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Looking for fuel pump help?



scottydoggs said:
its worth a shot, relays dont go to often tho. not that it never happens.
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Do you think it could still be the relay if they tried putting starting fluid at the throttle body and that would make it run for a second. My brother wants to replace the fuel filter. Should I tell him about the relay?
 
girlinflames said:
Do you think it could still be the relay if they tried putting starting fluid at the throttle body and that would make it run for a second. My brother wants to replace the fuel filter. Should I tell him about the relay?
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Tell your brother to stop throwing money away and diagnose the actual problem so you can save money. Do as prescribed by other members have mentioned. Swap relays to eliminate the possibility of the relay being bad then proceed to try the fuel pump resistor bypass mentioned by Scotty earlier.

Edit you will know you have fuel when u hear the fuel pump on with the key in acc you'll hear it prime if you don't hear it you have some other human error/electrical issue going on.
 
91parkave said:
Tell your brother to stop throwing money away and diagnose the actual problem so you can save money. Do as prescribed by other members have mentioned. Swap relays to eliminate the possibility of the relay being bad then proceed to try the fuel pump resistor bypass mentioned by Scotty earlier.

Edit you will know you have fuel when u hear the fuel pump on with the key in acc you'll hear it prime if you don't hear it you have some other human error/electrical issue going on.
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the pump turns on, though. Both pumps turn on. Can't be the relay then right? What about the fuel filter
 
you should have a large cap on the fuel rail under the hood, take that cap off ( it looks like a tire air stem valve) put a rag over it, then push the center pin in to see if gas shoots out, that way you know its getting that far.

fuel filter could be clogged, and thats what killed the last pump.

and you only have one fuel pump, not 2. you should hear it buzz ( in the trunk) for 3 to 5 seconds when you first turn the key to run.
 


scottydoggs said:
you should have a large cap on the fuel rail under the hood, take that cap off ( it looks like a tire air stem valve) put a rag over it, then push the center pin in to see if gas shoots out, that way you know its getting that far.

fuel filter could be clogged, and thats what killed the last pump.

and you only have one fuel pump, not 2. you should hear it buzz ( in the trunk) for 3 to 5 seconds when you first turn the key to run.
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No, I know I have one fuel pump. I mean that both the old fuel pump, and the new one I just ordered work. Evidently the fuel pump is working fine, and that's not what the problem was. They thought it was dying, but there was just very little gas in the car. It does buzz, and it did even before I ordered the new one. My brother and boyfriend said that gas isn't getting to the engine and they think it's the fuel filter...but I think that's too simple to be the problem, since the car just randomly didn't start one day and hasn't since.
 
the guys try the by pass yet with the relay? things are leaning that way, and its a free deal. most leave it that way.
 
scottydoggs said:
the guys try the by pass yet with the relay? things are leaning that way, and its a free deal. most leave it that way.
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My brother insists that if it was the relay the fuel pump wouldn't turn on at all, but I'll have them try that too. It's an older car so putting in the fuel filter wouldn't hurt, since I already bought it. Also, the people before me were always driving the car on E since the gas gauge doesn't work, so it more than likely has gotten clogged up.
 
your gas gauge should work now with the new pump and sender you installed, unless its still on E for real this time.

the fuel filter maybe clogged up.

tip for the filter, use vice grips on the line nut, then use another wrench to turn the filter, not the line nut. 9 times out of 10 if you turn the line nut you will twist the fuel line.

so you want to lock the line nut and hold it it place.
 
scottydoggs said:
your gas gauge should work now with the new pump and sender you installed, unless its still on E for real this time.

the fuel filter maybe clogged up.

tip for the filter, use vice grips on the line nut, then use another wrench to turn the filter, not the line nut. 9 times out of 10 if you turn the line nut you will twist the fuel line.

so you want to lock the line nut and hold it it place.
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Even with the replaced Fuel Pump, the gas gauge stays stuck at half a tank. It does it with both pumps. The Fuel pump isn't the problem, I'm not sure what is. Possibly a fuse? Also, it looks like they took apart the dash before I got the car, so it could even be unplugged. I was told if it was a fuel pump issue it would always be on empty or full. And since the new fuel pump didn't even change the issue, I don't think it has anything to do with the pump.

