Firehawk0911

Hi all.
I haven't started or driven my 2002 T/A Firehawk in about 2 years.
The fuel gauge was showing a little over E.
I started it the other day and it ran for about 2 minutes and then died. No sputter. Just an abrupt die as if I killed it with the key.
It will now crank but will not start or even attempt to start.Just crank.
Battery is good.
I hear the fuel pump prime each time I turn the key on.
I hear some clicking under the hood when I turn the key (around the fuse box area)
I added about 2.7 gallons of fresh 91 octane gas (always used 91 since new)
The fuel gauge now either shows F or 1/2. It varies between those two now for some strange reason. Something is not right?!
I put in a new IGN relay and that changed nothing.
Then I swapped the old Ignition relay to the Starter relay.
No change.
Any ideas?
This timing stinks as I was getting ready to try to sell this car.
All original 2002 Firehawk
3,600 miles.

SoFla01SSLookinstok

Hello sir. Sorry to hear. Sounds like beautiful car.

Just my idea or what I would do. Start by making sure the coils are firing. Pull a plug wire off spark plug & put to ground. Have someone crank over for you & see if you're getting spark. Then check fuel pressure with gauge. Hope you find issue.

judgeman6970

Leaving a car for 2 years with "a little over E" is about the worst thing you could do to a car....

judgeman6970

How much do you want for your non-running Firehawk anyway??

ghardester

By leaving the gas tank almost empty for that long you have probably condensed moisture out of the air into the tank. The tanks aren't really sealed from the outside air. Warm air can hold a lot of water, cold air can't so it condenses out. Repeat for 2 years and you have water in the bottom of the tank with a little gas floating on top.

The car started with the little bit of gas left in the fuel supply lines and then sucked water.

Remove the fuel filter, drain the fuel lines, install fresh fuel filter. And add some gas treatment. Try again. Repeat process if needed.

Do not store a car with an empty gas tank. You will not only condense water out of the air but may get a little bit of rust or corrosion inside the tank.

SouthernRex

A Ford Focus I bought had a half a tank of gas in it, and the guy told me the car was sitting for years. After replacing almost all of the fluids, I put in a ton of fresh fuel with that "water treatment" gas additive. Ran like a champ for a few months (until it got electrical problems, and I said **** this and junked it. The car cost me like $500. lol)

Firehawk0911

Thanks very much everyone for taking the time to chime in. You guys are great.
Yeah I know an almost empty tank is very bad. I hadn't realized I left it with a low tank or that it had been that long. I'm such an idiot. I should have at the very least added a bunch of fresh gas but I was in a rush.

I really don't deserve to have a car like this anyway. In 1998 when I found out that 2002 was going to be the last year I worked hard ~100 hrs a week to save up and order one thinking I'd have time to enjoy my dream car. A nice t-top off cruise on the highway listening to the LS1 was one of my favorite things to do.

But afterward I got so busy trying to help save lives working even more, so there soon was no time for cars or self, giving up exercise a decade ago. Then my life-long best friend of 35+ years and business partner lied, betrayed and stole every single dollar I had nearly worked myself to death for. I did the work and he stole the money. So the last several years have been even harder trying to recover from near total destruction in hopes of trying to still build something that can help save many more souls than just one man can, in what time is left.
So my plan is/was to raise needed money by selling my house, Firehawk etc...

The Firehawk has never seen rain or snow. Still has the factory air in the tires. I always blow dried it dry to avoid scratching. It still has the factory inspection stickers on the windshield. It was unusual in that it appears all the inspectors inspected this car for some reason as there are a bunch of stickers instead of the usual. Has all the factory markings underneith as well as the tag hanging inside from the factory. Still smells new. When I crunched the #s a decade and a half ago I recall it being 1 of 3 built with that equipment combination, the Camel seats making it more uncommon. But there was a discrepancy between SLP and GM as to how many total cars were built: 1501 or 1506? I don't know if they ever got that figured out or not.
I was there at the dealer when the transport truck arrived to esure no one hot rodded it. I finally was able to have a car just like I wanted and that no one had modified or abused.
Some collector should have a car like this, or someone who dreamed of owning a new one but couldn't, not some guy who doesn't have time for it. All these cars and material things and even our bodies will go back to dirt one day anyway.

Tim1137

I think draining the fuel and starting with all fresh fuel is step #1 here.

Do you know how to check for spark & fuel? That would be step 2. Or you could do that first before draining the fuel too, but I bet bad gas is the issue.

LS1Fever99

By the sound of you describing the car, you have something very valuable to a collector, granted you can get it running. The value of your car the way it sits non-running potentially diminishes value by at least 1/2, maybe more. If all else fails, try finding a shop near you that specializes in this platform to get it right. It could run you a grand or more, but the investment to get it right will pay bigger dividends in the end for a running car.

Dren

Get it fixed and on the road. You'd sure enjoy it again.

