Car Died

[KirkEvil]

I went out to start my car and it started up fine, ran for 15 seconds then puttered and died. I just had the car running the day before and had no problems.

When I start it, it just turns over and putters like it wants to start. I thought that maybe the battery might not have enough power, so I got a jump and still the same outcome.

This leads me to believe its a fuel problem, but the pump primes up normally when in the run position.

Any ideas?

[LTb1ow]

Dum dum dummmmmmm.

You know that lead I showed you in the engine bay? Try to find one similar on yours.

But I hope you checked the fuse etc right?

Any way of hot wiring it and bypass stock PCM control of teh relay?

[KirkEvil]

how long did yours run before you started having the problem? I drove the car all weekend and everything was fine. the car sat for under a day and now randomly dies on startup

yeah I'll look for it tomorrow its too dark now. and what did you do? Just connect a wire right from the battery to that lead?

[LTb1ow]

Yea if you have it, you connect it to hot.

But thinking about it now, it won't work on yours, you have bypassed all the stock wiring.

And yea, roughly a week after I installed mine it went belly up.

Did you smack the tank?

[KirkEvil]

I didnt try hitting the tank yet. It still primes everytime though

[LTb1ow]

Oh, thats different than mine. Check all your connections.

Did you try swapping the battery back up front?

[KirkEvil]

putting the battery in the front isnt going to change anything. everything seems to be getting power fine anyway. Im pretty sure its a fuel or tuning issue.

I disconnected the battery and reset the pcm but still nothing...

[LTb1ow]

Can you verify if the pump is losing voltage after the car starts or attempts too?

[KirkEvil]

I cant tell. The starting noise is too loud to hear if the pump is still going. the engine turns over clean so nothing sounds broken. I checked the wires and hot lead from the pump and everything is still connected

[LTb1ow]

Well, grab a battery and hot wire the pump. Then try and run car.
Eh?

[transmaro93]

ohh man!!!!! this isnt good fellas! should hook up fuel pressure gaguge to see if when its running your getting proper flow... sounds like it may be starving for fuel... you deff have spark?

[KirkEvil]

the pump is basically hot wired already with the hot lead attached to the alternator

[LTb1ow]

Still goes through a PCM controlled relay. I mean hot lead to battery, ground to battery. Nothing else to be screwed up.

[sweetbmxrider]

fuel pressure gauge. come on now. that or spray carb cleaner in the intake while cranking, see if it runs.

[transmaro93]

if it turns out to be somting with your fuel pump... im going to try to get a refund on mine and im deff not installing it.... f-that... way to much of a PITA with the catback to drop the tank 3 or 4 times....

[KirkEvil]

The pump primes every time

[sweetbmxrider]

the hose from the pump might have popped off

or the soldering might have exploded!!!! :shock: kidding!

[LTb1ow]

You gotta see if its losing voltage or signal after ignition.

[JL8Jeff]

Did you check to see if there is fuel up at the fuel rail? Maybe the filter got clogged up from debris that was jarred loose when you dropped the tank.

[LTb1ow]

I think he can't work on it till tmmr night.

But yea, please try to find out its not the pump... I really wanna drive my car this weekend. LOL

[KirkEvil]

I played with it a little this morning. First thing I did was prime the lines, fuel pump came on...good. I checked the push valve on the fuel rail and nothing came out. I primed the lines about 5 times in a row then checked the rail again and it only dripped fuel. I jacked up the car and checked all the fuel line connections and wiring harnesses...everything looks good. I tried starting the car after each change I made and still nothing; the engine just turns over. I unplugged a wire, tried to start the engine, then pulled that spark plug and it was dry.

Also, just to scratch it off the list, I went over all the fuses and tested the fuel pump relay and ignition relay...they are good.

Looks like there might be a problem with something in the tank. Maybe the line came loose from the pump or the in tank filter is clogged.

Did you check to see if there is fuel up at the fuel rail? Maybe the filter got clogged up from debris that was jarred loose when you dropped the tank.

I will check the fuel filter first, thats easier than dropping the tank again :lol:

[LTb1ow]

Def sounds like something came loose inside the tank man. Sucks... but good news for me. :)

[KirkEvil]

I just hope there is something wrong in there if I drop the tank. It would really suck to drop the tank again and find nothing wrong

[sweetbmxrider]

really sounds like the hose popped off the pump if its priming every time and there isn't fuel at the rail.

