Help starting car after 4 years of sitting :-(
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Help starting car after 4 years of sitting :-( 2002 TA
Everyone, it's been about as long since I've been an active member here that my car has actually run...
Long story short, I'm trying to get the car started simply so I can get it loaded onto a trailer and transported to my current garage so I can work on it and perform the full maintenance.
1. With a new battery, the engine cranks but will not fire. First thing I checked was fuel pressure: 0psi at the rails.
2. Remove fuel pump relay, turn ignition to Run. No fuel pump noise (as expected)
3. Replace relay, turn to Run. I can hear pump prime.
4. Check pressure: 0psi
5. Disconnected send line @ fuel filter.
6. Turn ignition to Run. Not so much as a dribble of fuel from send line.
Moral: I can hear the pump turn on and prime when I expect it to, but there is no fuel being pumped.
Any opinions in the event this isn't as obvious as I expect (that the pump is somehow bad but still making noise)? What would cause this condition?
FYI, it is a walbro 255lph pump.
Thanks.
Everyone, it's been about as long since I've been an active member here that my car has actually run...
Long story short, I'm trying to get the car started simply so I can get it loaded onto a trailer and transported to my current garage so I can work on it and perform the full maintenance.
1. With a new battery, the engine cranks but will not fire. First thing I checked was fuel pressure: 0psi at the rails.
2. Remove fuel pump relay, turn ignition to Run. No fuel pump noise (as expected)
3. Replace relay, turn to Run. I can hear pump prime.
4. Check pressure: 0psi
5. Disconnected send line @ fuel filter.
6. Turn ignition to Run. Not so much as a dribble of fuel from send line.
Moral: I can hear the pump turn on and prime when I expect it to, but there is no fuel being pumped.
Any opinions in the event this isn't as obvious as I expect (that the pump is somehow bad but still making noise)? What would cause this condition?
FYI, it is a walbro 255lph pump.
Thanks.
Last edited by EightBall; Feb 23, 2012 at 02:19 PM. Reason: forgot info
Thread Starter
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What could go wrong with the pump from sitting that would cause it to turn on but not actually pump anything...?
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: indiana
is it possibile that you sucked up some crud into the pump when you tried to start it the first time? Which caused the pump to clog. it will still sound like its pumping but its not sucking any fuel through....
Likely it just needs a new fuel pump. Try banging on the tank and see if you can get any pressure. If you do it needs a pump. If it does not you likely still need a pump. If it primes that means power and ground at pump is good so by default pump is bad.
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OP, did you drain the gas before storage, or treated with Sta-bil?? Sta-bil says a second treatment can keep gas only out to 2 years.
I had to tear down a 4-stroke snowblower that hadn't been run for 5 years. What originally went in was gas, but what came out was not. Chunks of stuff in the carb & fuel lines like brown sugar coated everywhere, and some clear liquid that had no scent.
I hope it's just a bad fuel pump. Otherwise it could be a big cleanup from tank, pump, lines, rail, and injectors.
I had to tear down a 4-stroke snowblower that hadn't been run for 5 years. What originally went in was gas, but what came out was not. Chunks of stuff in the carb & fuel lines like brown sugar coated everywhere, and some clear liquid that had no scent.
I hope it's just a bad fuel pump. Otherwise it could be a big cleanup from tank, pump, lines, rail, and injectors.
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This is why its bad to let a car sit that long without starting it up every so often and not using some type of fuel treatment for longterm storage.Having gas sit this long and any crud in the tank has now all settled and turns to sludge buildup.The filter on the pump will be caked.Any fuel that was in the rails/lines when you parked the car will be gummed up aswell.I hope in your case is hasnt gotten to that stage.Get some fresh gas in there,add some injector cleaner aswell and let the full tank sit over night with that in there.Then try to prime the system and hopefully it will start to pump fuel again.If not..new pump and a fuel system flush is in order.
Great suggestions, thus far.
I'd like to add that maybe the O.P. should try a new inline Fuel Filter prior to tearing the Fuel Tank out of the car. This would be a good way to inspect the condition of the Fuel that's in the lines, as well.
Edit: Missed this part prior to posting. (Working a 12 Hour shift 3-4 Days a week will do that to a guy.)
Its still a good idea to replace the 5 year old Fuel Filter with a new one, but I would lean towards installing a new Fuel Pump to rectify this problem.
I'd like to add that maybe the O.P. should try a new inline Fuel Filter prior to tearing the Fuel Tank out of the car. This would be a good way to inspect the condition of the Fuel that's in the lines, as well.
Edit: Missed this part prior to posting. (Working a 12 Hour shift 3-4 Days a week will do that to a guy.)
5. Disconnected send line @ fuel filter.
6. Turn ignition to Run. Not so much as a dribble of fuel from send line.
6. Turn ignition to Run. Not so much as a dribble of fuel from send line.
Last edited by Mumbles; Feb 24, 2012 at 02:44 AM.
Since it's a 255, obviously someone has been in it before and swapped the pump. Depending on the quality of the hose used from pump to fuel hat, it might have become disconnected. If you don't used the corrugated plastic line you need to use a submersible rubber fuel hose, which is expensive (around $30/ft) vs regular fuel line. If whoever did the fuel pump didn't use the proper hose, it could have become a goo by now and have fallen off the fuel hat.
Either way it's a good idea to open up the tank and see what you have going on in there.
Either way it's a good idea to open up the tank and see what you have going on in there.
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Thanks everyone for the replies. My own idiocy and procrastination led me to not prepare the car to sit. It was started and idled once in early 2008 after sitting for the first 6 months or so, then again to attempt to move it in 2010. That time it started but wouldn't stay running... I've ignored it since then.
Gas looks and smells fine, but being honest I don't think I would know the difference.
I did all the original work on the car, and I used the hose that shipped with the pump as part of the Walbro f-body "kit". But that was back in 05....
I have a new filter which I plan on installing along with a complete vehicle refresh of sorts, considering the 76mm turbo that's in there...
For the time being, I just need it to run long enough to get it onto a trailer.
Thanks again everyone! Maybe I'll update once I figure it out.
Gas looks and smells fine, but being honest I don't think I would know the difference.
I did all the original work on the car, and I used the hose that shipped with the pump as part of the Walbro f-body "kit". But that was back in 05....
I have a new filter which I plan on installing along with a complete vehicle refresh of sorts, considering the 76mm turbo that's in there...
For the time being, I just need it to run long enough to get it onto a trailer.
Thanks again everyone! Maybe I'll update once I figure it out.
Gas is no good, don't question it. You need to open up the tank and see what's going on, no way around it. Just do yourself a favor and do that first, before wasting more time on other aspects, trust me...been there, done that.
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I siphoned all of it out today. Tank will get dropped tomorrow when it's not so effin windy out. Injectors are out and going to get fully serviced, filter replaced, new pump, new gas etc.
I guess I was more curious than anything about what would cause the pump to run but not pump anything out. Guess I'll find out tomorrow.
Do the trap-door method for pulling the pump... oh how it makes life so much easier when needing to replace the fuel pump. Dropping the tank sucks. Good luck on everything. Hopefully you get it figured out. Keep us posted on what you find. Fueling issues are never fun.
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Depending on the quality of the hose used from pump to fuel hat, it might have become disconnected. If you don't used the corrugated plastic line you need to use a submersible rubber fuel hose, which is expensive (around $30/ft) vs regular fuel line. If whoever did the fuel pump didn't use the proper hose, it could have become a goo by now and have fallen off the fuel hat.
Took it out, almost completely disintegrated. I wish I remember where I'd bought it from so I could ask why they sent me that type of hose...
