gsmaclean
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 11, 2007
- Messages
- 397
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Strongsville, OH
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 03 Limited
Out of nowhere, my 94 Limited died on me a few weeks ago. It was running fine, I pulled into a store, 5 minutes later I came out, put the key in to start, cranked it - and nothing. I cranked it again, hoofed the gas, and it ALMOST caught - stumbled, then quit again, exactly as if I had run out of gas.
It was very hot outside, 95F+, so I figured, "heat related." I sat there for the next 5 minutes or so, cranking it every minute. Nothing, not the slightest hint of catching.
Then, the next time - it starts up perfectly as if nothing was ever wrong. I figured it was a fluke, and let it go.
Then it happened again a week later. And again a few days after that.
I went away for a week, and when I came back, I went to start it - and it would have nothing of it. It would not come back to life this time.
I hooked up my code reader, and it reported "fuel pump secondary circuit failure." hmmm. I turned the ignition on and listened for the fuel pump. Nothing. That would explain the "running out of gas" symptom.
I opened the relay box and put my finger on the fuel pump relay while turning the ignition on. I felt it click. Strange. I pulled the relay out and jumpered the contacts with a piece of wire. The pump ran. I turned the ignition on, the truck started.
I put the relay back in, turned the ignition on, relay clicked, no fuel pump. OK, bad relay. I pulled a relay from some other non-critical circuit and plugged it into the fuel pump relay position. Turned the ignition on. No fuel pump.
OK...I pulled the relay out and wiggled it while turning the ignition on. Fuel pump came on intermittently.
So I took some contact cleaner (actually, I used brake cleaner, too lazy to go downstairs and get contact cleaner, and it's essentially the same stuff) and hosed down the relay socket. Once it dried, I plugged the original relay back in - and hey presto, it all works perfectly.
Obviously it was just a bad electrical connection on the fuel pump relay secondary circuit in the socket. An easy fix, not so easy diagnosis. I figured I'd post it here, in case anyone else came across the same problem.
It was very hot outside, 95F+, so I figured, "heat related." I sat there for the next 5 minutes or so, cranking it every minute. Nothing, not the slightest hint of catching.
Then, the next time - it starts up perfectly as if nothing was ever wrong. I figured it was a fluke, and let it go.
Then it happened again a week later. And again a few days after that.
I went away for a week, and when I came back, I went to start it - and it would have nothing of it. It would not come back to life this time.
I hooked up my code reader, and it reported "fuel pump secondary circuit failure." hmmm. I turned the ignition on and listened for the fuel pump. Nothing. That would explain the "running out of gas" symptom.
I opened the relay box and put my finger on the fuel pump relay while turning the ignition on. I felt it click. Strange. I pulled the relay out and jumpered the contacts with a piece of wire. The pump ran. I turned the ignition on, the truck started.
I put the relay back in, turned the ignition on, relay clicked, no fuel pump. OK, bad relay. I pulled a relay from some other non-critical circuit and plugged it into the fuel pump relay position. Turned the ignition on. No fuel pump.
OK...I pulled the relay out and wiggled it while turning the ignition on. Fuel pump came on intermittently.
So I took some contact cleaner (actually, I used brake cleaner, too lazy to go downstairs and get contact cleaner, and it's essentially the same stuff) and hosed down the relay socket. Once it dried, I plugged the original relay back in - and hey presto, it all works perfectly.
Obviously it was just a bad electrical connection on the fuel pump relay secondary circuit in the socket. An easy fix, not so easy diagnosis. I figured I'd post it here, in case anyone else came across the same problem.