2008 fuel pressure sensor

[smitty]

Recently I got a check engine light, and the local parts palace pulled a P0190 code - fuel pressure sensor. Fortunately they didn't stock the part, as their price was $140. Ordered it from FCP Euro for $101 and had it in a few days.

There was scarcely any driveability problem, although a couple of times the car stumbled a bit while at a steady cruise. Fuel economy has sagged a little recently, although brutally hot weather here in AZ could alone account for that.

Replacement is straightforward, but as always, the devil is in the details. I found a great outline of the job here: http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...sensor#p329071

The hardest part was getting to the mounting screw. There's about 1.5" of lateral clearance, and even with a universal joint there's not enough room to get a ratchet and drive socket in there. My 1/4" drive Torx 25 socket has a removable drive insert with a 1/4" hex body on it, so I removed that from the socket and blindly got it into the screw head, then cranked on it with a 1/4" open end. Stuffing a rag underneath the sensor not only catches spilled gas, it also serves to keep that screw and your tools from dropping into some inaccessible location.

Once the screw was cracked and backed out a few turns, residual fuel pressure actually pushed the sensor partway out of the rail, until the pressure vented. The rest was easy, but smear some silicone grease or engine oil on the the O-ring to make installation easy - a dry ring has a good chance of getting pinched, and that's bad news. Also, eyeball the clock position of the screwhole before you reinstall the sensor, as you'll be working blind with your fingers on the screw. It took me a few tries to get it right.

The notable departure from the procedure I linked above is that with the fuel pump fuse removed, the engine would not crank, and I got an "immobilizer" message on the speedo. As it turned out the residual rail pressure wasn't awful and I think the fuel spillage was a couple of tablespoons at most.

The question that remains - do I need to reset the code that was thrown? In the week and 150 miles since the CEL came on, it has not been on continuously.

[gorj]

FYI you could have bought the pressure sensor on eBay for about $50 and it is the same Bosch unit that Volvo uses. Also on eBay you can get an OBD-II device that plugs into your OBD-II port and works through your smart phone via bluetooth with a free app that will show codes and reset them. The device is less then $20.00. Also, often you can go to a auto store like Auto Zone and they can read codes and reset them.

[smitty]

FYI you could have bought the pressure sensor on eBay for about $50 and it is the same Bosch unit that Volvo uses. Also on eBay you can get an OBD-II device that plugs into your OBD-II port and works through your smart phone via bluetooth with a free app that will show codes and reset them. The device is less then $20.00. Also, often you can go to a auto store like Auto Zone and they can read codes and reset them.

I've been burned too many times buying key parts like that sensor on fleaBay, but thanks for the suggestion.