I went to start my car the other morning and it did nothing but crank and crank. I popped the hood and had my girlfriend try to start it , and I didn't see any fuel spraying. Then I listend for the fuel pump to prime which it did, and then I checked for trouble codes and got a code 54. I brought a fuel pressure gauge home and checked the fuel pressure and it was 14 psi when the key was in the on position. When I tried to start it, it dropped to 10 psi and kept dropping rather quickly. I checked the fuel pump relay everything seems fine there, but the thing that's getting me is that I have power at the relay but I was having trouble finding power at the back of the car near the fuel tank. I was having trouble making this out being that I hear the fuel pump turn on and prime. Any suggestions?

 

I'm assuming you have TBI since you were looking at the injectors.

According to your last statement, your relay may be about to die. They get finnicky occasionaly when they're dying. That's a cheap and easily replaced part. Good place to start.

So the pump primes, but no fuel is being delivered out the injectors. If you have psi at the throttle body but the injectors aren't squirting, I'd verify the injectors are recieving a signal.

You could put a volt-meter or even a simple noid light across the injector connector to verify it's getting a signal while cranking.

If your getting signals, then your injectors are likely clogged/dead. If they check out, I'd follow with checking the pump itself.

 

Sorry about not mentioning it, but I did check the signal to the injectors and everything is fine there and also put a new relay on and it does the same thing.

 

Well, your down to two parts, well three actually...

1)Your injectors are clogged or sticking...

2)Your pump is dying...not likely though, they are either working or not.

3)There is a filter that is often forgot(even by me on the last post). It is called a fuel filter. Located underneath the butt of the rear driver side passenger. Could very well be plugged. Will cause your psi symptoms as well.

My money is on the filter. Can't believe I forgot it.
FILTER, FILTER, FILTER. When you replace it, be sure to relieve the pressure. I forgot once, and the 99% plugged filter sprayed my face when I pulled the line out of the inlet port. Couldn't see for a little bit after that, pretty scary actually.

If you come back and tell me you changed it a month ago, the injectors are the next most likely.

 

Hey I have had this situation with my 91RS, fuel pump was dying, it would prime and car would start, work fine for a day or so and then would just quit. Damn thing left me stranded at Wal-mart at 3:00AM in the morning with the pregnant gf wanting strawberries and orange juice

Well back to the point, dropped the tank and checked the fuel pump, hooked the pump up and it started priming. I was like wtf??. Put it all back together after changing out the filter and the pickup sock, had a nice hole in it. A week later...........

Finally said to hell with it and got a new pump, smashed the old one to give me a final say in the matter, and since then it is working fine. Now the new one has something to look forward to...if it quits, im bringing out the sledge.

Also, if there is not enough pressure in the fuel system the injectors will not fire. FYI

 

I also noticed that for some reason i'm getting a code 53 (system over voltage). Could this have anything to do with it?

 

I guess it does have something to do with it, it's called VATS duh. Now if the vats module is toast would I still be able to crank it over? I am able to get it to crank over, it just won't fire.

 

The VATs will prevent the injectors from firing. Depending upon what failed and how the engine can be cranked over without the injectors firing.

The ECM controls the injector firing. And won't fire them if the proper signal from the VATs module is not present. There is a article on VATs in the tech section here. It may help out in troubleshooting the issue.

RBob.