kskatz

Problem with my 96 CollectorsEdition.
Car will die after driving a few miles and will not start again even after sitting several hours but will after several days.
The problem started right after I got the car and drove it through a car wash with high pressure undercarriage wash. the first time it died was as I was leaving the car wash. I believe I may have loosened a wire but have no idea where to check. It's somewhere in the fuel system because when it is dead,.. I have no fuel delivery to the schrader valve and,.. I can spray fuel in the intake and it will run as long as I supply fuel via Intake.

The car will start and run again after setting in the garage a few days but willl die again after driving. I cannot duplicate teh problem in garage which makes me think driving over bumps or vibration contributes to the problem.

If someone can give me advise,.. please indicate where to locate whatever part you reference. in otherwords,.. if advise is to check wireing at oil pump switch,.please tell me where to find it. I have a Haynes manual that doesnt say squat about 1996 and I also have wiring diagrams (Y platform preliminary manual) but not location of the parts.
I found 4 relays under the dash on passenger side but not sure which is fuel.

Please help !
Thanks

sailorsteve

When the car won't start, do you hear the fuel pump when you turn the key to "run"?

jfb

As long as we are guessing, you likely got water in the Opti distributor!
But.............instead of guessing, why in the world don't you do some diagonistics when it won't start? This make infinite more sense than ***** nilly replacing parts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Auto engines require hot spark, spark at the right time, fuel and air and in the correct ratio and cylinder compression in order to start and continue to run. See if you have spark, measure fuel pressure, see if you have pulses on the injectors. See if it will start with starter fluid, if so, you have a fuel or fuel delivery problem.
Choose to be smart instead of dumb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0Paul Ruggeri

Its best to have a FSM, but you will at least need a wiring diagram. Start back checking for power to the fuel pump and then the fuel pump relay.

kskatz

Thanks Guys,.. When I posted a couple of days ago the car ran. Today it does not and with the key "on" or while someone turning it over and me standing in the back and listening, I cannot hear the pump operating. It's an intermitant problem. That's why I think I may have knocked a wire or connection loose with the high pressure wash.[/B][/B]
Question: should power be at the pump with the key in the on position or does it have to be in the starting position? (Enigine turning over)

For the guy that called me dumb,.. Thanks,.. But if you re read my post, you'll see that it does get spark,. it's not the OPTI.. Because it does run when I spray starting fluid in it. I appreciate your helpful words though

hooked073

pump should run for a couple of seconds when key is turned to on. Use caution when using starting fluid it is not good for your car. I do not have a wiring diagram handly for your car but sure someone on here does and will post it for you. Hopefuly you can trace the wireing.

noss1z28

Check the fuel pressure with a gauge at the fuel rail. They are quick and easy to hook up to the valve on the fuel rail. You can either borrow or buy the gauge for testing probably about $45 to buy. I've seen pumps work when cold then go away after they get hot. It sucks to change but the most common problem is fuel pumps. Relays, wiring, and other electronics rarely go bad, many years working in the parts store taught me that. 99% of the time, a car that is 7 years old or more and/or has 100,000 miles is waiting for a fuel pump failure, especially if the car was ever ran out of gas.
Josh

kskatz

When the car does not run,.. there is no fuel pressureat all at the schrader valve,.. when it does run,. it runs great... intermitant problem..
Ok,. I unplugged the wire harness that connects to the fuel pump assy. and was getting 11 Volts with the key turned to "on". plugged the harness back in and no fuel pump.
Guess I'll buy a new pump eh?

keep in mind though,. it does this even when the car is cold.. so can the pump fail and come back at random?,.. no matter what the temp.?

jfb

You can jump 12v to the fuel pump motor and see if it runs. Fuel pumps at the end of their life can become intermittent. When you turn the ign on, the fuel pump is energized for 2 seconds. The fuel pump relay will close if the ECM receives reference pulses from the distributor (during cranking), and it will also close if the oil pressure switch sees 4 psi or higher. Just turning on the ign while measuring pump volts, you should see 12v for 2 seconds and then go off.

kskatz

Hmm,.. At the connector,. (purple gray and Blk wire) ,..with the key in the "on" position, I was getting constant 11 volts on the meter. It did not stop after 2 seconds.

This is the connector that goes to the short 6 or 8 inch harness going to the fuel pump.

Robert M. Femino

In my 89 Vett I had a similar problem. I took me a while but I found the fule pump connection in the tank was not makeing contact. All I needed to do was change the fule pump harness in the interior of the tank. Now it works great. Its had nothing to do with a car wash. Good Luck.

Robert M. Femino

In my 89 Vett I had a similar problem. I took me a while but I found the fule pump connection in the tank was not makeing contact. All I needed to do was change the fule pump harness in the interior of the tank. Now it works great. Its had nothing to do with a car wash. Good Luck.[/QUOTE]

Chapindad

The 11 volts at the wiring harness; was that checked when the car was working or not? If was not running then it really has to be a wiring problem in the fuel sender unit or a bad fuel pump. I would side with a bad fuel pump. It is easy to replace and either way you are going to have pull the sender unit to check it for the wiring problems.

gsixl

My 88 had the same problem it also was the electrical connection in the tank. Enough moisture collected in the top of the tank to corrode the connection.

jaa1992

Maybe its not related to the opti getting wet at all.
One thing a friend of mine found out is the harness between the opti and the passenger side of the intake can go bad.

Get a FSM set for your car and follow the troubleshooting diagrams.

Other than that check pressure at the fuel rail with the key on and with it running.
Also how much gas is really in the tank? Our gages are notorius for not registering correctly.