Have run pressure test, changed filter, changed pump same problems, whats next?

L98 TPI all Stock.

Occasionally the car will get spells where with any kind of accelaration it acts weird.

1. Pedal depressed just a little (slowly accelerating to 35-45 mph) it just seems as if it has lost power.
2. Pedal partially depressed it seems as if its fighting against the brakes
3. Pedal fully depressed it just starts to sputter as if its running out of gas!!! It will not accelerate at all. If I dont release the pedal it will just not pull at all.

Under any of those 3 scenarios if I begin to lift the pedal any it seems to come back to life slightly as if it was starving for fuel and by lifting slightly I am allowing it to get fuel.

Some days I drive it and this will not happen at all. Sometimes it will do it constantly. It did notice maybe 1-2 weeks ago that my fuel pump (which normally made a low volume hisssssss, I know this to be normal) sound when the car is running began to make a louder noise similar to the sound the horn of a Ferrari makes. Not as loud but the same sort of sound. It will make this weird sound after having run maybe 15 mins or so.

 

Yup sounds like the fuel pump 2 me! Mine was doing the same thing and i replaced it. But beware the pump is in the fuel tank and its quite a pain in the A** to remove. Good luck bro.

 

I was afarid someome was going to say that. D*** ....... how long does it take to change out a fuel pump?

 

there is no really good answer to this. some people can do it in under 4 hours some it takes all day.

 

Before you go attempting to do something that will cause you to spout expletives from a previous life. Connect a fuel pressure gauge the Psi should be about 40ish with no vacuum to the regulator and drop a few psi when vacuum is applied. Also tape it to the windshield so you, or a friend can monitor the psi while driving.

 

I just noticed a leak on my fuel rail. It on the drivers side on the front end (towards the front of the car) on the inside (side closest to center of engine).

There is a small maybe 1/8th in metal tube (there is also a rubber tube their as well) that makes a 90 off of the fuel rail and goes somewhere I cant tell but anyway it looks as if a coating is peeling off of that and it is leaking fuel. Not bad but it is leakiing none the less. You can smell it and if you rub your finger on that tube you get fuel on your finger easily.

Could this cause my fuel pump not to work properly.

It was a nice 65 degree day and I had to ride yesterday so I droped he top and rode a little. After about 20 mins I got the sputtering again. I was nearing 1/8th a tank so I stoped filled it to half (figured not to put to much since i was likely changing the fuel pump) to see if that would make a diff. I heard folks say dont run on empty a lot becasue fuel helps keep pump lubricated and cool.

It made a diff. I worked better for about 5 mins and then went back to sputtering badly ( no power). When you baby it up to speed it begins to work fine but when you need power to get into traffic forget it.

Fuel pump right?

Didnt proof so sorry for any mistakes.

 

Before you pull the tank to change out the fuel pump, change your fuel filter. If it gets plugged it will act exactly like a bad fuel pump, partially plugged, it will act like a fuel pump getting ready to fail. The fuel filter is located behind the left rear wheel well. I would also patch up the leak in the line on the fuel rail. You don't want gas leaking anywhere in the under hood area especially. Is the leaking line welded into the rail or screwed in at a fitting? I just looked under the hood of my 87 T/A and it doesn't have any lines coming off the driver's side of the fuel rail. The only lines I saw on the driver's side were the supply and return lines to/from the tank, and both of those run across the front of the engine to the right side of the fuel rail.

 

You are correct the leak is on a pipe that runs perp to each fuel rail across the front of the two fuel rails. Right where the pipe hooks into the drivers side fuel rail it is leaking. I have another TPI so I guess Ill snag the pipe off of that one.

Is there a better remedy to fix this leak? If so please let me know.

Now for the fuel filter no clog in the filter and getting good pressure thru the system. After running a few minutes it will do the same thing again with the gasping/sputtering under acceleration or I guess I should say when trying to accelerate.

 

Before you go through the same headache I made make sure it is the fuel pump (replaced mine and that wasn't it) was doing the same crap you are mentioning as it would run great for a while then it would loss all power, unless you took foot off pedal then it would seem to run smoother. I finally figured out that it was my #3 injector was loosing ohms when it was at running temp, so just an FYI before you rip the entire back half off your car.

 

I read your post to late!!!!

Had good pressure, fuel filter good, so I changed the fuel pump.

Drove the car 1 hr after reading your post. It actually did better but after about 20 mins it did the same d*** thing again. Not quite as bad becasue I would have to floor it before it would die down or sputter but none-the-less it is doing it!!!

One other thing I need to mention again.... whats the possibility that the leak on that fuel rail may be causing the problem?

The piece that is leaking runs across the front end of the rails connceting the drvers side to the passenger side. Its not a bad leak (doesnt squirt out gas) but it does leak enough to smell and see after the car runs a minute or so.

So please tell me what tools I need and what is the procedure for checking voltage to the injectors.

Will just one injector cause all this to happen?

What does a set of injectors cost. Since I have to change one or more possibly is there a performance gain to be had when changing injectors?

I may just decide to change whats screwed up right now but would like to know all options.

Thanks for checking in a providing advice.

 

You shouldn't be driving around with a leaking fuel rail. I hope you're carry a fire extinguisher.

 

I don't really know if having a leak will cause this problem or not but I agree with jv9999 and I would get that fixed ASAP or you won't need to worry about it running right as it will be at the scrap yard. As far as checking the injectors I had to take it to the dealership because they have far better equipment than my father-inlaws shop. The manager at the service dept told me that he couldn't belive that one injector caused all these headaches but apparently it was shutting down all the injectors in the string causing no throttle response. I belive that 450 dollars was worth it because we spent months and wasted alot of money just assuming it was this or that.