Roomates got a 96 3.8 and hes been having issues with it lately. Hes not a wrench turner of any sorts but I am to some extent. A few weeks ago he jumped in and tried to start it and it wouldn't start, turns over fine but never fires. I wasn't home at the time so he called his dad and they had it towed to the shop. Shop looks at it and it starts fine. Whatever.


So another week goes by and he goes down to the garage to start the car and it turns over but doesnt fire again. I go down there to check it out. I figured his fuel pump check valve might be bad so I had him switch it on an off a few times to prime the lines if they had drained out. Nothing. Something else I noticed though was I couldn't HEAR the fuel pump prime, in every car I've had with an electric pump, you could hear it. Definitely could not hear the pump prime.

Thought that was weird but I ignored it at the time. Pulled a plug wire, had spark.

Spark, fuel and compression. I don't think it could be compression as it is an intermittent issue.. It just plain DOESN'T fire at all, plenty of juice to turn the engine and zap my hand, but wont start.


I'm thinking bad fuel pump? I know nothing about the cars, are there known problems with the pumps? Being an intermittent problem I wouldn't think it was an actual bad pump but maybe just a bad connection to the pump?

 

Had the same problem in my 99... Fuel pump for me

 

But if the fuel pump was bad, wouldnt it just not work? Im thinking an electrical connection to the fuel pump being loose maybe? What does a fuel pump cost and who are reputable sellers for them?

Also is there any sort of a walkthrough on fuel pump replacement? I really really really would rather not drop the tank.

 

Fuel pumps are expensive. They come with the sending unit as one pc. Next time you dont hear the pump come on, wack the tank, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Basically, you need a new pump.

 

a good cheap way to check to see if the fuel pump is bad is to push down the schrader valve on the fuel rail test port and have somebody crank it over and if it spits fuel then the pump is maybe good. if no fuel then the pump is bad. thats what i did and turned out to be a bad pump.down the schrader valve on the fuel rail test port and have somebody crank it over and if it spits fuel then the pump is maybe good. if no fuel then the pump is bad. thats what i did and turned out to be a bad pump.