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Fuel Systems -- Maintenance & Repair

13

Comments

  • sb533023sb533023 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the quick reply!

    Yes, I know that there is still fuel in the tank based upon miles I can travel per tank of gas and how much I end up putting into the tank when I put gas in.

    I've run out of gas before in the car (before all of this started happening) and I could put a gallon in and it would start and run fine. Why would it take filling the tank halfway up before it would start and run?

    I also had thought of the pickup tube in the tank and it does indeed have a filter on it which has not been plugged every time I look at it.

    How do I check the fuel system pressure? And what should it be if everything is correct?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You need a pressure gauge with a T fitting:

    Here's some tips. Not for your car exactly but the principles are the same. You'd have to find out what your proper fuel pressure is for your system.

    http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/fuelsystem.html

    I think if you went to the public library, a chilton's repair guide for the Tercel would tell you that number.
  • scoutnmscoutnm Member Posts: 2
    Best that I can figure the carb must be out of whack. Does anyone know what causes the truck to try to clunk after I turn the ignition off?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    This question has been addressed in a duplicate post you made in our Classics forum.

    Go HERE
  • njinmannjinman Member Posts: 4
    Even with liberal doses of penetrating fluid and being as careful as I possibly could, the fuel line cracked at the inlet side of the fuel filter fitting on my 1996 Chevy Astro (250,000 miles), while attempting to change the fuel filter. I struggled with the fitting for the outlet side and managed to get that apart ok. If I cut back both fuel lines to a good section, can I clamp in some type of universal replacement fuel filter? I know I need special clamps, hoses and fuel filter (for fuel injection) that will handle the pressure. If so, does anyone know of a fuel filter I can use? Or would it be wiser to just go ahead and replace the fuel line back to the tank?
    Thanks.
  • cash99cash99 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with a 3.1 V6 and I'm having trouble reinstalling the fuel rail after replacing the lower intake gasket. I have a chilton manual and it gives little advice other than oiling the injector gaskets. The problem is that the fuel rail is one piece and if you get one injector in it binds up another injector. I have tried twisting as I push down on the rail but it does little to help. NEED HELP! :confuse:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think you can do that but it's kind of risky to have flexible hoses that might be exposed to road hazards. Where is this fuel filter and how large is it in diameter? Is it a cannister like an oil filter?
  • njinmannjinman Member Posts: 4
    After more research and a couple calls to auto parts stores here's the answer to my own question in case anyone else runs into the same problem. The fuel filter on the Astro is located along the inside of the driver's side frame rail, just about mid-vehicle. It's an inline metal "can" with 3/8" threaded fittings for inlet and outlet. Dorman makes a "steel fuel line repair kit". Purchased mine at Advance Auto, about $10 or so. Comes with 18" of steel fuel line with the proper fitting that threads into your new OEM fuel filter, and a 3/8" x 3/8" compression fitting. About 20-30 minutes of work cutting (use a mini tubing cutter) and cleaning the old fuel line, cutting the new fuel line from the kit to fit, install the new fuel filter, fuel line and fittings (had to loosen a clamp holding the fuel line farther down on the frame to give me enough room to get the fuel line into the compression fitting), tightened everything up, and checked for leaks. Problem solved. Check to make sure the ends of the fuel lines that screw into the filter still have the o-rings attached before tightening. Kit came with an extra o-ring so I also replaced the one on the end of the fuel line that I didn't need to fix.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That sounds good. I never liked rubber hose repairs on a filter that sits in a frame rail.
  • robinwouldrobinwould Member Posts: 2
    I originally posted this question in the wrong spot, so I will post up here also.
    I have a '99 Legonza. I believe the fuel cut off switch is bad. I dont want to spend a few hundred $$$ to fix this.
    If I bypass the switch will the ECU allow the vehicle to opperate?
  • cniwranskicniwranski Member Posts: 7
    03 Tahoe. Decided not to start one day. Checked spark, got it (zapped myself). Thought I was getting fuel by the smell from the exhaust pipe, but at the schrader valve on the fuel rail, I didn't get anything out of it. So I figure pressure is 0 or very low. Can hear the pump priming whenever I turn the key. Will try taking inlet line off filter and then prime pump to see if strong stream of fuel comes out. If it does, I think I'm safe to replace regulator. Do I need any special tools for this?
  • 0patience0patience Member Posts: 1,712
    STOP!!
    If the pump is working ok, it can push fuel out at up to 60 psi. DO NOT disconnect the line.

