00 regal starts sometime

[fastmoney]

hello i have a 2000 regal gs 139XXX miles on it. the car had been running fine untill one day it would not start. when i turned the key the car tried to turn over but would not as if it was out of gas. 30 min later it started up fine as if there were no problems at all. about one week later it would not start again i dont think the fuel punp was coming on couldn't hear it so i repaced the fuel pump relay but no luck several hrs later it stared back up and ran fine. any ideas before i spend 320.00 on a new pump and that doesnt fix the problem.

[BNaylor]

The best thing to do is check fuel pressure at the front fuel rail Schrader valve located towards the supercharger snout to see if it is in specs and that may rule the fuel pump either out or in. 48-55 psi.

Also, did you replace the fuel pump high speed relay or check for a bad fuel pump resistor which works with the hi-speed relay? We have a bypass procedure that you can try.

At ignition to ON you should hear the fuel pump prime for about 2-3 seconds.

[fastmoney]

i did repalce one relay but not the hi speed relay are they the same relay meaning same part. i going to check the pressure now have to get a new gauge. the car starts now i can hear the 2-3 sec prime. when car will not start there is no prime of the fuel pump. the bypass would only help if the car is not starting right?

[fastmoney]

just checked the fuel presure key turned on not started 0 psi might be gauge car started at idle about 40-43 psi but gauge will not stop jumping to get exact psi might need another gague

[BNaylor]

What brand gauge is it? Best one for the cost is the Actron brand which has a bleeder valve. If you are getting 0 psi at ignition to ON then it sounds like you may still have an issue with the 12 volts to the fuel pump via the fuel pump relay. When you get 0 psi do you hear the fuel pump prime? For when you do get it started getting as low as 40 psi on a L67 SII 3800 engine is abnormal. At fuel pump prime you should see a high reading in the 48-55 psi range. Readings will vary at idle if you remove the vacuum line at the fuel pressure regulator but higher with the vacuum line disconnected.

On a bad fuel pump resistor a few different symptoms. Normally the car will start and it will die within a few to several seconds. Or it may not start at all or try to. Both the fuel pump and hi-speed relays are the same so they are interchangeable.

[fastmoney]

gauge is working better now. key turned ON about 40 psi. car running 43-45 psi. it started out at 45psi but fell to 43 after about 5 min at idle. right now i can here to pump prime and car starts fine. i also replaced the speed relay and got the same psi reading.

[BNaylor]

What are your readings with the vacuum line removed at the fuel pressure regulator?

[fastmoney]

with the vac removed and the car running im getting about 51 psi.

[fastmoney]

also i came across a used fuel pump which i think is oem so i swaped the pumps and got the same exact psi readings 40 w/key ON and about 43-45 running. pulled the vac off the regulator and got the same 51 psi running. So i pulled the fuel filter 6 months old and it was cloged couldnt blow thru it, replaced it w/ a new one same psi readings w/ and w/out vac. line. PLEASE HELP

[BNaylor]

From what I recall the fuel pressure readings are on the low side or marginal but the psi difference with the vacuum line off is borderline out of specs. My readings at fuel prime prime were higher. What is it doing now? How is starting? Does it idle properly and what happens when you first accelerate?

Just to rule it out did you check the fuel pump resistor or bypass it?

[fastmoney]

car starts as normal and idles normal also seems to accelerate fine. i did replace the fuel pump resistor but i would like to bypass it if i can find the thread

[BNaylor]

If you replaced the resistor then it should rule it out but here is the link with pics. For the Regal GS it will be relay #18 instead of the one shown for a GTP.

Click here

[fastmoney]

when i tried the bypass of the relay the car wouldn't start. replaced both relays with afer market relays and car starts just as it did with the old relays. fuel pump psi car running is still at about 51. car has been starting fine since thurs. afternoon but i have not driven it. dont want it to die on me again. it only seem to have started this after the battery died???

[richtazz]

Is the CEL or Security light on?

[stripe]

I had a similar problem after I dropped my key in snow by mistake.

It messed up the security stuff.

I got a new key and all was good.(costs a bit)


Cheers
Stripe