Volvo Trucks North

Service Bulletin
America
Greensboro, NC USA
Trucks
Date Group No. Release Page
This service bulletin replaces bulletin 200-05 dated 4.2016 200 05 03 1(5)
11.2011.

Low Power Output

Symptom Fault Tracing

Low Power Output

PV776-89244468
USA75689 English
Volvo Trucks North America Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 4.2016 200 05 03 2(5)

Low Power Output, Fault Tracing

Symptom fault tracing
Depending on vehicle configuration, conditions related to
low power output symptoms may be caused or influenced by
specific faults or malfunctions in other vehicle components
such as axles, engine rating, bodybuilder adaptations, etc.
In such cases, refer to the specific service information for
those components. Also, fuel saving features may be en-
abled on the vehicle, which could result in low power in cer-
tain circumstances.
Note: You must read and understand the precautions and
guidelines in Service Information, Function Group 20, "En-
gine Safety Practices" before performing any suggested pro-
cedures. If you are not properly trained and certified in a
procedure, ask your supervisor for training before you per-
form it.

General Information
Note: Always use Tech Tool for fault tracing.

W0064147

Note: During fault tracing, the engine should be run at the displayed, check the fuel, air, exhaust system, compres-
operating temperature as well as at the temperature where sion, the mechanical parts of the engine and the engine
the symptom occurs. control system.

• Low power in combination with normal fuel consumption

may have several causes. If no external symptoms are
Volvo Trucks North America
Service Bulletin
Basic Conditions for Achieving the Correct Horsepower and Torque
The following conditions should be met in order for the en-
gine to yield the rated horsepower and torque:
• Access to the right amount of fuel
• Access to the right amount of air
• The engine should emit exhaust gases without any
hindrance
• The engine should be in a mechanically fault-free
condition
• The ignition temperature is sufficiently high in the
cylinders
• The engine control system, including sensors, should be
free from faults
Fuel
If the engine is supplied with too little fuel or fuel of a poor
grade, this will have a negative effect on the horsepower
and torque.
Environmental diesel fuels also have a negative effect on
horsepower and torque.
The following can negatively affect fuel injection:
• Restricted or dirty fuel filter(s) or fuel/water separator filter
• Faulty overflow valve
• Worn or faulty fuel supply pump
• Air leakage into the fuel supply pump supply line
• Kinks or blockage in any of the fuel lines
• Restricted vent line or valve at the fuel tank
• Impurities in the fuel
• Poor fuel grade
• Winter fuel blend
Air Supplied to the Engine
A reduced amount of air supplied to the engine means that
the fuel delivery is also reduced, and this results in lower
power output.
The supply of air to the engine may be affected by:
• A damaged or restricted air inlet
• A restricted or dirty air cleaner (ACL)
• A leaking charge air pipe (joints)
Date Group No. Release Page
4.2016 200 05 03 3(5)
• A leaking charge air cooler
• A clogged charge air cooler
• Damaged turbine wheels in the turbocharger or turbo-
charger housings
• A restricted exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler (ex-
haust gases not adequately cooled)
• Defective EGR control valves
• Altitude
It is important that both the engine's air inlet and the turbo-
charger are free from faults.
Never replace a turbocharger because of poor power output
without first determining that the turbocharger has damaged
components.
Exhaust System, Back Pressure
Restrictions on the exhaust side means that it is difficult to
emit exhaust gases, therefore causing the exhaust back
pressure to increase. This, in return, results in difficulty get-
ting a sufficient amount of fresh air into the cylinders to effi-
ciently burn the fuel being injected into the cylinders.
The direct result of this is a lower intake manifold pressure,
inferior response, and higher fuel consumption or excessive
soot output.
An exhaust system that is damaged (flattened), or if the
shutter valve in the exhaust pressure governor (if equipped)
seizes or is damaged.
Compression
The compression is a good measure of the mechanical con-
dition of the engine. If there is sufficient compression, the
temperature in the cylinder is probably also sufficient.
Generally speaking, low compression is noticeable when
you have starting problems that worsen as the engine gets
hot or when there is blue oil smoke or abnormal amounts of
crankcase gases. A problem may be indicated when one
cylinder's compression is significantly lower than the others.
Minor deviations between cylinders are normal.
Volvo Trucks North America Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 4.2016 200 05 03 4(5)

Engine Control System

The engine control system, including sensors, should be

free from faults.

Note: When there are faults on some components, such as

the intake manifold pressure sensor, the result is a natural
reduction of the horsepower and torque.

Evaluation

If none of these areas shows abnormal values, yet the cus-

tomer still maintains that the vehicle still has low power, a re-
liable dynamometer test should be carried out.

If this test does not show that the vehicle has low power, no
further technical measures should be taken. Go through
the results together with the customer.

The customer's complaints could be related to the vehicle's

specification, or that the customer's references are not com-
parable with the actual vehicle. If faults can not be found on
the vehicle, there could be other circumstances that make
the customer dissatisfied, i.e. his experience of noise from
the vehicle may have changed. Also, fuel saving features
may be enabled on the vehicle, which could result in low
power in certain circumstances.

If the dynamometer test shows that the vehicle clearly has

low power, fault tracing should continue in order to deter-
mine in which system the fault may be.

Fault Tracing
Temporary faults can be difficult to trace since the fault may
not occur when the vehicle is brought in to be checked.

Fault tracing should be performed based on what the driver

has experienced. The information that the driver has pro-
vided in conjunction with the gathering of factual data should
form the basis of how the problem should be resolved.

Whenever possible, try to recreate the problem in an envi-

ronment and situation similar to the one described by the
driver.

Begin by determining if anything has recently happened to

the vehicle that could point to the electrical system, but
which does not have anything to do with the engine control
system.

Sudden Loss of Power

Sudden power loss may be caused by:
• Failure in a component or system causing a lack of fuel or
air, or intake/exhaust restrictions.
• Poor fuel quality.
• Mechanical problems in internal engine components.
• Factors monitored by the engine control system, including
sensor faults, high coolant temperature or high engine
load.
• Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve faults.
• Turbocharger malfunction.
Volvo Trucks North America Date Group No. Release Page
Service Bulletin 4.2016 200 05 03 5(5)

Gradual Loss of Power

Gradual power loss may be caused by:

• Gradual failure in a component or system causing irregu-

lar combustion.

• Air intake restrictions.

• Exhaust restrictions.
• Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve faults.
Engine Does Not Reach Rated Speed
Difficulty reaching rated engine speed may be caused by:

• Problems in the fuel or intake system.

• Specific diagnostic trouble fault codes (DTC) generating

a response by the engine control system.

• Torque limiting parameters

• Limitations due to axle and or transmission configurations
Low Power After Vehicle Repair
In case of sudden low power after a vehicle is repaired or re-
built, it should be determined whether the cause is related to
an engine component or a fault in another vehicle compo-
nent. Low power can also be caused by:

• Incorrect (unauthorized) or improperly installed engine

components.

• Engine control module (ECM) limiting engine speed or

torque because of a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) gener-
ated by faulty or improperly installed electrical
components.