aksnowbrder

Okay I've been working all day and night on this and I cant seem to figure it out. The car as of right now does not start and the fuel pump isnt priming, at least I can't hear anything from it when I turn the key to on.

I figured it was a bad pump, so I bought a new one, and a new fuel filter as well because I've been having problems with sluggish acceleration. Replaced both today, and car still doesn't start. It cranks (slowly, but I figure that's just cold cranking) and when I try and jump it, it cranks fast but it just won't turn over.. fuel pump still is not priming.

So I'm thinking its a bad main relay? Possibly? But I can't seem to locate it, my Haynes manual has it listed as a brown harness on the right underside of the dash, but I'm not seeing it.

ANY help would be appreciated, I'm a poor college student and I dont want to be stuck here for Christmas

shawn_crx

With the key on, you should have 12volt at the fuel pump, and if you don't then it's goes back to the relay/wires/fuse/etc.

the main relay is on the passanger side behind the glove box.take that out(just push in the sides it will come out) and look for a square black or brown box.its held on by a 10mm bolt.

up&atam

get a multimeter and check the voltage on your battery, then check your fuses before you start buying more parts

Drop_A_Dookie

yeah i'd check fuses and main relay

aksnowbrder

I mean if it was a problem with the battery then it still wouldn't be doing the same things when I jump it right? The battery has also been replaced, its a yellow top less than 6 months old and same with the alternator. Checked my fuses, they're good. The only thing I haven't done yet is check for power at the fuel pump plug itself which I'll try and do tomorrow.

aksnowbrder

Bump for any other ideas

slo_hatch

never had this problem but could a bad ecu fuse possibly cause this? if the fuse is blown it will get no spark or fuel...it will crank for days but never turn over. just a thought. lol

edit: just seen where you checked fuses. but how did you check them? just looking at them will not always tell you if they are bad. take a test light and put on the top in the little holes...if it lights up on both sides the fuse is good. if not...you have a bad fuse.

david623

All good advice. Follow voltage back from the fuel pump. No voltage, check relays and fuses both in the fuel pump circuit and the brain. Does check engine light act right when you turn the key to the start position? If not, then you either have codes or a bad ecu.

Go to checker and rent a code reader. It is only a deposit. The rent is free if returned within four days. Beware the codes do not always point directly to the problem. Do not replace parts based on codes alone! You will go broke chasing after ghosts. Bring the codes to the appropriate thread and ask around.

You'll get through it. Don't give up. Bad ecu with a rare fault (brain) is often the hardest option to diagnose. If it comes to that, see if you can swap computers with a buddy. Do your research on that, too. Multiple computers are often used in the same model of the same year.

g35silversurfer

if you have battery, and starter, and cranking,

could only be spark or fuel.

find out if you have spark. if you do, then it's fuel...

I'm confused, you bought new pump today?

and now you think that ones broken also because it wont prime?

I pulled a 15amp fuse before and my car would crank but wouldn't start.
put the fuse back in and it fired right up.

maybe your fuses need checked again.

aksnowbrder

Anyway, here's an update. I bought a multimeter and a main relay today. Replaced the main relay, and that didn't fix the problem, so I'll return that later.

Checked the ground in the main relay harness, that's good. Checked for power in the battery line to the main relay, also good. Then the Haynes manual said to check for power at the #5 terminal, which apparently goes from the fuel pump fuse to the relay, and I got about 2 volts.

At this point the manual says to repair a short or open in that line, OR replace the #13 fuse (fuel pump fuse) if it's bad. I pulled that fuse and it's good, but I checked for power while the fuse was pulled out and only got about 2 volts at the fuse itself. ANYONE have any idea as to why this could be? My mind is blown here.

dohc_sedan

check engine grounds also... was kind of having similar prob and it was grounds on the engine harness

shawn_crx

If you suppost to have 12V at fuse 13, you have a short before the fuse, and you'll have to trace where that wire is coming from.

aksnowbrder

Thanks for the help so far guys. I'm done for the night but I'll get started again tomorrow and see where I can get.

A friend of mine suggests that if I'm getting no power to the fuse, and if I get no spark then its probably a bad ECU? Any water in this?

shawn_crx

When you test @ Fuse 13, that is with the key on, and you got 2 volt?
Key must be on in order to get power into that fuse cause all the fuse run pretty much the same wire behind the fuse box.
Also SRS share the same fuse, therefore you SRS probably down too, and is there any cel?

aksnowbrder

Yeah that's what happened. There's no CEL though

shawn_crx

when you test, did you check for both end of the fuse, one will 12 volt, and the other will have almost none cause no connection link.

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

Cranks = turn over

Turn over ≠ start


Just to curb any possible confusion in the future.

aksnowbrder

^ Thanks

Yeah I did, one end showed zero and the other showed 2 volts

shawn_crx

check the fuse next to it for voltage... it could be the fuse box itself or the wire connecting to the fuse socket

shawn_crx

i'm not sure but i think you could disconnect the fuse box and open the box up

aksnowbrder

Update.. I just checked all the grounds (I think) in the engine bay by setting my multimeter to both the positive terminal on my battery, and both sides of each grounding point. When I touch the negative terminal, it comes up with about 11 volts, same with when I touch both sides of the engine grounding points.

However, when I tested the cable that attaches to the top of my alternator from the negative terminal on my battery (I think that's where it comes from), I got nothing. Could this be my problem?

EDIT- Nvm, I'm an idiot. That cable goes from the alt to the positive terminal. Back to square one.

aksnowbrder

ANY help is appreciated. This car is frustrating the hell out of me and I don't know what else to do

Former User

Turn the key to ON(II) and then measure voltage to body ground (metal frame under dash) at both top metal test tabs of installed fuse 13. Both top test tabs should read battery voltage (~12.5V). Post the results.

Does the engine also lack spark?

aksnowbrder

That's exactly what I did and I only get 2.8 volts.

Former User

And 0V at the other test tab?

What voltage do you measure across the two battery connectors?