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Could someone give a general idea of troubleshooting a fuel pump going bad. When I start my car it turns over for a long time then finally barely starts up and I smell gas. Could that possibly be the fuel pump or is it mostly likely the starter going bad and the gas leak being something else? I definately know it's not the battery, we replaced it 2 months ago.
Also, thanks for all the info on the fan clutch problem yesterday.
Probably the best thing would be to get a proper fuel pressure gauge (AutoZone and similar will loan out such tools for a deposit) and see what your running fuel pressure is.
You can check the amp draw on the fuel pump too, if you pull the fuel pump relay and put in a temporary bypass switch, then use a clamp-on ammeter to check the amps.
A good shop manual is worth having even if you don't do the work yourself. If you take the car in, going to a good indy shop, xerox the applicable part of the shop manual and leave the xeroxed pages in the car. Whenever I have done this, the xerox pages are either grease-printed or gone when I get the car back. Which means the mechanic used them, which is exactly why I put them there. An experienced mechanic knows enough to be able to do many jobs without reference to a manual, but, particularly if it's the *factory* manual as opposed to Chilton or Haynes, they know a good cheat sheet when they see it.
The gas smell is almost certainly rubber fuel line somewhere under the hood leaking. I have seen rubber fuel lines that would leak when they were cold from sitting overnight, but once they got good and wet with gas they would seal up. Don't go around like this though, one good way to hunt for the leak is to start the engine from cold, let it run like 20 seconds, then shut off and look/smell for the gas, probably near the injectors...
Keep in mind that you can get an under-hood fire going with that gas leak, keep a fire extinguisher in the car if you possibly can. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Find and fix the leak ASAP.
I really doubt the leak has anything to do with a weak fuel pump, if the leak is bad it may be interfering with getting good fuel pressure/atomization, but that would be a pretty big leak.
I agree with the last post. You need to check the fuel pump pressure with a guage. I bought one at Harbor freight for about 10 bucks. But first a good inspection for any leaks you can see. There may be several things causing it to not start quickly but first eliminate it being a fuel supply problem.
Yes, usafracer, it is. We figure the roar is the clutch fan. Now I'm just wondering about why it takes so long to start, if it's the starter or possibly could be fuel related.
Yes, usafracer, it is. We figure the roar is the clutch fan. Now I'm just wondering about why it takes so long to start, if it's the starter or possibly could be fuel related.
If the motor is old and compression is low it can be a problem to start. The pistons have to create a draw to pull in your fuel/air mix. After it is running it is a vacuum.
I got stranded by a coil, they usually never go out.
If the starter is turning it is not the starter, simple.
Is the fuel filter clean? any kinks in the fuel lines?
All wires tight and good grounds?
You do not mention what kind of vehicle this is or age, fuel injected or carbed.
Even if a replacement part is new it can still be bad.
Sometimes if you are not real auto savy it is cheaper to use a good mechanic.
If the motor turns over it isn't the starter, battery, etc.
If the motor turns over but doesn't fire, you're either missing gas or spark.
If you smell gas in the engine compartment, you're probably losing the gas before it gets into the cylinder.
If you smell gas coming out of the exhaust pipe, you probably aren't getting spark.
It is a 2001 Durango, I really appreciate all the helpful information, have an idea of where to start now, thanks to all.
The first place to start is generally to do a complete, competent tune-up, and catch up on all deferred maintenance. If your fuel filter is getting well past it's prime, likewise your spark plugs, not only are they giving you grief on starting, they are wasting gas, more than enough to pay for the tuneup in a year or two of "normal" driving.
Modern cars don't *require* tuning as often, but you are money ahead to change the (relatively cheap) fuel filter before it plugs up and damanges your (relatively expensive) fuel pump. Likewise old worn plugs make life harder for your ignition coils, and the system that drives them.
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