lost fuel pressure
05-31-2016, 01:41 PM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 501
lost fuel pressure
hi all
(backstory below after the content)
i started the car to see if replacing my thermostat would fix the overheating problem i was having. car started up fine, no problem. ran it for as long as necessary to see if it would maintain temp or start getting hot, maybe 5-7 minutes.
it started getting hot. got to about the A in normal and i shut it off.
idle was steady the whole time at about 850rpm, maybe 900. no signs of trouble to my uneducated eyes.
i let it cool a bit and started it back up to move it. it had been sitting in the same spot for a very long time and i wanted to move it a little. started right back up, no sweat. but then after a minute or two, it started to struggle, like it was running out of gas. it died out and wouldnt restart.
there was a very light rain while this was going on. when it was running, the exhaust was fairly white. a little whiter than i would think it should be, but i am no expert and it could very well be normal.
when the car was running, the pressure was at about 40psi
i had recently replaced the fuel tank and fuel pump and put a gallon or two of gas in there, shouldnt have been out of gas, but what do i know, so i put in 5 more gallons and tried again, no luck.
this morning, i had my wife try to start it while i watched the fuel pressure gauge under the hood.
with the key in position 2, there was a very brief pressure pulse up to like 5psi and then right back to 0, just a blip. when she tried to start it after that, there was 0 pressure showing.
when i sit in the car and turn the key to position 2, i can hear the pump run. but it only runs for like 2 seconds, and i think im being generous when i say 2 seconds. it may be closer to 1 second.
so thats where im at. no pressure. i found what appears to be a terrific checklist to troublseshoot this problem, but im hoping its something simple and somebody here has an ideas. please read the backstory below in case theres important info.
Note: when I first got it back together this most recent time and went to fire it up initially, I had to charge the battery. When I went to start it up, it didn’t fire up, I figured out that the ground wire to the frame near the battery wasn’t making good contact. Theres two screws in that location that secure wires to the framework. I took the loose one and put it on the other one. Car started right up. (so technically it didnt 'start right up' first try)
thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
im really hoping its something simple like the pressure regulator or something or a loose wire still. im not looking forward to checking a bunch of voltages.
backstory:
car had problems with what i now believe is related to the PIP(?). it would shut down when the the engine bay was hot, would start right up after it cooled down. because of this, and the general unreliability of the car and me driving a bunch for work (40-50k miles a year) i got a new car. mustang sat, never driven.
car had mods done early on when i got it (i got it new). i decided i wanted to take it apart and put it back together mainly as a learning experience since i didnt need it for anything anyway.
i took it apart, but putting it back together took about 2-3 years just because of time availability. i live in northeast and the car was outside the whole time. i took the heads off and replaced the cam.
I got it all back together and went to fire it up and I wasn’t getting any fuel.
Ran power right to the pump and it wouldn’t work, so I dropped the tank and took out the pump. Pump and brackets were covered in rust. Inside of tank I presume was rusted as well. Bought a new tank, new pump and brackets, new fuel filter. Installed all and the car started up first try.
When it started up, there was a noise from the driver side valve cover. Turns out one of the rockers was loose.
Because I had replaced the cam, I was trying to do the break in stuff at which point I saw that the temperature was getting too high. Shut it down and started trying to figure out why it was getting too hot.
Took the covers off, checked all the rockers, put it all back together (including the new thermostat), and that’s where im at now.
a bit more info, the car is a 95 but it has a computer from like a 92 or 93 or something. theres also some type of aftermarket controller thing that i cant recall the name of but will update this post later with. seems all the other stuff is irrelevant though. it was working fine and then it stopped.
(backstory below after the content)
i started the car to see if replacing my thermostat would fix the overheating problem i was having. car started up fine, no problem. ran it for as long as necessary to see if it would maintain temp or start getting hot, maybe 5-7 minutes.
it started getting hot. got to about the A in normal and i shut it off.
idle was steady the whole time at about 850rpm, maybe 900. no signs of trouble to my uneducated eyes.
i let it cool a bit and started it back up to move it. it had been sitting in the same spot for a very long time and i wanted to move it a little. started right back up, no sweat. but then after a minute or two, it started to struggle, like it was running out of gas. it died out and wouldnt restart.
there was a very light rain while this was going on. when it was running, the exhaust was fairly white. a little whiter than i would think it should be, but i am no expert and it could very well be normal.
when the car was running, the pressure was at about 40psi
i had recently replaced the fuel tank and fuel pump and put a gallon or two of gas in there, shouldnt have been out of gas, but what do i know, so i put in 5 more gallons and tried again, no luck.
this morning, i had my wife try to start it while i watched the fuel pressure gauge under the hood.
with the key in position 2, there was a very brief pressure pulse up to like 5psi and then right back to 0, just a blip. when she tried to start it after that, there was 0 pressure showing.
when i sit in the car and turn the key to position 2, i can hear the pump run. but it only runs for like 2 seconds, and i think im being generous when i say 2 seconds. it may be closer to 1 second.
so thats where im at. no pressure. i found what appears to be a terrific checklist to troublseshoot this problem, but im hoping its something simple and somebody here has an ideas. please read the backstory below in case theres important info.
