I recently purchased a TBI equipped 1989 Pontiac Firebird that had been sitting derelict in a friend's yard for a little over a year. The car had previously been a daily driven vehicle, and was in running condition at the time the vehicle was parked. It hasn't been started once since then. In an effort to get it running again I replaced the dead battery and put a few gallons of gas in the tank. The engine will turn over now, but it will not start.

I believe the problem resides with the fuel pump, as I cannot hear it running when I turn the key, but I want to make sure that is the case before I go through the trouble of dropping the tank/exhast/rear axle. I've checked all the fuses under the dash and they all look good. The spark plug wires are connected good and the distributor looks fine. There was a cut wire near the radiator on the passenger side that was preventing the engine from turning over at all, but I've spliced it back together.

Is there anything that anyone can recommend that I check/replace before dropping the tank? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome Aboard!

Dropping the tank would be the very LAST step in diagnosing the problem. It's a lot more involved than just dropping the tank.

First, the fuse for the fuel pump is not in the fuse panel below the instrument panel. It is located in a fuse holder near the battery. It is a 20A fuse that protects the fuel pump and ECM.

There is also a relay at the firewall that provides power to the pump. Make sure it is intact and operating.

There is a connector under the rear seat that provides power to the pump and connects the fuel gauge. You can check to see if power is present at this connector before dropping the tank. Chances are you'll find a problem before you have to lower the exhaust, axle, and tank.