'01 T5 doesn't want to start on hot days

**nickS60T5SE** · Friday 17th July 2009, 10:57

Strange one this. My T5 (auto) has been getting harder to start on hot days. The car itself is cold (as in hasn't been started for a few hours) and starter turns but engine doesn't want to start but then eventually limps into life. It will then start perfectly everytime after that. I have had a new battery and starter motor but it makes no difference. My mechanic has suggested it could be a fuel pump problem, as I have also noticed a smell of fuel when this happens recently. Any ideas on this. I see there is a recall in the US for fuel pumps on 01 S60's but Volvo UK say there is no such recall in the UK. Any ideas? By the way, I park my car on a driveway which is sloping down towards my house. It hasn't been a problem exclusively on my drive, but that it where it has happened most of the time. Get your thinking caps on boys!

**dave stew** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:16

How much fuel is in the tank? If mine's low and I park pointing down the drive it won't start.

**thebadger** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:18

Has the fuel filter been changed?

Could be the pump, or you may want to fit a non return valve into the fuel line? Could just be slow return back down the fuel line.

The smell of fuel is a worry tho.

I'm out of ideas.

**cornclose** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:21

You shouldn't really be able to smell any fuel - unless during the process of trying to start it you're effectively 'flooding' the engine. I wouldn't have thought ME7 would allow that though...

If you really can smell fuel, sounds like air is getting in somewhere to cause the issue in the first place, and then fuel is having a hard time reaching the combustion chambers/is escaping from probably the same place as where the air is getting in. You need to have the bonnet up and try to identify where the fuel smell is coming from...

**nickS60T5SE** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:39

Fuel tank full. Good point though. Used to have this issue in my old car.

**nickS60T5SE** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:41

Any ideas how much a pump is? Are they easy to fit? Are the under the car or on the tank?

**nickS60T5SE** · Friday 17th July 2009, 11:51

The problem is it is just sooooooo intermittent. My mechanic had the car for the day yesterday and it started just fine every time he tried it! I know it's going to let me down one day........