Starting Issues

802

802

New member
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
86
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Ello guys, I'm sure this has been gone over before but i'm having problems with the fuel pump. I ran out of gas approx 30 seconds away from the gas station. I had an empty fuel tank in my trunk so i decided to walk down to the station, fill it up and bring it back to the car. Hopped in the drivers seat and i couldn't get it to start. Turns over, but won't start. I didn't wanna flood anything so i was very cautious with how many times i tried to turn it over. After a while i had a buddy of mine toe the grand am back to my house, where i listened for the fuel pump to do its thing. no dice. Checked the relay under the hood and everything seems okay.

Is there a precedure to follow to re prime the injectors, fuel rail ect. or is it safe to assume i've burnt out the fuel pump?


Appretiate any feedback, and we're dealing with a 03 grand am gt v6 3.4L
 
If your fuel pump is working you should hear it run briefly when you turn the ignition to on. To 'prime' the fuel lines/rail, you can turn the key to on (not all the way to start) then off, repeat a couple of times (assuming the pump is working). This will pump gas up to the fuel rail. If all is well, it should start after 'priming' a few times.

If you find the pump is not working and must be replaced, it's not that difficult especially if you have a good floor jack.
 
Thanks for the info, I just went outside and attempted to do so and i still couldn't hear the fuel pump.

I've got a 3 ton hydraulic that works pretty nice, and i found a new pump for around 120$. Looking around on other threads i ran across this information;

To replace the pump you'll need to do the following

1) Jack up the read end, put some bricks under your front tires and some jack stands to support the car
2) Take off the rear heat shield
3) Loosen the 2 belts that hold the gas tank, you might need to replace the bolts cuz they break easily when rusted
4) Disconnect all the wires/tubes
5) Drop the gas tank by maneuvering it around the exhaust
6) When the gas tank is on the floor, on the top of it you'll see your pump, it's held in by a metal (gasket??) that twists to loosen it, then just pull it out, please remember which way the pump was originally facing before taking it out.
7) Replace the plastic gasket (it cost me about 25$Canadian dollars for a new one from dealership), dont replace it if the new pump comes with it.
8) Put it all back together in reverse order


Anything missing or does that pretty much sum up the process?
 
Sounds about right. I just replaced mine on my 96 a couple of months ago, simple job. The gasket should come with the pump, but I had to pay a lot more than $120 for mine! Haha! Good on you if that's the right pump for $120!

Take it slow, safe and easy. Spray a little penetrating oil on the bolts holding the tank straps in place, let it soak in a bit before you loosen them.
______________________________
 
Before you drop the tank, check for voltage at the pump. Unplug it and use a meter. you should have battery voltage at the plug.
 
glad to hear it what brand? I know i found an acdelco for 180 before. 120 is not mad nor is 88 for that matter. Ever get the clicking/knock out?. you could just rebuild the engine and be done with it :p. it's a bummer on the fuel pump. It's happened many times, you dont want to run outta fuel it is costly. It is a piece of cake on my impala the tank doesnt even have to be dropped. Zim is 100% correct. I would always disconnect the battery if working on electrical things
______________________________
 
Zimgxp said:
Before you drop the tank, check for voltage at the pump. Unplug it and use a meter. you should have battery voltage at the plug.
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea, might as well make sure its the pump before i go and replace it. Plus that'll give me somthing to do tomorow :)

Heres a link to the replacement pump for those interested;
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=4026261&cc=1410994

@Richard, Havent made any progress with the ticking yet, I was going to take a crack at it this weekend but i'm a little preoccupied as you can see haha. Once im back on the road that'll be the main focus again!
 
Replaced the pump and filter today. EVEN with a lift and every tool necessary it took me a solid three hours. Ah well, glad to be back on the road!
 
sure do! I'll be doing a compression test soon, hopefully that'll point me in the right direction with the location of the faulty lifter.
______________________________
 
Our pump went out due to the wife constantly running the tank at a 1/4 full or less. After explaining that the fuel cools the pump she now keeps it above that and we have had no more pump issues.

802 said:
Replaced the pump and filter today. EVEN with a lift and every tool necessary it took me a solid three hours. Ah well, glad to be back on the road!
Click to expand...

I did mine in 55 minutes in the driveway using a floor jack and 2 stands...of course I did not have any rust to deal with. With 230k miles on our Grand Am it still looks new underneath, gotta love a dry climate.
 
5speed406 said:
Our pump went out due to the wife constantly running the tank at a 1/4 full or less. After explaining that the fuel cools the pump she now keeps it above that and we have had no more pump issues.



I did mine in 55 minutes in the driveway using a floor jack and 2 stands...of course I did not have any rust to deal with. With 230k miles on our Grand Am it still looks new underneath, gotta love a dry climate.
Click to expand...

Impressive! i had a few complications here and there, but i'm sure if i have to do this again it'll be much quicker the second time around!

~Couldn't siphon the gas tank
~had a hard time undoing the clips that attach to the fuel rails
~bolts and staps were rusted to hell
~Decided to run to the store for a fuel filter
~had to soder in the wiring for the new pump

A lil' penatrating oil, some patience and the suggestions on this thread got the job done though!
 
Experience is always the best teacher. If there is a next time I am sure it will be much quicker for you.
Dropping the tanks with gas in them isn't too bad if using a floor jack. Once down I remove the gas with a small electric pump through the pump opening, makes going back up a lot easier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top