Strange NO-Start dilemma
09-29-2008, 03:55 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 15
Strange NO-Start dilemma
Hey everyone. im a newb to the forum. and a proud owner of a 98 GT. But it has a slight problem..maybe kinda long explanation..i will tell you by no means am i a newb to cars, im an ASE tech and this has me stumped
so when i went to go look at the car, start it, drive it. it started up fine everytime. purred like a kitten(or small lion). got done talking to the salesman about everything we decide on a price and bam done deal. so it gets STARTED and driven down the street where the final paperwork was done. from there it went to the wash bay to get cleaned. whenever i got done with all the paperwork..it WOULDNT START. and i thought "maybe they got somethin wet when spraying the engine" that was NOT the case. the engine was dry and the salesman said that it was very weird it doing this because it has ALWAYS started before this. so he said that they would take care of it in the morning, so i said ok and left
Next day...he gives me a call and said that the car fired right up in the morning like nothing ever happened..puzzled...i took delivery of it anyways(if it aint broke cant fix it)
Now after having the car a month..it started EVERY single day and ran fine with no issues...i drove it to my old town (90 miles) and it did it again there!! i tried starting it and then it just chugged down and died!!! wtf??? so i started to diag the fuel system thinking it was a fuel pump. and quickly learned the pump was not being turned on for some reason. the "relay" clicked so power was being transmitted. i then traced the problem to the CCRM(constant control relay module, lol i dropped the box and it started. go figure) so i replace the box and of course it starts right up. runs fine everyday until...
a month later..just last week to be exact she did it AGAIN to me. i had been driving for a few hours..running errands..and then all of a sudden i go to start it then it chugs down and dies...but then in 20 minutes it fires right back up!!!
this isnt a normal symptom of a bad fuel pump or anything. hitting on the tank does nothing for this prob as most of you would know. i love this car folks id like to keep it for a long time. sorry its so long. could anyone have insight?
so when i went to go look at the car, start it, drive it. it started up fine everytime. purred like a kitten(or small lion). got done talking to the salesman about everything we decide on a price and bam done deal. so it gets STARTED and driven down the street where the final paperwork was done. from there it went to the wash bay to get cleaned. whenever i got done with all the paperwork..it WOULDNT START. and i thought "maybe they got somethin wet when spraying the engine" that was NOT the case. the engine was dry and the salesman said that it was very weird it doing this because it has ALWAYS started before this. so he said that they would take care of it in the morning, so i said ok and left
Next day...he gives me a call and said that the car fired right up in the morning like nothing ever happened..puzzled...i took delivery of it anyways(if it aint broke cant fix it)
Now after having the car a month..it started EVERY single day and ran fine with no issues...i drove it to my old town (90 miles) and it did it again there!! i tried starting it and then it just chugged down and died!!! wtf??? so i started to diag the fuel system thinking it was a fuel pump. and quickly learned the pump was not being turned on for some reason. the "relay" clicked so power was being transmitted. i then traced the problem to the CCRM(constant control relay module, lol i dropped the box and it started. go figure) so i replace the box and of course it starts right up. runs fine everyday until...
a month later..just last week to be exact she did it AGAIN to me. i had been driving for a few hours..running errands..and then all of a sudden i go to start it then it chugs down and dies...but then in 20 minutes it fires right back up!!!
this isnt a normal symptom of a bad fuel pump or anything. hitting on the tank does nothing for this prob as most of you would know. i love this car folks id like to keep it for a long time. sorry its so long. could anyone have insight?
09-29-2008, 07:45 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 15
the fuel pump doesnt turn on. so plugs, fuel filter, basics wouldnt be a factor
and this is a once in awhile issue. the fuel pump is controlled by the CCRM. there is no physical pump relay...its all contained within the ccrm. then runs to the inertia switch.
possible i have a bad inertia switch??
and could someone please tell me why every aftermarket pump (BBK, grantenelli, walbro) years end at 97?? does nobody make a pump for 98??? i called American Muscle and the guy told me that the pump on the 98 is different. true?
and this is a once in awhile issue. the fuel pump is controlled by the CCRM. there is no physical pump relay...its all contained within the ccrm. then runs to the inertia switch.
possible i have a bad inertia switch??
and could someone please tell me why every aftermarket pump (BBK, grantenelli, walbro) years end at 97?? does nobody make a pump for 98??? i called American Muscle and the guy told me that the pump on the 98 is different. true?
Last edited by SilverBullet98; 09-29-2008 at 08:08 PM.
09-30-2008, 03:59 PM
#5
Sgt. Killjoy
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,090
I have seen something like this before, have you checked out the exhaust system? Especially the headers, to see if they are overly hot or even glowing? I have only run into this on 4 cyls (an accord, prelude, and a neon) so usually I check the downpipe to the cat, since it is doing it when the car is hot. Just a thought. On a dodge neon, I had fixed I think the EGR was gone in it, and that fixed it, the car never completely died though, it just went to low idle, about 500rpm. But the downpipe was glowing, after a call to our dodge dealer service dept, the prob was fixed. But I would def look over the exhaust next.
09-30-2008, 04:25 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 15
SVt youre correct, i do have a retunless system. maybe thats the difference. still dont see why the pump would need to be different.
BlueBlood-i never ran the car hard before or after it did this. just like today, i been driving it and its been starting just fine, even after warm and operating temp.
im starting to think about that FPDM(fuel pump driver module) supposedly that controls voltage to the pump too.
someone explain why the F*** ford needs these stupid modules to control the fuel pump!!!
BlueBlood-i never ran the car hard before or after it did this. just like today, i been driving it and its been starting just fine, even after warm and operating temp.
im starting to think about that FPDM(fuel pump driver module) supposedly that controls voltage to the pump too.
someone explain why the F*** ford needs these stupid modules to control the fuel pump!!!
09-30-2008, 04:31 PM
#8
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Orange county, CA
Posts: 505
(comment was for svt)^^^ I think im pretty sure the 98s have the returnless system, its a better system which is why it got switched.
As far as the starting problem, damn thats strange. From what you are telling me your best bet is to change that inertia switch (thats the one that shuts the fuel pump when you get into an accident right? cant remember). Good luck.
As far as the starting problem, damn thats strange. From what you are telling me your best bet is to change that inertia switch (thats the one that shuts the fuel pump when you get into an accident right? cant remember). Good luck.
09-30-2008, 04:34 PM
#9
Sgt. Killjoy
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,090
Well, i guess it would have helped reading all the posts first. Autozone does offer a fuel pump for the 98 made by Airtex, part#E2203M. Also, when you say it chuggs down and dies, is it a out of fuel chug? Hesitation, full on missing, then finally death? Also, have you tried resetting the inertia switch? That may be a way to figure out if it is a bad switch.