Fuel pump and relay failure
Symptoms
Car cranks but won't start, or cuts out randomly. Sometimes you'll hear the pump prime when you turn the ignition on; other times, silence.
Cause
The fuel pump relay (white plastic block, usually under the driver's seat or in the engine bay) is a known weak point. Contacts corrode or the solder joints crack. Pumps themselves can fail, especially if the tank's run low and sucked up debris.
Fix
Swap the relay first, cheap, easy.
If that doesn't work, bridge terminals 2 and 30 (or 87 and 30, depending on type) with a wire to manually run the pump for testing.
If the pump runs, replace the relay.
If not, check the pump itself.
Pre-pump replacement involves dropping the fuel tank.
Main pump is under the car near the rear axle (early cars) or in-tank (later ones).
Use a Bosch or genuine Volvo pump.
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