Ok, I've been having problems with my spark plugs fouling and the car idling like crap, hard to start, all the usuall side effects of crappy plugs. Well last night I tried to start it after driving like 3 blocks, wouldn't start. Came back a few hours later and it started up, rough as usual. Drove it home. Today, same thing happens. Before both times the car had be turned on and the engine was warm and everything. So I thought it must be my plugs, I'll clean 'em up really quick and be on my way. Well, I did that and nothing. So hooked up my fuel pressure gauge and NO FUEL. Yesterday I opened the valve when it wouldn't start and gas came out so I guessed it had fuel then. I can hear the relay click, but don't think I'm hearing the fuel pump. Later today if/when I make it do it again, I'm going to check the voltage at the fuel pump and see what it's got, but is it a pretty good guess that it's the pump and not the relay? Anything else I should look for?

Secondly, In reviewing my Chiltons book and looking at the distributor, all the wires were off a notches. Now it ran and everything like this, but my friends said we should hook it up the way it is in the book. Does this matter which post the #1 wire connects to as long as they're in the right order? If not, how do I find where the #1 goes?

 

You can be a post off on the distributor, as long as you have the firing order correct and the room to move the distributor to set the timing. My fuel pressure gage from DAP will not register pressure if you tighten it too tight on the fuel rail. I had to back mine of about 1/8 a turn for it to register pressure. I've seen my car (ZZ4TPI #24 injectors) start and run on as little as 25psi. Just didn't do very well under load!

 

Well, it may not be as accurate, but just for the hell of it I took my house key and pressed down on the valve and nothing came out. I just went out to test a few things after doing a little more thorough search. When I hooked 12v to the G pin on the ALDL, I heard the relay click. But it took a few tries to hear it. I think I might have a bad connection at the aldl. But I did hear it click. I looked under the hood for the relay which I thought was up on the drivers side firewall, but I didn't see a relay with the colors in the chiltons wiring diagram. Matter of fact, they all had 5 wires instead of 4. Anyone with a picture of an '86 bird's fuel pump relay? And does the relay only effect priming the pump or constant operation?

 

I think the relay might be inside the car on the driver's side. Could be wrong though, never looked for mine.

~M~

 

There was some sort of fuel relay behind the driver side kick panel (were the hood release is) on my 89RS. I had to bypass it when I did my TBi to TPI upgrade.

 

Nope it's under the hood on mine. I was just using Heineken to supplement my chiltons manual and created a conflict of understanding. There is indeed 5 wires that go to it a green/white that comes from the ECM, a Black/White goes to ground, a tan/white that goes to the pump itself, a red that goes to "fuel pump primer switch", and an orange that is constant 12v. when I turn the ignition to the on position the orange goes to 12v like it's supposed to, and so does the red wire for a few seconds. When cranking the red and the tan/white go down to about 10v.

I tried to test the connector at the fuel pump but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right or if I found my problem. There are 3 wires going to it, a black, red and tan. I tried to read the volts with the ground to the black wire and I tried both the red and the tan wire. Nothing, key on, off, while cranking. But I wasn't able to have it plugged into the pump I just connected the needles to the pins in the connector. Do I have to devise a way to have it connected to the pump to read the volts?

 

Nope, try positive lead to red and neg lead to the frame while cranking. If no go, you've found your problem.

~M~

 

Is that with the connector hooked up to the fitting on the gas tank or not. I went out a tried it without it being connected and I got nothing. But I'm not really sure about my ground connection since I'm by myself at this point and had to ghetto rig a few jumper wires...

 

yep, not connected. This may sound bad, but did you check the Fuel pump fuse? My car sat up for a while and even though the fuses wern't blown they wern't making good contact either.


~M~

 

Actually no, I haven't. But in my earlier attempts to work on my car I ended up pulling ever fuse in the general area of where the fuel pump fuse was supposed to be because that's one recommended way of relieving fuel pressure. And with about 9 fuses pulled my car still ran. The radio didn't among other things But I never did find the fuse for the fuel pump....

 

Ok, doing some reading on this subject. you'll only get power to the pump while the engine is cranking or running. If you get the pump running for the first 2 seconds when the key is on but doesn't run when cranking, it might be in the distributor. The ECM needs to see a ref pulse from the dist before it will let the pump run.

This problem has a long troubleshooting proceedure.

~M~

 

The pump doesn't come on what so ever. I hear the relay click on/off but the pump is no longer making any noise.

 

Oh and if you use icq hit me up. 8825764

 

All I have is a camaro Owners manual but on it the fuel pump fuse is a 10 amp Find the 3 open accessory spots on the corner of the fuse block. there should be 3 fuses in a row then the edge of the block, go over 1 fuse from that corner and pull that fuse, its the FP fuse.

~M~

P.S. do you have ICQ? might be easier than message board

 

I screwed up and didn't authorize you I think , try again