Thanks for advice guys.

Now that I am prepared with tools, fule pressure guage, multi-meter, jumper cables, etc... in car, it won't repeat the problem. Keeps starting and runnnig fine. I bet if I leave above items at home it will break down first try....

 

So I finally reproduced the problem. I have pressure in at the fuel rail, but it is air not fuel. Somehow, the fuel pump is pumping air. When I press release valve on test pressue guage, pressure imeadietly drops from 40 to 0 (car not running of course). After cycling pump several times it pressurized with fuel and started. It appeares that something (assuming the fuel pump) is drawing a lot of current. Also, pump made strange noises on way home.

I am swaoing it out over holidays. Hope to see something on old pump that explains how it could pump air with a nearly full tank of gas.

I have the trunk access cut open, waiting on pump to be delivered.

Happy Holidays.

 

The pump is not pumping air. The entire pump intake system in under fuel. What is going on is that the check valve is allowing the fuel to drain back into the tanks. The air is being pulled into the line from the return line. When the pump first kicks on it needs to push all the air out of the line. This is all normal for a failing check valve.

If your pump was sucking air your fuel would foam up and not hold pressure correctly and you would most likely have a no start condition, if it did start it would run like complete crap.