long as they syphon off your fuel.
Click to expand...

Hi.

I meant to update this a little earlier.

I got it mixed up, the module is easy and cheap, already ordered.

It's the fuel pump that isn't.

The part number fuel pump/sender 31372884.

Apparently Volvo direct is on backorder until September.

I found one on eBay from Lithuania, then a German website (skandix) that has a couple.

eBay £640, Volvo apparently is about £700, that German website £250 EUR.



There are also a few not great looking websites selling pattern parts, but given the labour to dig it out I'm not overly keen and neither are the garage.
 
jpaul said:
how many hours does he thinks involved dropping the tank , can you have a part on standby/returnable in case existing one can be salvaged,
like filter cleaned.

looks like the skandix one could be had for less https://www.ak24parts.com/en/spareparts/professional-parts-23432884
but would have to be confident on delivery times.
ring the 'manufacturer' to find best supplier ? https://www.proparts.se/shop?funk=v...884&visa=1-400&Sort=Populara&Visn=Sokresultat
Click to expand...

Cheers I'll have a look in a bit.
 
jpaul said:
how many hours does he thinks involved dropping the tank , can you have a part on standby/returnable in case existing one can be salvaged,
like filter cleaned.

looks like the skandix one could be had for less https://www.ak24parts.com/en/spareparts/professional-parts-23432884
but would have to be confident on delivery times.
ring the 'manufacturer' to find best supplierdistributor ? https://www.proparts.se/shop?funk=v...884&visa=1-400&Sort=Populara&Visn=Sokresultat
Click to expand...

Yea cheers, I agree that looks like the same part it's made by proparts , so not genuine Volvo but probably ok, better than a Chinese one.

I went to a breaker today who said they have one (used obviously) at 25% of retail new, so about £180.

I've emailed the Skandix website just now as well, to ask them if it's genuine or not, I suspect not at that price but I have asked the manufacturer, if it's Bosch (I'm hoping it could be....?) with all the taxes and delivery from Germanland, that be just north of £300 which I might go for as I think Bosch make the parts for Volvo anyway.

Im gonna nip in the garage tomorrow as I need to get my kids car seat out and my sunglasses for driving.

Good news is, my in laws have 2 cars and electric one, which they effectively use for everything, and an old Volvo diesel estate automatic, and they've basically said I can borrow it for a while as they basically don't use it anymore, they said the last time they put diesel in it was February, and it cost £7.50 to add me on the insurance.
 
Ok the German place came back and just said "aftermarket quality" which could mean anything, so that's off the cards...

So its either:

Genuine Volvo used one from a breaker, approx £180, could get the part tomorrow. No idea what condition, how long its been sitting there etc
Aftermarket one Propart made, £101, says arrives 2-3 days.
Or new genuine Volvo one from Volvo, £700+ and estimated September.......

I'm gonna nip in the garage soon and see what they think..... I genuinely don't know, part of me is thinking suck it up and go genuine new, and at least you know then its sorted.....the other two could pay off but more of a risk. I wouldn't be so bothered if it was something I could change myself, but I can't and it isn't a small job, plus if it breaks that the car not working, stuck on the side of some busy motorway in the middle of winter or whatever.
 
jpaul said:
would garage need any new o-rings , for any purchase option

fascinating comment on this video ... even if can be accessed by seat looks like 3 man hours
A high fuel pressure is usually indicator of corroded PEMDon't keep driving with low gas fuel. The pump sits inside a cup always filled with gasoline, however in warm summer days the gasoline inside this cup will heat up from the pump and if the tank is near empty, the cup cannot disperse the heat and will keep the pump hot which is wearing the pump prematurely. That's how my pump went badA worn pump may cause sudden stalling while driving. On 2001-2004 cars, there is a pump relay on the CEM and this relay may suddenly disengage if the pump gets really hot, which will cut the engine - the car may restart and drive without problems right away. You can actually touch this relay under the dash and feel when it gets really hot which is causing it to disengage.The metal gas tank has internal fuel filter to the pump, plus a mesh around the pump cup. It is highly improbable for this filter to clog up, even with high mileage. The plastic tank
Click to expand...

Given all the hot weather we've been having it wouldn't surprise me at all.

I think I'm just gonna suck it up and get the genuine Volvo one.
 
Right slight change of plan, given the cost and timescales of getting a new fuel pump they are just going to change the control module, apparently they are cheap and easy to get hold of as they are used across multiple cars, and also reckons he can just about get to it without dropping the tank. So a much smaller and cheaper job overall.

And then keep fingers crossed.

He was leaning towards that being the issue anyway, and I'm inclined to agree given the car was running absolutely fine until it died, and at the moment is running fine.

If it dies it dies I've got breakdown and then it'll be new fuel pump time. Given the cost and availability of the pump I think it's the best course of action.
 
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