Carguy8888

iTrader: (1)

If you can't fix it tow it to your mechanic, maybe some garbage got sucked into the fuel tank .

Firehawk0911

Thanks again everyone. Got a new fuel filter and prob going to try to clear out the lines and check for fuel and spark at the engine. I think I got bad gas into the system so need to get good gas in it's place. Hope I didn't mess anything up or clog the fuel sock and have to remove the tank. A friend is going to come help soon as he can and I'm going to take off my jobs to try to get it back running. I sure don't want to have to tow it to a shop and have them mess with it. It's hard to find a good mechanic

Having this car on my radar screen (in my thoughts) again reminds me of how much fun it used to be. I'm such a stupid idiot for doing this to it.

Dren

Whoa, life's hard enough. No need to beat yourself up too. I'm sure you'll get it breathing again.. We need pics!

Tim1137

Where are you located? Maybe we can recommend a good shop close by if we knew where you were. A $100 tow could save you countless hours of headaches, and potentially money too!

cookseyb

When left for a long time, as your car was, the tube from the pump to the filter (outside) will deteriorate allowing the pump to run but not pump any fuel. Requires pulling the pump (not a bad idea in your case) to verify and replace. Good luck

SoFla01SSLookinstok

Sir.

Just wanted to reply to this statement as it touched my heart. It sounds like you are a very considerate, loving, & compassionate person to others. Which, to me, is of the most important things we can do. That really makes me feel bad about how a, supposed, friend of yours could do something like that to you. As I believe it probably happens more than people know in this world. With sayings like "nice guy finishes last" that people go by. To me, & others, you sound like of the most respectable, honorable, people. No matter what this world has made seem "normal". Glad to hear there are still people like you out there. It's definitely not easy, in this world, for the good guy. Stay strong brother & know that I, & others, feel it is a blessing to hear of a person working so hard to help other people. Do not change, thank you, & God Bless!

Y2kHawk05

iTrader: (1)

^^ Good stuff ++++ ^^ Similar experiences: Screwed by several for lots of money, and my 2000 Firehawk #005 sat for 7 years but with fuel in the tank (Reason for sitting, blown cylinder head). Don't give up on fixing this yourself.. I went through a lot to get mine back to running and sill not 100% (working on the tune).

Here is a suggestion based on something I actually did

A great way to test your fuel pump and also clear the lines - connect rubber hose (I used rubber heater hose) from the fuel rail line into a gas can.. turn the key on.. You can see the rate the fuel comes out of the pump...My fuel pump flowed fine. the condition of my fuel was terrible - (Would not hurt to try a fuel system pour in cleaner and run 3 to 5 gallons through it - I did not have to do this).

If you get to a crank and no start scenario, I've just went through all of it..

Keep us posted...

Firehawk0911

Thanks everyone again. No fuel to the rails. Pulled and changed filter, no fuel to filter. Old fuel coming out during filter change smelled funny (bad). Pump still primes when turn key. Fuel gauge still wrong. Next step use compressor try to blow air from filter point back to the tank.
If still don't get fuel to the filter then have to drop the tank I think. If fuel gets to the filter but not the engine then possible clog that direction?
Is it possible to blow air the other direction from filter to engine?

Hope this works. Sure don't want to tow this to shop. I do not have time or space to drop the tank on it. When my Camaro was at shop they cracked up the corner of my dash and broke my driver power window. Not good when you are wanting to sell an original car. The value of the Firehawk will only go down the more it gets tampered with. If I had only driven the thing once or twice in that time it would probably be fine now. Thinking back I now distinctly remember telling myself to go drive it next week and fill it up. But it never happened. Been so busy with people.

Firehawk0911

I haven't vanished and forgotten to update. I just don't have any updates because I haven't touched the car since last post. Extremely busy.
Thank you for sharing. There are some lessons to be learned from this and thus some good to come out of it. Had this not happened we wouldn't be on here discussing this. One lesson is the all-incompassing effect of sin on man. The guy that did this to me, and his father who was our accountant, both see each themselves as good church people. It's the same as a thief doesn't see themselves as a thief, nor does a murderer see themselves as a murderer. No, they see themselves as a victim. There are exceptions but don't have time to go into it all. It is much easier to live a lie and even deceive ourselves then to face the mirror. We see ourselves as better than we are until God shows up with the Truth to show us who we really are, Who we need and then draws us to Him.
The fruit of the Spirit is love and if someone truly has been born again by the transforming grace and mercy of the true and living God then they will care about the eternal destiny of those around them, even those who use and try to destroy them.
Thank you all again for your gracious help to a stranger like me. Back to work

Firehawk0911

Pulled the tank and inspected the pump assy and sure enough the little plastic tube had broken. Replaced the assy and strainer with new AC Delco parts, drained and cleaned the tank, new fuel filter and it works great now. Driving the car afterward made me remember how nice a car it is. Wow. Like new. These are fun cars indeed. Too bad they are long discontinued. Big thanks to everyone on here for taking the time to help. You guys are great