    You need to hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the schrader valve and see what the fuel pressure is.
    Fuel pressure specified value. 385-425 kPa (55-62 psi) VIN: (V,T,U) 335-375 (48-54 psi) VIN: Z.

    As for the spark, don't assume that just because you "zapped" yourself, that there is spark.
    You must use a spark checker, like these.

    The days of seeing fuel come out a hose and saying you have fuel and checking spark by grounding out a spark plug are gone. You must have the tools or you are guessing, which will cost you money in the long run.

    Did you put a scanner on it to see what fault codes came up?
    If not, you need to do so.

    Do you have an alarm system?
    The alarm or the vehicles theft deterent may be causing problems.

    Sorry to say, but without tools, you won't get very far.
  • cniwranskicniwranski Member Posts: 7
    Well I saw that message too late, but I did check at the fuel filter inlet line to see if the pump was working. Primed it and nothing came out of the line. Rapped on the tank, primed it again, a few dribbles. Yep, fuel pump was dead. Had it towed to dealer the next morning. $977 later I had a new pump and a working truck :blush: Thanks to all who replied though.

    So that's 2 out of 3 times now that I've had 3 fuel pumps go bad on various cars (Mustang GT, Daytona V6 and the Tahoe) where the pump motor didn't simply quit and stop making noise. On the Mustang, it was getting noisy and would choke the engine past 3000 RPM. I drove like that for 2 months and even on a 2000 mile trip like that, not yet diagnosing the problem. The Daytona just quit, and I replaced it myself. On the Tahoe, it seems like the pump itself stopped working, but the motor was still working to some degree.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Did you ever run completely out of gas before the first failure?
  • cniwranskicniwranski Member Posts: 7
    Not in the 3 months that we've owned. It has about 65000 miles on it, so I'm not suprised the pump went bad. The truck had been in a major collision though which lead to it being in the repair shop for quite a few months.
  • joehilbillyjoehilbilly Member Posts: 2
    1991 suzuki samurai starts up fine and idles fine drive it about 1/4 mile shuts off like you run out gaslet it set for a munite starts up and dose the same agian
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's got to be a fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, or fuel pump relay problem. You need to check fuel pressure at the fuel rail for starters.
  • jl49jl49 Member Posts: 33
    I bought a 2007 Jeep Compass just recently. I'm getting around 14 to 15 mpg's which is not the 23 to 26 mpg's advertised on the window sticker. Dealer claims it's the oil companies putting more ethanol in gas which is lowering the mpg's. What can I do?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    jl49,
    You can stop triple posting in all of the forums here.......
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "I bought a 2007 Jeep Compass just recently. I'm getting around 14 to 15 mpg's which is not the 23 to 26 mpg's advertised on the window sticker. Dealer claims it's the oil companies putting more ethanol in gas which is lowering the mpg's. What can I do?"

    Nothing you can do except attempt to drive differently (try the various hybrid forum "driving tips & tricks" to see some examples of what you can do to get better MPG).

    The dealer sticker is only meant to be an indicator as a comparison to what other vehicles (in the same class) get for MPG. The fact that the figures are not a guarantee is stated in the fine print at the bottom of the sticker. There is no legal guarantee that you will achieve any particular MPG.

    If you can demonstrate that the engine is not running correctly you could have that repaired, but if an engine diagnostic does not show any errors it would be difficult to prove anything was wrong.

    You can't invoke the lemon laws over MPG...

    Jeeps are notorious (in my limited experience) for lower MPG. Excellent off-road capability though.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    And the testing method was very inaccurate. The testing has finally been revamped starting with 2008 model cars so they should be more accurate now.
  • jdh93jdh93 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 93 6 cyl with 70,000 mi. About 3 weeks ago the muffler and tailpipe which were already rusted out fell off. The cat converter is still in place. It ran fine after this for about a week, then it went completely dead. The starter was replaced and it ran fine for a few days. Then it started dying after it started and smelling of gas. After waiting for a while, it eventually starts, but only after releasing a plume of smoke. It then runs and idles very sluggishly and at times dies again.I have to start it and immediatley put it in gear and go or it dies. This happens about half of the time. The other half of the time, it starts on the first crank and runs and idles smoothly. I have replaced the filters, spark plugs and treated the injectors and fuel system. Various mechanics have looked at it and none claims to have seen the problem. When it is plugged in to the computer, no codes show up. Can anybody help me???
    Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Have you put a replacement exhaust system on it, and have they also replaced the 2nd Oxygen sensor (the one after the catalytic converter).
  • sporty6sporty6 Member Posts: 3
    have a problem with my car its so annoying

    daewoo lanos 1400cc
    turn key you hear the 2 second pump noise buzzing and it starts 1st time usualy always'

    go to it next time turn key dont hear the pump kicking in and no way will it start, the engine tries to start but wont

    i have changed the pump and pump relay switch but hasnt made any difference

    question.......
    could it be the selonoid , it sounds as though it may be electrical and when i dont hear the noise it doesnt start as if it isnt getting a signal to the pump?

