Ok. BIG problem. I drove about 100 miles today and had no problems. And just coming home I got on the freeway and the car felt really good and so I had to get ahead of merdging traffic and so I went a little harder and still everything was ok....then the car kinda felt like the brakes were being lightly applied as I was going down the freeway, and then it almost stalled, came back, almost stalled, hiccupped REALLY heavily and jolted the car forward and then stalled for good, pulled her over to the side and tried to start her, no go, just turns over but won't start. So I popped the hood and took a look in the near complete dark and everything looks normal. Got back in the car, tried to start, started RIGHT up like usual and then sputtered, and died. So I checked to see if there are any stored codes, none at all. So I just had it towed home on the absolute last of my money and took a look in the bright light. Nothing is out of place, all fluids are fine and all checks out. Sounds like a knocking or something when I try to start it, but nothing serious really. My first thought is that it is a fuel pressure issue.

This is my only car, I have no other way to get anywhere, and I have very important things to do this week.

PLEASE work your magic gearheads!

I will get a video of it tomorrow morning.

THANKS!!!

From what you just said, im thinking Fuel Problem :?

always trust your initial gut feeling , check fuel pressure

ok well im in my garage here and am checking stuff.

i have basically narrowed it down to the fuel pump. its not priming. also, my fuel filter needs replacing...and its not going to be fun.


so what can i check before actually having to replace the pump itself? wires? connections? fuses?

Yes, start with the FP relay. Pull it out of the socket and clean the contacts. If the relay is bad, jumper the socket to turn on the fuel pump. (This is just to see if the pump will bring the rail pressure up to drive the car...I wouldn't leave the jumper in.)

Also, start hosing down the fittings on the fuel filter. As nasty as those look, they are going to need a good soaking in penetrating oil to disconnect those fittings without turning the rusty fuel line into a pretzel.

Budget a new filter and lines. Pump is a good junkyard item, if you in fact need it.

I'll ask the obvious question, got gas? Don't trust the gauge.

Next check the driver'* side ground bus for corrosion. It'll be a connecrtor like the one in the picture but with black & black/white stripe wires going to it.

There'* a 'prime lead' by the battery that you can use to send power to the fuel pump. This will bypass the fuel pump relay. Just put a fused jumper between the positive battery terminal & the prime lead.

Curt - Ok, jumper and listen. will do. I did give em a good soaking in WD-40 (all I had around) last night and will do it again today, I guess I'll be trying to change that, but before I do....one question...wil the pump keep the gas from freely flowing or am I gonna have a continuous stream of gasoline if I don't block it off? As for a filter, I have one....lines? I don't have a flaring or cutting tool and I really honestly don't have a cent to my name right now. As for the pump, if I do get one, I am not going to get one in a yard, just because I don't want this to happen again, this is really quite an unbelieveable inconvienince.

Mike - Yes. There are about 13 gallons left in there right now.

I will check the drivers side ground bus. I will post an update soon on all this.

thanks guys.

you will have some dripping, so have some rags and a pan ready

Ok, well I guess I will need some fuel/brake line wrenches. Not enough clearance for anything else. For the filter anyways. Umm. I did jumper it, and absolutely nothing happened, exact same result as the ignition. I checked for corrosion on the drivers ground bus deal...it all looks good there. So for right now I am waiting on my friend to come pick me up to go borrow some of those special wrenches. If it is not the filter putting too much backpressure on the pump....then I'm screwed. I can't get to service calls to make any money and it looks like everyone I know is broke. SO wonderful.

Ok. just checked the relays, they're all operating fine, no blown fuses, no pressure in the fuel line, FP not priming, fuel lines rusted, and filter still not changed. still waiting on friend. OK. SO. that means the pump is bad then right?

also. some other hackjob went under there once before and replaced the ECM....its not even secure the wiring connector that is supposed to be secured...isn't and the ECM is flopping around. so I left it all torn apart for the moment. I will finish that later.

So, what else is there to check?