ran out of gas, put gas in the van, now it won't start

[ganjajoe]

ok i ran out of gas on the interstate on accident, i wouldn't have done it intentionally now that i'm having problems. I put about 30 bucks worth of gas in it as of today but it still won't start. Is there a bleed valve or someway to prime the fuel lines or is it possibly something else. Please give me a hand with this as I use the vehicle for work. its a 2000 venture.

[AJT1961]

No need for bleeding, you just turn the key to the engine on position (but don't crank right away) and let the fuel pump its way through the lines. Assuming that didn't work, try a new fuel filter. Perhaps you had some crud at the very bottom of the tank that clogged it. The next step would be to check the fuel pump pressure.

[cdru]

I'd check with the fuel pressure as AJT1961 said. Normally the fuel pump sits in the gas and it acts as a coolant. When the tank goes dry, the pump can overheat. If your pump was starting to fail or show signs of age, it may have been enough to push it over the edge.

Testing the fuel pressure is fairly easy on our vans. You can borrow or purchase a test gauge at most autopart stores fairly inexpensively. There is a test port on the rear fuel rail, just behind the power steering resevior. It looks like a tire valve stem. You just screw the fitting on and turn on the engine to Run (but not start).