[blueshark123]

What fuel pump did you install?

[LTb1ow]

I just hope there is something wrong in there if I drop the tank. It would really suck to drop the tank again and find nothing wrong

I don't wanna hear it, you have no excuse other than having a catback, but thats such a jigsaw puzzle anyway it should come off pretty easy. :rofl:

But yea, def sounds like a hose came off in the tank. Can you try to have some one crank the car and you listen for the pump to cutout?

[KirkEvil]

What fuel pump did you install?

Walbro 255 Install (http://www.njfboa.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47108)

I don't wanna hear it, you have no excuse other than having a catback, but thats such a jigsaw puzzle anyway it should come off pretty easy. :rofl:

But yea, def sounds like a hose came off in the tank. Can you try to have some one crank the car and you listen for the pump to cutout?

If the pump is not making presure while just priming its tough to tell if its doing anything while cranking

[LTb1ow]

No I mean audibly if its kicking out when you crank. But yea, no pressure def sounds like you messed up on install. ;)

Do you have the tools and stuff to drop the tank at school?

And when you left to go to school, did you have a full tank?

[KirkEvil]

actually the way the pump is installed it should work with less fuel in the tank than the stock setup, and I have not let it go below a 1/4 tank since the install. I can drop the tank in my apartment complex without a problem, I just need to find time during the week.

[LTb1ow]

No I meant maybe the pump moved with less fuel in the tank and a hose slipped off? IDK, grasping straws here.

[KirkEvil]

The only way I can think that the hose slipped off were maybe the hose clamps were too loose and slipped off or too tight and squeezed it off

[LTb1ow]

Yea thats what I am thinking. Worst case leave the car there and have the gf get you. Or I will have a whole keg to myself. lol

[KirkEvil]

yeah I already let her know she may be driving :rofl:. Im gonna try to get to the tank tomorrow afternoon

[LTb1ow]

Good plan, at the very least you may want her to follow the catfish home, in case it dies on ya again.

[Blacdout96]

Well I can only hope that it's installation error, and not product, that would mean out of the 10 that have been ordered then, 2 have gone bad in a short amount of time. If that is the case, our group seller needs to find out where the pumps are from if they are having problems.

[LTb1ow]

Technically its three. I had two go bad on me. The second one is debatable at the moment though.

[Blacdout96]

Well then something needs to be looked into if thats the case. I think we either got bad set of pumps, or they are knockoff's or something. I've yet to install mine, and I'm not going to unitl there's a few things answered.

[JL8Jeff]

Technically its three. I had two go bad on me. The second one is debatable at the moment though.

Actually, it may still be zero that are bad but other issues like wiring, fuel filter or empty tank that are the culprits here.

edit: Kirk, did you take some extra gas with you to put in the tank just in case your fuel gauge or sender may be going bad? It would suck to drop the tank to find it empty.

[KirkEvil]

I havent put any more gas in the tank, it reads just over a 1/4 tank as it sits now. But like I said earlier the way the new pump is installed it should operate with less gas than the stock setup. I really dont think the guage or sending unit is going bad. My fuel consumption has been very consistent with the distance Ive traveled since installing the pump.

I really dont want to add gas to the tank before dropping it, even if thats the problem. Im hoping the hose from the pump came off so I dont need to wait for parts to come in

[Blacdout96]

but adding gas can kill two birds with one stone.u can find out if ur gas gauge is bad and if ur hose came off. if does turn out that ur pump is bad,all u have to do is syphon the gas out and go from there.

[SamhainZ28]

after all these stories i'm getting a little hesitant on installing the pump i got from the group purchase. :shock:

[sweetbmxrider]

1/4 tank on lt1's is closer to 1/8th tank or less. dono if ls1's are better than that.

[LTb1ow]

1/4 LT1 is like 5 gallons.

[sweetbmxrider]

lies. utter lies.

[LTb1ow]

I would never lie.

[transmaro93]

when my car says 1/4 tank i should probably be getting to the nearest gas station becuase i probably only have a few miles to go.... i ran my 93 bone dry once and died on the road because it was reading between 1/4 and 1/8...

