Hey everyone! I just signed up on this forum and am not sure where to post yet. Mods- please move this to the appropriate place if you need to. Anyway-

My husband and I own a 97 Camaro. It's a 3.8L 6cyl. It's been running great. No problems except the bcm is a little iffy. Nothing a few good raps on the underside of the dash can't take care of. That's beside the point though. Here's the problem:

Drove the car Thursday, worked great. Friday afternoon- wouldnt start. It wants to start, but wouldn't turn over. So my husband takes my car to work and I do what any good wife would do. I call auto zone and ask them what's up.

Fuel relay is good. Found it, replaced it. Not the problem.

Next I buy a can of starter fluid on Saturday when I returned the relay I didnt need. Sprayed into air intake hose, car starts right up. I wait for it to stall out but it never did. I drove to my sister in laws house, drove back home.

Sunday morning- car starts, drive to sis in laws house. Visit, go to leave, car won't start. Starter fluid trick gets it to start but then it runs rough sputters and stalls out. I let it sit for an hour, try to start it, won't start. Not hearing hum from fuel pump. Read up on fuel pumps and learn that you can cut a trap door in the trunk to get to the fuel pump. Since I'm at my wits end I open the trunk and with both fists bang hard 3-4 times on the trunk above the fuel tank. Turn key to on position. I can hear the hum of the FP and then I start the car. It stays running. I drive home. So, I need to know what might be the problem. Is it a vapor lock problem? Bad fuel pump? Loose wires? Thanks in advance for ideas and suggestions!

Jenn

 

The thread should in the 4th gen tech section, One of the full admins can move it.

Your issue sounds like a classic fuel pump failure. There are almost alway intermittent, Sometimes cycling the key on and off and banging on the tank itself will help. At some point soon the pump will fail while you are driving and that will be the end of it.

Hatch method works great, You may want to search for the BCM issue there is details on how to fix that also.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks! I will call around a few places here and see how much it's going to be to get this thing fixed.

 

I took the BCM out today and then my husband soldered the spots that needed soldering. He just took it up to the gas station to top off the tank. He had read somewhere that sometimes the BCM "shorting out" (for lack of a better term) can cause something to go wrong with the pump relay and then the fuel pump doesn't switch on. Even if the fuel pump goes out still at least the radio will stop shutting off randomly! . But hopefully the issue is resolved.

 

Welcome to CF, Jenn. Moved this thread to the 4th gen V6 tech section.
Good luck, hope you get your problems solved.

 

Looks like it's gonna go to the shop. She wouldn't start up this morning. The guy can come and get it (hooray!) and he'll test the whole system to make sure it's actually the fuel pump and not something else.

 

welcome jenn! i am getting my fuel pump replaced as i write this thread

we seem to have a lot in common! do you have any single friends or siblings? lol jk. but if u do feel free to pm me!

 

Lol! No single friends or siblings. Sorry! I called Dean's and they are going to test the fuel system first to make sure it's the fuel pump. If its the fuel pump it's going to be about $700. I just keep telling myself "at least you don't have a monthly car payment!"