Note: when I first got it back together this most recent time and went to fire it up initially, I had to charge the battery. When I went to start it up, it didn’t fire up, I figured out that the ground wire to the frame near the battery wasn’t making good contact. Theres two screws in that location that secure wires to the framework. I took the loose one and put it on the other one. Car started right up. (so technically it didnt 'start right up' first try)
thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
im really hoping its something simple like the pressure regulator or something or a loose wire still. im not looking forward to checking a bunch of voltages.
backstory:
car had problems with what i now believe is related to the PIP(?). it would shut down when the the engine bay was hot, would start right up after it cooled down. because of this, and the general unreliability of the car and me driving a bunch for work (40-50k miles a year) i got a new car. mustang sat, never driven.
car had mods done early on when i got it (i got it new). i decided i wanted to take it apart and put it back together mainly as a learning experience since i didnt need it for anything anyway.
i took it apart, but putting it back together took about 2-3 years just because of time availability. i live in northeast and the car was outside the whole time. i took the heads off and replaced the cam.
I got it all back together and went to fire it up and I wasn’t getting any fuel.
Ran power right to the pump and it wouldn’t work, so I dropped the tank and took out the pump. Pump and brackets were covered in rust. Inside of tank I presume was rusted as well. Bought a new tank, new pump and brackets, new fuel filter. Installed all and the car started up first try.
When it started up, there was a noise from the driver side valve cover. Turns out one of the rockers was loose.
Because I had replaced the cam, I was trying to do the break in stuff at which point I saw that the temperature was getting too high. Shut it down and started trying to figure out why it was getting too hot.
Took the covers off, checked all the rockers, put it all back together (including the new thermostat), and that’s where im at now.
a bit more info, the car is a 95 but it has a computer from like a 92 or 93 or something. theres also some type of aftermarket controller thing that i cant recall the name of but will update this post later with. seems all the other stuff is irrelevant though. it was working fine and then it stopped.
06-01-2016, 09:22 AM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 501
inertia switch is fine
dont know about the fuel pump relay
dont know if the filter is clogged. its a brand new filter installed after swapping in the new tank, so shouldnt have been any crud in there to gunk it up i would think.
dont know if the regulator is bad. how do i check it? does vacuum open or close it? it has a screw on the top, so i suppose i could screw it closed and see if it helps.
the first thing i am going to do is make sure theres a really good connection for those wires near the battery to the frame. cant do that until friday or saturday though
06-01-2016, 09:49 AM
#4
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 5,061
Pull the vacuum line off regulator and look for gas. If the diaphragm ruptured, you'll see/smell gas.
Also, you didn't mention what brand pump you put in. Never trust the cheap import junk. They may only last 5 minutes of idling with lower gas levels. Remember that gas cools the pump, and the get hot when the level is low.
Good luck
Also, you didn't mention what brand pump you put in. Never trust the cheap import junk. They may only last 5 minutes of idling with lower gas levels. Remember that gas cools the pump, and the get hot when the level is low.
Good luck
06-01-2016, 10:13 AM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 501
Pull the vacuum line off regulator and look for gas. If the diaphragm ruptured, you'll see/smell gas.
Also, you didn't mention what brand pump you put in. Never trust the cheap import junk. They may only last 5 minutes of idling with lower gas levels. Remember that gas cools the pump, and the get hot when the level is low.
Good luck
Also, you didn't mention what brand pump you put in. Never trust the cheap import junk. They may only last 5 minutes of idling with lower gas levels. Remember that gas cools the pump, and the get hot when the level is low.
Good luck
Pretty sure it was a bbk.will double check tonight if possible.
I think though I recall that bbk is just some other manufacturers pump with bbk name on it?
I saw a blip in the fuel pressure and I can hear the pump kick on, so I'm assuming the pump is fine.
If I have to drop the tank again, I may cry. Dropping is easy, getting it back on is ridiculous. I'm working in my driveway with the car on the ground. Imagine how fun that is...
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