jeremy Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 I finally finished replacing the fuel pump in my STE at about 10pm last night. I tried to start it but had no success. It would still crank, but not turn over. There still appears to be no fuel pressure. I also tried to start it using starting fluid and that didn't work either :wtf: At this point I gave up last night because I was tired because raising the tank yourself proved to be a royal PITA. The fucking worst part about this is that that damn car is still at my mom's house in Jackson so I can really only make it down there once a week or so to fuck with it. I really just wanted to set it on fire after it didnt' start last night. I had check the fuel pump relay and fuse too, and both seemed to be fine. The fact that it didnt' start on starting fluid really makes me wonder too....I am getting fed up with not being able to drive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 Take a timing light next time, see if you are sparking (just to be sure). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 can you hear the fuel pump prime for a couple seconds when you turn the key on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 can you hear the fuel pump prime for a couple seconds when you turn the key on? I don't hear shit except the damn ABS system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94CutlassSLCoupe Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 hmm, you should definately be able to hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds when you turn the key on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 yeah it spretty loud you wont miss it, but check the power going there cuz if you got a new one and still dont hear it...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 Wehn you jumper that relay by the strut tower, does the pump cycle/turn on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 It's not a jumper, it's a red plug that I push up against the remote positive terminal to see if it primes. I'd try that. Also, perhaps the TPS is bad, sending a WOT signal and causing it to be in "clear flood" mode? Although you'd think the fuel pump would still prime if you turn to on. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 You don't even hear the pump turning on?? I'd really check the wiring. Take a DMM with you next time, and have someone turn the key while you have the dmm at the plug. Make sure it is getting proper voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdman Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 only other thing that i can think would make it not start with starting fluid like that is possibily the crank sensor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 You don't even hear the pump turning on?? I'd really check the wiring. Take a DMM with you next time, and have someone turn the key while you have the dmm at the plug. Make sure it is getting proper voltage. DMM = Digital Multimeter?? which plug should I test? the part that is really throwing me that I couldn't get it to start with the starting fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 You prolly couldnt get it to start with starting fluid because the fuel pump wasnt getting power. yupp, DMM, digital multimeter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 I dunno....I would have thought it would start with the starting fluid as well....run for a few seconds then die out....maybe it a combo of one of two things?? Hopefully not though. Did you have any warning signs of failure...or it just wouldn't start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Did you have any warning signs of failure...or it just wouldn't start no warning signs whatsoever...I went in a gas station to buy a soda, came out and it started then instantly died...it did that twice more then it wouldn't turn over again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Did you have any warning signs of failure...or it just wouldn't start no warning signs whatsoever...I went in a gas station to buy a soda, came out and it started then instantly died...it did that twice more then it wouldn't turn over again.... A.) It's pop B.) You getting spark? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 B.) You getting spark? who fucking knows...I didn't check it because of the lack of fuel pressure and the fact that when I first jumped the wire to hear the pump turn on, I heard nothing plus the way it died all signs pointed to the pump.... I have to go back down there sometime to further fuck with it, but I want to have a few ideas to check on before I go down there and set it on fire....If my wife wouldn't kill me I would just buy this and throw it in there .... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-8-3-8L-BUICK-3800-SERIES-II-ENGINE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8042216602QQrdZ1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveFromColorado Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Here's a guess... how 'bout the ECM on your car ... there should be a fuse for it ... if for some reason the ECM isn't getting power, it won't run the pump, or give you any spark. I'm just curious ... how many people in a row, asked if you had spark? I'm seeing a pattern of people not reading threads before they post. --Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutlessSupreme Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Shouldn't the pump prime whenever the ignition is turned on, reguardless of the ECM? I can't remember. If it's not ECM related you're probably just going to be looking through the wiring.. My TGP's pump had an intermittent short on the wires AT the connector to the pump. That short is most probably what lead to the demise of my block, but you don't really have to worry about that... edit: it wouldn't be the ECM anyway, if it's not even priming when he powers the test connector. It has to be wiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 I'm just curious ... how many people in a row, asked if you had spark? I'm seeing a pattern of people not reading threads before they post. I read the entire thread before I asked, and I saw one person ask him if he had spark. It's a valid question. He said nothing about spark in his initial thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Would the switch that tells the computer that the clutch is depressed have anything to do with this??? I dunno, I'm studying for computer science test tomororw and that thought crossed my mind...I'm guesing it has nothing to do with it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveFromColorado Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 I'm just curious ... how many people in a row, asked if you had spark? I'm seeing a pattern of people not reading threads before they post. I read the entire thread before I asked, and I saw one person ask him if he had spark. It's a valid question. He said nothing about spark in his initial thread. 16 minutes before you posted your question, he'd asked which hole he should test first to see if he's got spark ... Would the switch that tells the computer that the clutch is depressed have anything to do with this??? I dunno, I'm studying for computer science test tomororw and that thought crossed my mind...I'm guesing it has nothing to do with it though That usually kills the starter, and nothing else ... --Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossman429 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Time to start checking for power to the fuel pump.... A good test light will be your best friend. The connector for the fuel pump is near the left (drivers side) of the tank. If you took the tank out, you had to disconnect this harness. Turn the ignition on, and check for power at that harness, not sure which wire, just hit them all. Get a light? Then: A. Pigtail from the pump to the harness is bad B. The new pump is bad, try beating on the bottom of the tank when someone is cranking, this can free up a faulty pump, but it will need to be warrantied out regardless. Don't get a light? Start working backwards from there.... Check for power at the relay, no power there, check at the fuse, etc... I don't have a FSM handy, so I'm not entirely sure of where the power comes from, but as far as the fuel pump goes, it's a fairly simple system. If you jumper that red wire to the battery the fuel pump should be connected straight to the battery, that red wire bypasses the fuel pump relay as I recall last time I looked at the wiring diagram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossman429 Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 If my wife wouldn't kill me I would just buy this and throw it in there .... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-8-3-8L-BUICK-3800-SERIES-II-ENGINE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8042216602QQrdZ1 Even the mightiest 3.8 won't run without fuel.... I didn't mention this, but when I jumpered the fuel pump wire on my car, I couldn't hear the pump running, maybe I was too far away, but I COULD hear fuel running through the fuel rail. just something else to consider, but if you're getting 0 fuel pressure, something is not working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 press in the little valve at the engine to see if you have any pressure. Does your oil guage work? There is power that runs through that and I think the ECM and controls the fuel pump. You can also test or replace the fuel relay. To test the relay you need to remove the relay and jumper across some of the terminals. Pretty easy, but I don't remember how. My haynes manuals explained it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted March 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Even the mightiest 3.8 won't run without fuel.... I didn't mention this, but when I jumpered the fuel pump wire on my car, I couldn't hear the pump running, maybe I was too far away, but I COULD hear fuel running through the fuel rail. just something else to consider, but if you're getting 0 fuel pressure, something is not working. good point on the 3800 ...when I jumpered the wire I couldn't hear anything, but I did do it a few times and when I pushed the valve nothing came out...I was so pissed because it took me a long time to raise the tank myself and it was late at night so I just left and went home, figuring I would be back with a fresh outlook another day. I appreciate any and all input on this thread, the brainstorming is at least giving me a few different possiblities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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