Friday afternoon on the way home from work my check gauges light came on, the car died and would crank but wouldn't start back up. Power windows had been slow so I assumed alt and/or battery was dead. Had both checked today, alt tested good, battery was bad. I replaced the battery and it started, ran rough for a minute then died. Cranked again, started up rough and died. Now I'm right back to the crank but no start issue. There was no ses light at any point and nothing came up when I scanned for codes before removing the battery and after I replaced it. Could this possibly be the fuel pump or a failed maf?

 

It could be the fuel pump or something with the ignition. Do you have a way to check your fuel pressure?

 

he ignition control module did cross my mind right after I posted, the coils are all new. I dont have a way to check the fuel pressure. I also swapped out the ignition and fuel pump relays with known good relays.

 

As a general rule MAF will not cause a car not to start. In most cases when the MAF sensor fails it will set a code and the PCM will go into LHM (Limp Home Mode) Car may not run great or have a lot of power but it will start.

ICM is possible but fuel pump failure are at lease 10 time more common. Any car with compression, fuel and spark is going to try to start or at the very least back fire. If yours is doing nothing then the next step is to see what is missing. Can you hear the fuel pump turn on when you turn the key on?

 

^^^ yep sounds like a fuel pump. icm will fail until it cools off. parts store should lend you a fuel pressure gauge. need a deposit with most.

 

I'll see about renting a pressure gauge from oreilly tomorrow. If the fuel pump was failed wouldn't it not start at all, it started up and ran for a minute today after I replaced the battery.

 

had one that would get me down the road 15 miles or so and if i changed/drained the fuel filter it would run for another 15 or so. if it is only getting minimal pressure/flow it would run until the pressure build up is gone then starve for fuel.

 

It is very common for a fuel pumps to work "some" of the time. We have heard stories of cars that would not start then run fine for 2 weeks then not start again. Another common one is it wont start and go back an hour later and it runs fine better yet pay $200 for a tow and have the car start right up at the garage.

Can you hear the pump running? When mine was going bad I could just turn the key on (without trying to start it), if I did not hear the pump I would cycle the key back off. I drove the car a week like that, Normally 3 turns got it to come on. Once it died on the highway I was done messing with it. I already had the pump I was just trying to make it to the weekend.

 

I had the car hauled to the mechanic this morning. The car lot I got it from required a warranty from cars protection plus so it'll be 100 max out of pocket for repairs, 65 diagnosis, and 55 for the wrecker. Since it's in the shop already anyway I might as well get the ac fixed too. I'll let y'all know what I find out.