[LTb1ow]

I had a 1/4 tank the first time, filled a 5 gallon jug and then still had gas left in tank...

[JL8Jeff]

Any time you shift stuff around things can go bad or cause loose connections. I had a 67 Camaro that showed 1/4 tank when I moved it from our driveway over into the neighbors for storage. When I went to start it a week later it wouldn't start. My friend finally suggested putting some gas in and it fired right up! Sometimes gauges go bad or the sending unit sends the wrong signal. I doubt it's out of gas, but that's the easiest thing to try first. You should probably put the battery on a charger to top it off as well if you've done a lot of cranking.

[KirkEvil]

Well, dropping the fuel tank round 2....

Turns out the fuel hose from the pump basically exploded at the tip, the picture was taken as soon as I pulled it from the tank, untouched. Im glad I didnt add more fuel to the tank because that ****ing thing was heavy and it sucks doing this by yourself. I cut about 3/4" off the hose and plugged back together. Once everything was put back together I primed it 5 times and started right up.

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww42/KirkEvil/Fuel%20Pump/IMGP0831.jpg

Anyone doing the install and following the document I posted for install, I reccomend you cut 3/4" off the hose from the pump because the entire assembly compresses once locked down to the tank. This caused the hose to bend. The bending combined with the hose clamp causes the fuel line to rip and pop off as seen in the pic above.

This picture is pretty motivating for anyone to do the install themselves. I did the entire thing in 2 hours, by myself, in a parking lot, with the car only jacked up that high.

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww42/KirkEvil/Fuel%20Pump/IMGP0832.jpg

And this pic shows where I mounted the hot wire kit and grounds on the left.

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww42/KirkEvil/Fuel%20Pump/IMGP0833.jpg

[LTb1ow]

Good job man, thats what you get when you over tighten hose clamps. ;)

[KirkEvil]

The hose clamp really wasnt that tight, I was originally afraid of breaking the plastic barb the hose slides over. Its just that the hose was buckled over way too much for its length.

If you look at the assembly shown in the first pic, there are posts with springs on them that get compressed another inch or so and bend the fuel hose more. cutting about 3/4" off the hose before installing keeps it straight after the assembly compresses in the tank

[transmaro93]

great job man! glad to see that it was somthing stupid and now its fixed... sucks you had to drop it again but at least its done..

[KirkEvil]

It goes a lot faster the second time :lol:

[sweetbmxrider]

someone owes me a milkshake :nod:

glad it was something simple kirk, now POR15 that rear! :lol:

[LTb1ow]

You seem to me missing bumpstops and have mismatched struts... thats not very safe! You could blow up.

[sweetbmxrider]

shocks, newb

[S.J.SLEEPER]

HEY KIRK, 100% THE LINE FROM THE PUMP TO FUEL PUMP MODULE POPPED OFF. !!!!!

do yourself a favor, just pull the 2 side panels off the interior and pull carpet towards the front and make an access hole to get to the pump from in the car. if you google it you'll find pics of the exact location and size to cut.

you seem like the type of guy to keep a car for quite some time , so the access will do you good in the long run incase you decide to go turbo or somethin later and need a larger or twin pump setup.
it only takes like 30min. to get the carpet out of the way,cut the hole, & pull the pump out.

[S.J.SLEEPER]

sorry, didn't see there was a second page and you found out the problem.
congrats on your fix

[Blacdout96]

Congrats on finding it being something not serious, makes me feel a little more at ease with my pump. might put my pump on a 10 hour test to make sure it works right before I set it in.

[JL8Jeff]

Good to see you found the problem and it was something relatively easy. Was that the stock hose piece you put on the new pump or a new section of hose you added when you first installed it?

[LTb1ow]

Its the replacement hose, the stock is a wimpy ribbed piece of plastic hose.

[PolarBear]

Its the replacement hose, the stock is a wimpy ribbed piece of plastic hose.

FTL This is probably the reason GM in their wisdom (a.k.a. smarter than you :lol:) decided to use that "wimpy" ribbed piece of plastic hose. I bought the Racetronix kit and it installs like stock and I have had no problems. I just wish I hadnt had to buy the wiring crap that they sell with it. I bought the whole thing before they offered it alone

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww42/KirkEvil/Fuel%20Pump/IMGP0831.jpg