2 days ago car stopped dead in traffic. waS SUPER LOW ON GAS SO GRABBED GAS CAN GOT SOME GAS AND PUT IT IN. CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. CALLED BUDDY TO PICK ME UP AND WAITED. SHORTLY BEFORE HE PULLED UP I TRYED STARTING AND IT FIRED RIGHT UP. WHAT GIVES? DAY OR SO LATER GOT IN AND DID THE SAME THING. NOW COULD THIS BE FUEL PUMP OR SOME RELAY? MISSING WORK CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. ANY ADVICE WILL HELP.

 

If you're driving around with your tank near empty the pump can "suck air". Essentially you're out of gas but then after you stop and try it a few times the pump will pick up some fuel, and your engine will restart cause when you're stopped the fuel isn't sloshing around.
Try keeping your tank about 1/4 full at least, and the problem should go away.

 

And unless you have a baffled tank you will still experience fuel starvation under hard acceloration or cornering. Mine would starve itself badly if I took a turn hard with less than 1/4 tank.

 

The other two posts are right, your problem is probably caused by low fuel level in your tank. But to answer your question, a fuel pressure gauge connects to a valve on your fuel rail. TPIS sells a gauge and it is very usefull if an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. What the gauge should read varies on what system you have carb, tpi, tbi.

 

One sign that it's shot (maybe) is that you don't hear it priming the system when you turn the key to 'ON' - it should prime the fuel rail for a couple of seconds and then shut off. This could also possibly be a relay or a fuse.

One sign that it's on it's way out is if it runs for an unusually long time (4, 5 seconds...or longer) before shutting off. Mine has done both and it was the fuel pump both times.

You also might want to check your oil sending unit because I believe that it plays a part in fuel pump operation, although I don't know what part that is.

- 89_IROC

 

I have a question. I think my oil sending unit is shot because my oil guage is all the way to the top and does not work. I am also experiencing some surging when I get on it from a dead stop. Do you think that could be causing my surging?

 

Hey, Mike. Sorry it took so long to get back to this; school started and I'm still working, so it makes for very long days

Anyway, when my oil sending unit took a dump, my gauge was reading low-to-no pressure. If I recall correctly, the oil sending unit has just a couple of functions:

1. Tells the oil pressure gauge (approximately) what the pressure is.

2. It is somehow tied to the fuel pump when firing the car up first thing in the morning (and maybe on subsequent starts). After that, I don't know what function (if any) that it has besides oil pressure.

The good news is that it's extremely easy to replace.

Based on the info in your post, my first GUESS would be that it's a sensor causing the surging issues but there are lots of guys here who know lots more than I never wanted to know about these cars and hopefully a few of 'em will chime in. Good luck gettin' the problem fixed.

- 89_IROC

 

check the fuel preasure and check for power to the pump

 

Thanks, ede :rockon:

- 89_IROC