    any ideas please
    thanks
  • jdh93jdh93 Member Posts: 7
    I haven`t done either of these things. Only the fuel system has been looked at. Do you suggest that I have the exhaust system replaced?
    Thanks
  • tszabadostszabados Member Posts: 3
    I bought a 95 toyota corolla dx that is in good shape with high miles. My first
    toyota and I use it for commuting. My problem is a hesitation when you drive it
    cold and when you are maintaing highway speeds. it is like you are letting all the way off the gas and pressing it again then doining it all over. I can see that the injectors look to be new. could it be the throttle position sensor, or fuel pressure (fuel pump). It bugs me and I want to figure out what is happening. :confuse:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You'll have to read the codes first off, from a scanner.
  • fred72fred72 Member Posts: 1
    2003 eclipse gts we have bench checked the fuel pump works great. put it back in the car does not the 15 amp fuse is fine. is there a relay and where?

    thanks
    fred
  • spy888spy888 Member Posts: 2
    a plugged CAT converter. Back pressure builds up after a while and engine dies, Then
    it start ok again coz pressure is released after it dies. And so on......
    Try diconnecting the front of the CAT, leaving a crack for exhaust to escape.
    If it works now, replace the CAT
  • patches5619patches5619 Member Posts: 1
    when I parked the car every thing was fine. the car sat for about a year. when I tried to trun her over she would'nt start. got a new battery, notthing, It seens that there is no power or juice going to the gas tank. I'm not quite certain... could you help me on this problem? Help!!

    How do I clean or blow out the EGR Valves so it will pass AirCare.and where would the valve be underneith that hood?
    Car (1989 Cadillac Fleetwood
    Help!
    Patches5619
  • wcarnes1wcarnes1 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1996 oldsmobile 98 regency elite that stalls when you stop or turn a sharp turn. It has in the past stalled when the fuel level got below 1/4 of a tank, but could always be fixed with filling the tank up. Now With over a 1/2 tank of gas I get the stalling. It seems to be better when the engine is cold , but gets progressivly worse when the engine gets hotter. On a friends advice, I changed the idle air control valve. This didn't seem to help the problem. After stalling , I put it in park and I can start it up as though nothing happened. Please help me with this problem as for financial reasons, I can't afford to take it to a mechanic right now. Thanks for the help.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Stall after stopping or turning is sometimes caused by a baffle inside the fuel tank breaking loose. The tank has L shaped plastic or metal baffles glued or welded to the bottom of the tank to keep fuel from 'sloshing' around.

    If one of these break loose it can interfer with the fuel pickup and cause stalling.

    If this is the problem, the tank will have to be dropped, and either replaced, or it might be possible to fish the loose baffle out of the tank.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Is the "checd engine" light on?

    It sounds like a bad crankshaft position sensor.
  • wcarnes1wcarnes1 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the reply. If it is that and I am able to fish out the baffle. Would it be OK to use the tank without a baffle? Maybe I could just keep the tank pretty full and avoid a problem with not having a baffle. Thanks for your help.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Well, there usually are more than one baffle in there. I think you will be ok if you pull one out. You may be able to hear the slosh, but I would think a loose baffle would be much worse wear and tear on the fuel pickup and pump than a little more sloshing.

    You might have something else wrong. Loose baffle is just one thing that it might be.

    Bad crank position sensor/sensors is another one, but these usually do not happen after a turn. They will just randomly shut down a car. And many times will not set a 'check engine' light. I am more familar with problems from them in 2000/2001 Cadillacs rather than - what did you say you had - a Pontiac?
  • wcarnes1wcarnes1 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks again for the advice Bolivar. I Have an oldsmobile. The car had this problem (not as bad) many many years ago and it cleared up. They just kept it full of gas and didn't have to worry about it. I think maybe the baffle has been loose in there for some time. Maybe it has just gotton lodged in a bad place now, which is causing the stalling. I find it had to be a fuel pump or a filter. This would cause a loose of power as well? It may not be too hard to drop the tank and check this out. If one is loose, I hopefully can get it out. If I can't Maybe I can replace the tank.
  • dek1dek1 Member Posts: 1
    where is the fuel filter on 2004 chevy trailblazer. Do i have to drop the gas tank?
    How hard is it to change? please help.
    Thank you
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The fuel

    filter is located on the LH frame rail.

