89 Won’t start after filled up with gas

James1989

New Member
Sep 16, 2020
22
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Houston
Hey Guys, was driving to a car meet and my gas light turned on. Filled up the gas tank 25$ and it wouldn’t start, it cranks tho. Had to push start it and it felt really weak and barely ran. Felt like it was going to die when idling and when I hit the gas it took a second to get good power. I changed my fuel filter and checked my spark plugs. Any ideas? I hear my fuel pump prime and I put a screwdriver on my starter solenoid and it still doesn’t start.
 
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This is confusing me. Does it crank and won't start or won't crank to start ?

If it doesn't crank even with jumping across the solenoid posts then you either have bad cable end at the battery, bad connection at starter, or bad starter. In some occasions the cable itself could be bad...highly unlikely.

Oh...it could also be a bad engine ground to the battery. If there is no ground for the engine the car won't start at all. Wouldn't have push started.

If it's cranking but won't start it could easily be the fuel pump.
 
This is confusing me. Does it crank and won't start or won't crank to start ?

If it doesn't crank even with jumping across the solenoid posts then you either have bad cable end at the battery, bad connection at starter, or bad starter. In some occasions the cable itself could be bad...highly unlikely.

Oh...it could also be a bad engine ground to the battery. If there is no ground for the engine the car won't start at all. Wouldn't have push started.

If it's cranking but won't start it could easily be the fuel pump.
It does crank, the car starts if I crank it like 3 or 4 times but that shouldn’t be the case. And it does push start it just feels super sluggish and like it’s going to die.
 
I'm thinking fuel pump also. The fun part for you is that you just filled it up. Time to siphon.
 
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I would toss a fuel pressure gauge on that shrader valve and verify your getting good pressure... pump may have sucked up something from the bottom of the tank and is restricting it now... thus needing a new pump
 
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I would toss a fuel pressure gauge on that shrader valve and verify your getting good pressure... pump may have sucked up something from the bottom of the tank and is restricting it now... thus needing a new pump
Will check that out, I also sprayed starter fluid into my throttle body and the car still cranked but wouldn’t start. Could it still be my fuel pump? My maf was plugged in but the air duct wasn’t on. I don’t think that should’ve affected the car starting.
 
Could be a few things. Id check fuel pressure. Oreillys loans out the kit for free. Gotta pay $130 tho. Return for full refund. Also a spark indicator at oreillys. $8. Dont need it to check spark, but cheap and full proof.

Use spark tester to put on coil wire.

Problem with fuel pres guage like that. Is it might show good at idle, vac line off and on. But its under load you really need to check imo.

MAKE SURE the car is cold when you check fuel pressure at first at least. Gas and hot headers is not cool.

Hell, just check spark first. Its easy and cheap. If that looks good. Its prob fuel pump.
 
 
I have a couple of questions first:

You say it cranks but it doesn't start right away. Maybe 3 or 4 times cranking and it goes. Are you then push-starting the car because the battery is drained? When you push-start the car, does it start every time?


Two things come to mind:

1. You fuel pump is not getting the voltage and current it needs to fully pressurize the fuel system. Having to also run the starter is exasperating this issue.

Try this: With a charged battery, move the ignition switch from [off] to [on] 3 times before going to [start]. Allow the fuel pump to finish priming each time. What's your voltage at the pump as it's priming?

2. This can also mean that the internal pressure pop-off/internal bypass inside the pump has been blown. It means a pump change if this is true.
 
I have a couple of questions first:

You say it cranks but it doesn't start right away. Maybe 3 or 4 times cranking and it goes. Are you then push-starting the car because the battery is drained? When you push-start the car, does it start every time?


Two things come to mind:

1. You fuel pump is not getting the voltage and current it needs to fully pressurize the fuel system. Having to also run the starter is exasperating this issue.

Try this: With a charged battery, move the ignition switch from [off] to [on] 3 times before going to [start]. Allow the fuel pump to finish priming each time. What's your voltage at the pump as it's priming?

2. This can also mean that the internal pressure pop-off/internal bypass inside the pump has been blown. It means a pump change if this is true.
Ok will check it out, so if that is the problem then just changing the fuel pump should do the job?
 
I have a couple of questions first:

You say it cranks but it doesn't start right away. Maybe 3 or 4 times cranking and it goes. Are you then push-starting the car because the battery is drained? When you push-start the car, does it start every time?


Two things come to mind:

1. You fuel pump is not getting the voltage and current it needs to fully pressurize the fuel system. Having to also run the starter is exasperating this issue.

Try this: With a charged battery, move the ignition switch from [off] to [on] 3 times before going to [start]. Allow the fuel pump to finish priming each time. What's your voltage at the pump as it's priming?

2. This can also mean that the internal pressure pop-off/internal bypass inside the pump has been blown. It means a pump change if this is true.
I just tried that, primed my pump 3 times. And it cranked and when I let off the key it started to try to run for a split second then died and for maybe a tenth of a second tried to run again but just died.
 
You need to check fuel pressure on the rail. Split hoses on the fuel pump is becoming more common as these cars approach 30 and 40 years old
I did, a little came out like a small squirt, I replaced my fuel filter and a good stream would come out maybe 2 or 3 seconds Atleast but a few days later I check the fuel pressure again and it’s just a small squirt.
 
I did, a little came out like a small squirt, I replaced my fuel filter and a good stream would come out maybe 2 or 3 seconds Atleast but a few days later I check the fuel pressure again and it’s just a small squirt.

These sentences lead me to believe that there is 'junk' in your fuel tank. Initially, it clogged the filter then was likely replaced only to push more contaminates through the new one.

More testing can certainly be done to confirm but it is beginning to sound to me like the tank needs to come out.

Once it's out of the car, it needs to be worked over inside and out. My prediction is that you're going to find a fair amount of rust inside.


My next step would be this: Disconnect the fuel lines at the rail. Run extension hoses and pump all of that fuel into gas cans.
 
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