91 Loyale 2 years and still not running

[1slow_si]

I purchased this car from a co-worker for $300 and it would run sometimes and sometimes wouldn't start. I checked the ignition system and it too was working sometimes and sometimes not. I replaced the ECU, the worn distributor, the coil, the little blue box in the kick panel, and checked the fuel pump relay and it was good. Same thing! Sometimes would run and sometimes wouldn't. The last few time that it ran, the fuel pump was making some funny noises while priming and now it quit working all together. Could this problem have been the fuel pump all along? If the fuel pressure is too low, will it cut the ignition system? I drove it once when it decided to run properly and got about a mile from my house and then lost its power and wouldn't idle. I had to keep playing with the throttle to keep it running to limp it home. On the way home I had to go up a big hill and it started pinging and had no power. It felt like it would stall if I tried to give it more gas. Does this sound like the fuel pump to you? I hate to spend $200 to $300 for a new fuel pump on a $300 dollar car with 189k on the clock. Do you think it's worth it? The car itself is pretty clean with no rust, except for a small patch of surface rust on the drivers door where it looks like it had a scratch that was never taken care of. Also, the rear bumper cover is warped due to the previous owner driving it after the exhaust tip broke off and the hot exhaust gas dumped straight into the bumper. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Billy

[GeneralDisorder]

Any fuel pump that puts out 50 psi or so will work....

 

Have you tried changing the fuel filter?

 

GD

[1slow_si]

Yeah, The fuel filter is brand new. My main questions are, Do you think it sounds like the fuel pump? and Will low fuel pressure cause the ignition system to cut out? How many miles on avg. will an ea82 run before it needs a rebuild? I hate to throw money at a car that won't last after it's fixed.

[Cougar]

Low or no fuel pressure will not cause the ignition to quit running but for safety reasons, the lack of ignition pulses will cause the ECU to shut down the fuel delivery system.

 

Have you checked for any codes to help solve this problem? It sounds like there is an intermittent electrical problem in the ignition area. My first suspect to check would be the ignition relay. They can cause this trouble and this sounds like a intermittent relay problem. It could be a connector problem also. Check to see if you are getting power to the 'plus' side of the coil, with the ignition ON, while this trouble occurring. If you have no power there that may be the problem. Also make sure fuse #5 is getting power through it.

[1slow_si]

I don't know what I was thinking. It's been a long time since I worked on the car. It has been sitting in the garage neglected for over a year. Now that you mention it, The ignition system is working fine and I did replace the ign. relay. I hooked a test light to the coil and to the battery and can see it pulse. The problem was once it started it would cut off. It seems like the fuel pump doesn't continue to work after it starts. Would low pressure cause these symptoms? I want to get this thing out of my garage and maybe save some gas money instead of driving my tundra. BTW, no codes.

 

 

Low or no fuel pressure will not cause the ignition to quit running but for safety reasons, the lack of ignition pulses will cause the ECU to shut down the fuel delivery system.

 

Have you checked for any codes to help solve this problem? It sounds like there is an intermittent electrical problem in the ignition area. My first suspect to check would be the ignition relay. They can cause this trouble and this sounds like a intermittent relay problem. It could be a connector problem also. Check to see if you are getting power to the 'plus' side of the coil, with the ignition ON, while this trouble occurring. If you have no power there that may be the problem. Also make sure fuse #5 is getting power through it.

[Frank B]

SPFI or MPFI ? Have you checked the other components like the MAF, TPS, CTS, ABC, 123, .........

Seriously , there a lot of inputs to the ECM, any one of them could cause it to turn the engine off. It probably wouldn't hurt to test all the sensors, clean up the connectors, and clean/add/replace the ground wires anyway.

If the fuel pressure drops too low it will stall. You don't have to pay that much for a pump either. Get a used one, or use a universal FI fuel pump. Since the pump is mounted outside the tank, you have many options. I used a Ford inline pump for a full size pickup on my 89 GL-10.

I can't remember now if the pump runs constantly or it's supposed to turn off after it reaches the correct pressure then just comes on in pulses. Have you tried to directly wire the fuel pump? Run a jumper wire from your battery to the pump and see if that helps or at least turns it on. Just don't drive it like that.

[Frank B]

Here's the post on my pump install, but the pictures are gone.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40400&highlight=ford+fuel+pump

[Cougar]

I don't know what I was thinking. It's been a long time since I worked on the car. It has been sitting in the garage neglected for over a year. Now that you mention it, The ignition system is working fine and I did replace the ign. relay. I hooked a test light to the coil and to the battery and can see it pulse. The problem was once it started it would cut off. It seems like the fuel pump doesn't continue to work after it starts. Would low pressure cause these symptoms? I want to get this thing out of my garage and maybe save some gas money instead of driving my tundra. BTW, no codes.

 

It sounds like the ECU is cutting the fuel pump off if the car only runs for a few seconds. You could check that by placing your test probe light on the ECU lead that ties to the fuel pump. Usually the ECU controls the ground side of the of pump power line. If that is the way your model is then you can place you probe between there and ground. If the light turns on when the engine cuts off then the ECU is turning off the pump for some reason. Since you aren't getting any codes then the trouble may be within the ECU.