Reatta John Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Car won't start unless i give it a small shot of starting fluid. Then it will start up and stay running. I put a new fuel pressure sensor in, but it did not work. Does anyone have any other ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Not quite sure what a fuel pressure sensor is unless you mean the regulator on the fuel rail? This sounds exactly like the failing fuel pump on the '89 I have been working on. Not enough pressure to prime but just enough to run. The only way to know to know for sure about that is to put a gauge on the fuel rail. It may be possible the fuel pump relay has failed and isn't activating the pump to prime. Can you hear the pump for a few seconds when the key is turned on? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reatta John Posted October 20, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 Yes i hear the pump running. Yes, it was a fuel regulator i put in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Have you measured the actual fuel pressure? The car destined for my grandson required the same help to start. The gauge indicated 33psi of fuel pressure maximum, and would actually run with the return line completely disconnected. There simply was not enough pressure to reach the setting of the pressure regulator, so the regulator was doing nothing. Even more serious was the fact that the couple seconds of pump operation to prime the engine was immediately lost when the pump shut off. Investigating the fuel pump, which appeared to be brand new, there were no clamps on the short hose used to eliminate the factory pulsator unit. With no clamps, the fuel leaked internally right back into the tank with just enough pressure to operate the engine at reduced power, and would immediately lose pressure upon shut down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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