Fuel pump???

Could this be the fuel pump?

A couple of years ago my car wouldn't start on the driveway so I called the AA out . the guy who came to look at it just squirted some 'easy start' spray up the air pipe and she started straight away. He said that where she had been left for a while with not much fuel in the tank it must have drained back or evaporated out of the carb so there was nothing there to start the car.

Since that happened I bought a can of easy start and I have had to do it a couple of times since. But now I'm having to do it all the time! and yesterday I just went to the shop down the road left the car facing up hill and when I got back in she wouldn't start. So I did the normal routine of taking off my K&N spraying a load of easy start up the air pipe but she wasn't having it and failed to start. So I got two passers by to push me round the corner to another piece of road where I was facing down hill and with a few sprays and a few trys we were on our way home.

The car doesn't get driven too often now so I don't know if thats got something to do with it. But shouldn't the fuel pump be producing enough pressure so it doesn't matter how much fuel there is in the tank? And on some cars you can hear the fuel pump as soon as you turn the ignition key onto the second click but I cant. Is there an easy way to test the fuel pump? is it on all the time the car is running or does it come on and off as needed? or could it be something else?

Cheers guys

Alex

Your fuel pump is always running. There is no easy way for the normal guy to check fuel pressure. U need a shop manual and tools to diagnose the problem.

You can try turning the key to the on position (not start) and wait for the beeping to stop and repeat a few times to try and prime the fuel rail. Otherwise im betting u got a bad pump.

Its not hard to replace, its under ur matt in the trunk, almost behind the seat. U shud run the car low on gas before removing, also disconnected the battery abd be in a welll venilated area before removal.

Yeah most likely u have a bad pump. Try finding a fuel pressure kit to test it.

Is it best to buy just the pump or the whole thing with the fuel gauge float and all that?

Yeah its easier if you just buy it together. But if your handy you could just buy the pump

Before I get a new pump I thought I would test the contacts in the plug that connects to it.

Are the top two the ones that go to the pump? because I cant get any voltage off them? one is black and silver (earth) and the other is black and yellow.

On the three at the bottom I can get 12v from the left one ( another earth) to the right one (white and red) and about 5v from the left to the middle (yellow and blue)

Is that right. It would help if I hadn't lost my work shop manual cd

You should be able to hear the pump turn on and prime just by turning the key to the ON position. Turn off the fans, radio, etc.

Your problem sounds more electrical to me. Also, your car doesnt have a carb.

BlkCurrantKord said:

Also, your car doesnt have a carb.

Click to expand...

I know dude, I was quoting what the AA man said

Right, I've just put 12v to the pump and it turns fine. looks like there aint no power going to it. Cloud it be the main pgm-fi relay? and where is it so I can test it?

Right I've found my problem!!

It's the main relay. I've took the cover off the relay and you can see how it works. There is a problem on one of the coils in the relay. if the coil pull the contacts over all good and the car starts if not no fuel pump and wont start.
There doesn't seem to be any dry solder joints but I'll re solder all the pcb later and see how it goes.

It's the red coil that has the problem.

Woot for problem fixed.