I left my car in a storage lot for about a year. I didn't prep it or anything, I was just in a rush as I had to go to Europe.
When I came back, the battery was beyond dead, so I got a new one. The car doesn't start. The engine turns, there is spark but I can not hear the fuel pump prime and there is no gas smell from the exhaust either when I crank the engine, well maybe a tiny little bit (almost none).
I left the car with a full tank of gas, so I went to buy some cheap brand fuel cleaner and put it in the tank, hoping it'd make the inside more liquid again
still no luck.
I can probably check if there's power going to the fuel pump, but I would assume that it is not the problem. All injectors are not going to die at the same time either, so I believe it's either the pump or the gas that turned to sludge.
Any ideas? I'm at the point where it's not really worth for me to invest time and/or money on the car and I'd rather get rid of it if it involves something like getting a new pump, etc. So I was wondering what kind of troubleshooting I can do?

 

Jump the wire near the positive battery terminal to see if the pump runs and unhook the fuel filter to see if fuel spills out.

If the gas has been sitting there for a year there is a good chance it went bad.

Let us know how it goes...worse case scenario the pump is dead or gunked up .. you can always upgrade to a Ractronix set up.

Let us know how it goes.

-B

 

I can almost guarantee you it's not the gas having gone bad... one year isn't long enough for gas to become completely useless... besides, if it doesn't prime, it ain't workin..

 

I agree with the above. Get a fuel disconenct tool and unook the fuel line from the fuel rail and and turn the key and see if fuel is coming out. These kind of problems are actually kind of fun for me(its weird I know).

 

Pop a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail to see if you have pressure.

 

I know for sure I can not hear the pump, so I assumed the gas had gunked up because the pump was working fine when I left the car.
Now, things are a bit complicated because the car is in a storage lot and I've just moved back to LA, so I'm in a hotell looking for a place, which means I have to do the work in the storage lot (which they don't really allow )
I completly forgot to check if there's power to the pump at the relay :S I should have thought of it.
I can get the fuel disconnect tool and check the filter there, I've a tiny jack from the rental, so I think I'm going to get another one instead of taking a chance with that one
How much am I looking at if the pump has to be changed?

 

Do it yourself... its not that hard and should take about 2-3 hours tops. Or you can go ghetto and cut a trap door and swap out the pump in an hour.

-B

 

You might try having someone beat on the fuel tank when you turn the key on. It may get the pump to work. If it does you can get the car somewhere to work on it, if it does't you aren't out anything but your time. Car info: year, model, etc.

 

You can drop the rear, drop the tank, swap the pump, seal the bucket (which should wait 24 hours before submerging... guess you could put it back together in an empty tank and wait till the next day but...), and replace everything.. without a lift.. in 2-3 hours?

Man I work fast.. real fast.. and I dunno about that.

The trap door method isn't ghetto. It's quick, it works, and if sealed properly looks good and makes servicing it that much more convenient later.

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Another thing to check if you're not getting power is the power connector near the axle.. wiggle that around some and see if you can get the car to start up. One of the prongs on mine recently came loose on me and caused a dead pump no start issue. Make sure to check that.

 

I have a lot of practice dropping the stupid fuel tank.

1st time I did the pump swap I bought the standard walbro and just left it dangling in the bucket... that left me stranded. Got the car towed back home and dropped the tank to chuck the bucket and strapped it on to the hanger. Drove 5 miles and it died again.... towed the car home.

2nd I dropped the tank I find that the fuel hose had slipped off the main feed line so I reattached it and drove around. 1 week later the car dies on me AGAIN! Get the car towed home.

3rd time I dropped the tank I found that I had used regular fuel line instead of EFI line and the hose had burst. Replaced the fuel line with EFI line and all was well.

4th time I dropped the tank was for a Racetronix dual intank pump set up.

I have it down to a science.

1) Jack car up
2) Remove passenger side wheel
3) Remove UPHR, PHR,
4) Disconnect muffler from Y-pipe (I have long tubes) slide to the side
5) remove heat shields
6) Disconnect passenger side shock
7) Remove gas cap and cap shroud
8) Jump the fuel pump to drain the tank or siphon if its dead
9) Unbolt tank straps slide out tank.
10) Remove fuel pump, rinse out tank
11) Reinstall everything.

-B

 

Had any luck with it yet?

 

Kinda fun for you?!?!? Then you should help me figure out why my car wont start, lol.

 

what valve are you referring to?

I'll go to the storage lot tomorrow to keep investigating (1h30 drive to go there )

 

He is talking about the shrader valve in the back of the intake in the middle of the fuel pressure regulator. You could just use something to press the valve stem down and see if gas sprays out. But that would only tell you that you have fuel going to the rails and wouldn't tell you if the fuel is leaving the rails through the injectors, which could be clogged maybe.

 

If you don't get fuel at the schrader valve try the beating on the tank trick while someone turn the key on. I had a pump not work on me once and that trick got me home. I still had to change the pump but at least I drove the car home to do it. Good luck.