i discovered that my car probably has a bad fuel pump but i was wondering if it could be a relay instead. when turning the key to get the dash lights on and the engine light coming on and then clicking meaning the fuel pump is pressurized i heard it make a little whining noise from the dashboard. just wondered if it is the fuel pump thats bad or could it posiibly be a relay for it? thanks for all your help.
-jeff
Odds are it is the relay, although there aren't enough details here to say. Check out
almost certainly relay. honda pumps are /very/ reliable and rarely fail, even at extraordinary mileage.
jim beam wrote in news:X72dncrdC7mRrnzZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@speakeasy.net:
The ones I've heard of fail are the ones where the owner keeps the tank near-empty all the time, and puts just enough in to keep the low-fuel light off.
i was doing that for awhile. but it was on 1/4 of a tank when it just died. i thought the engine jumped timing and did repair my leaky water pump successfully over the weekend and put my timing belt on correctly. thanks for all the help you all offered on that. but the car is still down due to the fuel pump. i may just wait to get it fixed and buy another honda.
"Jeff" wrote in news:mDpEg.7307$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net:
How do you know the pump is not working?
Disconnect the low-pressure return line from the regulator, attach a separate 12" piece of hose to the regulator, and put the free end into a tall bottle.
Now have a helper turn the key to "II" while you watch the fuel stream into the tall bottle. What happens during the first two seconds of key-on? Steady flow? Drips? Sputters? Nothing?
Finally, you have not given your year or model. Please provide.
it's an '88 civic sedan. where is the regulator located? i got the car to start yesterday but it only ran for a few quick seconds and shutoff. it backfires while trying to start sometimes. i did disconnect the fuel line from the filter under the hood and put it in a milk jug and turned the car over and went to see how much gas was in it and it wasn't much for the time i tried starting it. i was thinking maybe it should be more. i then reconnected that and took the line going to the throttle body and put that in a jug and turned the car over again and it put out about the same amount of fuel. then when reconnecting the line i tried starting the car and it fired up but shutoff real quick as if no gas. i'm hoping i just didn't run out of gas. the gauge reads about 1/4 tank and the gauge was working fine. when it died on the expressway now that i think about it it was as if it just ran out of gas when it shutoff on the expressway it lost power then the dash lights came on in a short while wehile i coasred to the side of the highway but then when trying to get it started again and having it backfiring i was thinking the timiing got messed up and so did the tow truck driver but he just took a quick guess. thanks for your help tegger.
-jeff
"TeGGeR®" wrote in message news:Xns9820BD732BCAFtegger@207.14.116.130...
"Jeff" wrote in news:0HsEg.9502$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net:
"Backfiring" through the throttle body or through the exhaust?
Your symptoms sound exactly like the Main Relay. If you don't get that THIRD CLICK from the Relay, the system will run off residual pressure in the line on startup, then stall.
You need to view and read this:
Have you checked for spark? Do you have a helper available? One would be very beneficial.
the car did start yesterday. i'm going to get about 2 1/2 gallons of gas and put that in it and try it. i'll post the results.
"Jeff" wrote in news:potEg.9520$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net:
You must know something we haven't been told...
it was backfiring thru the throttle body. ive tried pouring gas into the throttle body and it didnt make it start. i don't know if my gas gauge is sticking or not. it's staying in the same spot. just below 1/4 of a tank. my battery is dead now from having a goofy friend try different things with it sunday. if it has no gas in the tank or very low gas would it still be able to pump a little thru the fuel line? i know when i put the fuel line into a milk jug i got a little gas out of it from trying to start the car that would mean it probably has gas i would assume. i'm charging my battery and i'm going to maybe try adding some more gas to it. i have to get to a gas station though. as far as the main relay or a relay. i don't even know what to check on that.
the timing belt's jumped. fix that before you waste time and money with anything else. make sure it's tensioned correctly next time. i've posted recently here on how to tension the belt. google is your friend.
jim beam wrote in news:G-2dncNFF6Ov8H_ZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@speakeasy.net:
jim, forget this guy. He wants everything handed to him on a silver platter.
He's a dolt. Or very, very young. I'm outta this one.
i didn't bother to read the whole thread...
I believe the problem most likely lies on the driver. Even with the low light, the pump still circulates, in effect it still runs cool. What explain why my original pump has about 280k miles on it and I put just enough gas to keep the low light off? 50% of the time the low light is on before I fill up.
it doesnt even have a low fuel light..i dont care what mr. tegger thinks. something is wrong with the car i can't figure it out but i may have it checked by a mechanic before i decide to part it out. it was a faithful car and i got my moneys worth out of it. i'm buying another honda hopefully.
Why don't you explain how you align the timing marks when you put in the timing belt?
"Burt" wrote in news:qQdFg.1907$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com:
Technically yes. But should you go uphill, downhill, go over railroad tracks, swerve around the town drunk, the pump may momentarily run dry, and thus induce stress upon itself.
Strangely, when the low light comes on I tend to go uphill, downhill, go over railroad tracks, swerve around the town drunk, waiting for the dooms day but it hasn't come. Many people who have a failed pump don't open them to see whether the brushes or the impeller is the problem. Pumps are sealed.
My best guess is that the gas gets more concentrated of the "bad stuff" when it runs low. The concentration eats up the brushes at a faster rate. My tank is super clean and rust free, therefore no problems.
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