Clogged fuel filter

Well with that year/make/model/engine it's for sure the.............

 

I've got a 2013 model and was having the same issues last week. I was losing power on grades in higher RPM range intermittently and the next day the "check fuel filter" light came on. I had assumed it might be the issue anyway, and I have another design on the fuel/water separator that isn't see through, so I had that filter and the fuel filter replaced. Turned out it was the problem. I had a nice sludge build up and water in the fuel that I attribute to some bad batch I picked up at a pilot. Had to change filters twice to get that crap out. Might want to keep an eye on that. I was worried that maybe I was having injector/cup issues as it was only happening under load and at higher RPM, but glad it turned out to just be fuel. Volvos are very peculiar when it comes to fuel.

 

Treat tanks with full strength biocide like FPPF Killem for slime algae

 

I also had the SA 16 DTC P016F00 fault code pop up on a 2019 VNL 860 with a D13 engine that I recently purchased in Indiana. I know the truck had been sitting from October until I drove it off if the lot on March 7th (with less than a quarter tank of fuel. I figured that it had probably gone bad. After I topped her off in Whiteland IN I made it 40 miles east of Amarillo when the truck suddenly lost power. Not the typical derate where the truck counts down to a 5 mph crawl, but just an apparent loss of power (probably about 40-50%. Bruckner’s Volvo runs the dyno and determines that the fuel filters were clogged. I had them change em’ out (the main fuel filter and the water fuel separator)…both of which are located on the driver-side of the engine inside the frame unlike most that you see that are located outside the frame on the passenger side). Over the next couple of weeks the truck does this load of power thing intermittently but gradually got worse. I had speedco in Kingman change the filters out again and the problem is gone. By the time I completed my 10 hour break the check engine light even went off. Hell of stressful but I glad to know that it’s a simple fix. Just takes some time to get out of the system.
Peace!

 

Yeah, generally when you have something clogging filters like this you'll have to change them again shortly afterwards to get everything left over out.