Non starter

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:27 pm

Drove the car fine today, turned it off for about 30 seconds, went to start it again and nothing. It turns over fine but doesn't try to fire. I suspect the fuel pump. The fuse is good and after bridging pins 30 and 87 on the relay there's still no life from the pump. Does this test definitively tell me that the pump is buggered or is it just an indication?

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:35 pm

Not 100% definite, since there could be a loom problem, or an old immobiliser playing up, but the chances are it is the pump.
Leave the relay bridge in place, pull the two pin connector off of the pump, and connect a 12 volt bulb of 5W or 21W across the pins of the plug. If the bulb lights, and the pump doesn't run when the plug is pushed back onto the pump, then you can be fairly sure it has quit.
Good thump usually gets it back into temporary working order.

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:38 pm

Cheers Brian. I've been thumping the hell out of it but it's still dead. Luckily I have a brand new pump lying around but was hoping I'd never have to install it. What with the car being a touring it's a real pain just to access the pump and do the test.

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:43 pm

I had a couple of small mods in mine to aid access. A slit in the carpet under the seat, and a tiny bit of metal removed from the seat mounting bar.

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:12 pm

All done and purring away happily. If there's a record for replacing a touring fuel pump in the dark I just smashed it

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:46 pm

Cloggy Saint wrote:. If there's a record for replacing a touring fuel pump in the dark I just smashed it

Sorry, that record's mine! Or rather the one for thumping it to get it going again.
Claimed when I once spent an entire two weeks holiday in France with a failing fuel pump.
After a few days, we could get three kids out of the back seat, seat up, pump thumped back into life, seat replaced, kids back in, and on our way, with a speed and precision that any F1 pit crew would be proud of.
Pump was finally replaced in the car park of a scrapyard half way home from Dover. Found an E30 in the yard where the pump was exposed, all pipes and wires off, and loose in the tank. Muppet who'd tried to remove it before me didn't realise that the level sender had to be removed first to get it out.

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:55 pm

In the dark though Brian, IN THE DARK!

Post Mon Aug 28, 2017 9:58 pm

The number of times it failed in those two weeks, day and night, we could have done it blindfolded!