Thanks for the tip about the filter, I'll pass that on to them! :)
 


check every fuse the car has, as in pull it hold it up to the sun and look at it, make sure they are all good. you also have a that fuse box under the hood where the relays are, check all the small fuses in there as well.

sounds like maybe the cluster is broken, if all the fuses are good. you can change the cluster if need be.

you just need to note your miles, and the new miles on the new used cluster, put it on a sticker in the glove box or something so you can figure out your real mileage when you sell it and have a record of it. its the legal thing to do, even if you plan on driving it into the ground.
 
scottydoggs said:
check every fuse the car has, as in pull it hold it up to the sun and look at it, make sure they are all good. you also have a that fuse box under the hood where the relays are, check all the small fuses in there as well.

sounds like maybe the cluster is broken, if all the fuses are good. you can change the cluster if need be.

you just need to note your miles, and the new miles on the new used cluster, put it on a sticker in the glove box or something so you can figure out your real mileage when you sell it and have a record of it. its the legal thing to do, even if you plan on driving it into the ground.
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I'm thinking the owners of before me probably changed the cluster and didn't tell me so they could pretend the car had less miles on it.. It could be why it's not working right
 
Alright, guys! So, the relay indeed was the problem!! We bought a new one and the car is working fine!! Thanks for the help!
Gas Gauge is the next problem on the list though. Maybe someone can help me, because it's making no sense. It has nothing to do with the float because when I changed the whole fuel pump assembly the gauge still didn't work in the car. The rest of the dash works, but the gas gauge begins to move up from half a tank when I start the car, and then slowly rests itself at half a tank and stays there. Any ideas? I can put this is a new post if I need to though
 
girlinflames said:
Alright, guys! So, the relay indeed was the problem!! We bought a new one and the car is working fine!! Thanks for the help!
Gas Gauge is the next problem on the list though. Maybe someone can help me, because it's making no sense. It has nothing to do with the float because when I changed the whole fuel pump assembly the gauge still didn't work in the car. The rest of the dash works, but the gas gauge begins to move up from half a tank when I start the car, and then slowly rests itself at half a tank and stays there. Any ideas? I can put this is a new post if I need to though
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When you replaced the pump did you replace the whole module or just the pump. the bucket with the float attached swings across a little circut board that gives your readoud for how much gas you have, if that part is dirty or worn it will never read correctly. you could always go to the junkyard and try to find the whole piece and put your new fuel pump in that and see if that works
 
shes got a whole new pump and sender, the problem with the gauge was there before as well. im thinking if not a fuse, the cluster maybe bad.

seems odd that its stays at 1/2 full.
 


Often times people won't adjust the metal arm that the float it on. If you don't, the guage will be off. It is hard to explain how to pull the pump again and adjust the arm so it is right. This is a common problem when the whole assembly is replaced and was what I referred to in my previous post.
 
LeadfootCJ7 said:
Often times people won't adjust the metal arm that the float it on. If you don't, the guage will be off. It is hard to explain how to pull the pump again and adjust the arm so it is right. This is a common problem when the whole assembly is replaced and was what I referred to in my previous post.
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the truth is i dont know what your talking about, these floats are set at the factory. you should not have to adjust a thing.
 
LeadfootCJ7 said:
Often times people won't adjust the metal arm that the float it on. If you don't, the guage will be off. It is hard to explain how to pull the pump again and adjust the arm so it is right. This is a common problem when the whole assembly is replaced and was what I referred to in my previous post.
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I never reset anything when I changed mine. I dropped the whole assembly in, connected everything and never had an issue with the fuel read out being incorrect.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II
 
When I used to work at the dealership, we had plenty of AC Delco pumps that the float arm was correct right out of the box, but several were not. We checked because we didn't want to have to pull the pump again to adjust it. If its aftermarket, I have no idea. We wouldn't install aftermarket pumps.
 
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