    1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
    2. Relieve the fuel system pressure.
    3. Clean all the fuel filter connections and the surrounding areas before disconnecting the fuel pipes in order to avoid possible contamination of the fuel system.
    4. Disconnect the quick connect fitting (3) from the fuel filter outlet.
    5. Disconnect the threaded fitting from the fuel filter inlet.

    6. Remove the fuel filter bracket bolt.
    7. Disconnect the fuel pipes from the fuel filter bracket.

    8. Remove the fuel filter from the bracket.
    9. Inspect the fuel pipe O-ring for cuts, nicks, swelling, or distortion.

    INSTALL

    1. Install the fuel filter to the bracket.

    2. Connect the fuel pipes to the fuel filter bracket.
    3. Install the fuel filter bracket bolt.

    4. Connect the threaded fitting to the fuel filter inlet.
    5. Connect the quick connect fitting (3) to the fuel filter outlet.
    6. Tighten the fuel filler cap.
    7. Inspect for leaks.

    7.1. Turn ON the ignition for 2 seconds .
    7.2. Turn OFF the ignition for 10 seconds .
    7.3. Turn ON the ignition.
    7.4. Inspect for fuel leaks.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Martha,
    You sure are having bad auto problems, with your toyota altis and now your galant.

    But I do want to thank you for your elaborate descriptions of your problems, as a matter of fact you didn't really need give us all this detailed information about your problems.

    Sudden brake downs to toyotas or galants cost $4,325 to repair.

    To convert to hybrid toyota will cost about $127,000.

    I hope I have been of help to you.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Post removed in the cue for soliciting in the forums
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    "Post removed in the cue for soliciting in the forums "

    Ahhhhhhhhh...... And I gave her such great advice.
  • minismomminismom Member Posts: 4
    hi

    I got a P1133 message code when vip checked the check engine light on my sunfire

    they told me to take it to the local dealer

    what does that code mean - gas, fuel pump o2 censor ect

    thanks
    minismom
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It could be a defective 02 sensor, or the wiring/circuit to that sensor and worst possible case would be a defective PCM (brain) module.

    This can all be tested by a competent diagnostician---no guessing required.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Google is your friend.

    What I found.

    "Heated Oxygen Sensor (HO2S) insufficient switching bank 1 sensor 1 (Rear Bank)"
  • oldfarmer50oldfarmer50 Member Posts: 22,637
    I have been hearing a lot lately about fuel system cleaners and injector flushes to clean out "deposits". I thought I understood all about this but I'm wondering now if I do.

    So take me to school. Where do these deposits come from, do any of the dealer offered or over the counter products work and what exactly are they supose to cure? :confuse:

    Is this the modern equivalent to "blowing the carbon out" by racing up and down the highway?

    2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible

  • jason46jason46 Member Posts: 1
    Please help.
    I have a 1992 Cherokee Jeep and it died on the highway. There appears to be no power going to the fuel pump. Any ideas on finding out where the power has broken down?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    If nobody is able to answer your question that specifically knows about your year/make/model, then you can probably get a set of electrical schematics (and service manual) from eautorepair.com for a cheap fee.

    I'd suspect either a fuse, or a relay.
  • ashtrizzashtrizz Member Posts: 5
    I am wondering where the fuel filter is for the 2000 chrysler concorde lxi 3.2 L? Also we are gonna change the fuel pump and want to know if you have to drop the gas tank or if you can get to it threw the trunk?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    A combination fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator is used on all gas powered engines. It is located on the top of the fuel pump module.

    The fuel pump module is an in-tank unit with an integral fuel level sensor and pressure regulator.

    Yes you have to remove the fuel tank.
  • budhbudh Member Posts: 109
    I filled my tank yesterday evening in my 153,000 mile 2002 Highlander Limited AWD V6. Then went through an automatic car wash before driving five miles home. When I got out of the Highlander I saw the gas cap was off and was off during the car wash!

    No issue with my five mile drive home.

    What would you do to make sure it keeps running right after this error?

    And now that I have reinstalled the gas cap properly, can I prevent the check engine light from coming on?

    (I live in a fairly cold climate near the Indiana/Michigan state line.)

    Bud H
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