How to test fuel pump ??

[Hans2112]

Hey SHO fiends, I just joined and hoping to be here for a long time. Anyway, I just came across a nice 94 atx for sale. But the guys claims the Fuel Pump is bad. I'd sure like to know if there is a way I can get the car to fire before I go on his word and buy it. Any ideas?

 

[sperold]

When you turn the key "on", you will hear the fuel pump come on with a sort of whine that is never so quiet that you cannot hear it. It does this every time the key is turned.

Under the hood, on your fuel rail in the center of your engine, there is what appears to be a tire inflation valve. Check it with a gauge, and it is nice if it is around 35 psig.

There is a small chance that your impact sensor in the trunk on the drivers side (behind the felt cladding) needs to be reset by pushing the yellow button.

A no-start situation can be a crank position sensor if the engine offers no indication of firing, and that is a hard /expensive fix for the uninformed, and a negotiation tool at this point.

 

[Hans2112]

Oh I have had a few SHO's and had the crank sensor fun. The guy "claims" the car will turnover. But he checked fuel pressure and there is none. The car only has 94K which seems a little too few miles for the F.P. but I guess its possible. My biggest issue is the car is 3hrs from me, so I am limited as to what and how much I want to do to check for issues. That's why I figured if I can cheat it into firing then I will accept his claim and decide from there.

 

[rubydist]

you can always spray a little (not a lot!) of starting fluid into the intake to see if it will fire.

if there is no fuel pressure, and if you can get it to fire with starting fluid, then you know it needs a fuel pump.

however, with these cars at their age, there is seldom just one problem at a time, so be sure to allow for the other "oh, by the way" stuff that is almost certain to appear.

 

[sperold]

^^^^^This.
Take a fresh battery, can of quick start, and lots of skepticism.
Be sure to try the key start sequence 4 or more times in a row, in case there is a cam sensor issue buried in there too.

Good luck, 3 hours is a long ways to try out a vehicle, but then again, I drove 5 hours one way to look at my first SHO, a 1990 (2 X). When I bought it, I had them deliver it half way, to my side of Toronto, but I don't think that is an option here. That was 10 years ago, and the cars were that rare then, that you had to do things like that to get one, up here.

 

[Hans2112]

I drove to NY from WI to get my second SHO. I was literally home 2 days and the clutch gave out. Good luck or dumb luck depending on how you see it. SO yeah, that's why I have been putting this on the back burner. Really would like to see a running car. Or have some guarantee the fix list isn't a mile long

 

[pjtoledo]

I drove to NY from WI to get my second SHO. I was literally home 2 days and the clutch gave out. Good luck or dumb luck depending on how you see it. SO yeah, that's why I have been putting this on the back burner. Really would like to see a running car. Or have some guarantee the fix list isn't a mile long

was it a black 91?