fuel pump going?
tension
08-17-2004, 01:53 PM
I have been having an intemitent starting problem with my 97 rodeo 3.2.
From time to time it will crank and crank but not start. It happens when the car is cold or warm almost at random, most of the time I give it a couple of minutes and it just starts up, once it starts it runs fine for as long as I am going. Last night I went to the movies with my wife and got stuck. no matter how much I cranked or waited or prayed nothing. I tried removing the fuel filter in the dark parking lot and ended up with my head bathed in gas, so much that I got some gas in my ear canal (exteeemly painful). Finally I got my Brother in law to pull tow me home and I took a shower and went to bed depressed.
In the morning I tried starting it and it was just as dead. Cranked and cranked, nothing. I checked for fuel pressure and I get none. I replaced the fuel filter and still no pressure. I then checked the new filter again and it was bone dry, no gas flow. I checked fuse (OK) , then voltage at relay connection (ok) Had no one to crank the engine for me so I could not check voltage at the fuel pump connector. tried staring it, no luck. Switched fuel pump relay with ac relay, tried starting it, no luck. Switched back relay, no luck. scratched my head a few times then tried cranking it and it started right up. turned it off and it started again. Tried this for a few times and it started with out a problem every time! Now I am letting the engine run Since I want to recharge the battery and I also figured I should burn off as much gas as I can in case I have to drop the gas tank. As I write this I have let the vehicle run for about half an hour with out any fuel pump symptoms.
I will get in it soon and drive it around.
Any Idea as to why this is happening? It only seems to happen on vehicle start up. I recently replaced my fuel pressure regulator and as the engine runs now I get a steady 42 psi in my system. I also added a couple of bottles of fuel injector cleaner to my tank on my last fill up.
Thanks for any help.
Abe
From time to time it will crank and crank but not start. It happens when the car is cold or warm almost at random, most of the time I give it a couple of minutes and it just starts up, once it starts it runs fine for as long as I am going. Last night I went to the movies with my wife and got stuck. no matter how much I cranked or waited or prayed nothing. I tried removing the fuel filter in the dark parking lot and ended up with my head bathed in gas, so much that I got some gas in my ear canal (exteeemly painful). Finally I got my Brother in law to pull tow me home and I took a shower and went to bed depressed.
In the morning I tried starting it and it was just as dead. Cranked and cranked, nothing. I checked for fuel pressure and I get none. I replaced the fuel filter and still no pressure. I then checked the new filter again and it was bone dry, no gas flow. I checked fuse (OK) , then voltage at relay connection (ok) Had no one to crank the engine for me so I could not check voltage at the fuel pump connector. tried staring it, no luck. Switched fuel pump relay with ac relay, tried starting it, no luck. Switched back relay, no luck. scratched my head a few times then tried cranking it and it started right up. turned it off and it started again. Tried this for a few times and it started with out a problem every time! Now I am letting the engine run Since I want to recharge the battery and I also figured I should burn off as much gas as I can in case I have to drop the gas tank. As I write this I have let the vehicle run for about half an hour with out any fuel pump symptoms.
I will get in it soon and drive it around.
Any Idea as to why this is happening? It only seems to happen on vehicle start up. I recently replaced my fuel pressure regulator and as the engine runs now I get a steady 42 psi in my system. I also added a couple of bottles of fuel injector cleaner to my tank on my last fill up.
Thanks for any help.
Abe
tension
08-17-2004, 06:01 PM
I let the Vehicle run for about 1 hour without any mishap.
No unsual sound, fuel pressure at a steady 42, vacum at a steady 20.
turned it off and immediately tried to start it.
Now it just cranked and did not start even after 20 minutes of on and off trying. I got a hold of a longer cable for my sunpro automotive multimeter. Hooked it up to the fuel pump conection terminal. and tested it for voltage as I cranked the engine.
Nothing (well I got .18 volts (almost nothing) from .0 and back)
So the pump seems not to be getting power. I guess that means I wont be droping the gas tank. But leaves me with another mystery.
Any help out there.
Abe
No unsual sound, fuel pressure at a steady 42, vacum at a steady 20.
turned it off and immediately tried to start it.
Now it just cranked and did not start even after 20 minutes of on and off trying. I got a hold of a longer cable for my sunpro automotive multimeter. Hooked it up to the fuel pump conection terminal. and tested it for voltage as I cranked the engine.
Nothing (well I got .18 volts (almost nothing) from .0 and back)
So the pump seems not to be getting power. I guess that means I wont be droping the gas tank. But leaves me with another mystery.
Any help out there.
Abe
tomlcollins
08-18-2004, 10:09 AM
I would buy a new relay and see what happens. It sounds like it is sticking in the open position. If that doesn't work, I would concentrate most of my efforts around the wiring and/or connections in the general viscinity of the relay. Is there a fuel pump reset switch anywhere? I'm don't know, but if there is then you may have to reset it when replacing the relay.
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