Alright, so my car has been running fine for about three weeks, but today I tried to start it with no luck. The engine was turning over, but nothing was happening. About four weeks ago, my fuel pump crapped out on me, and while trying to pinpoint that problem I replace all of the spark plugs and wires, the fuel filter, EGR valve, and then the fuel pump. I just now tried swapping out the crank sensor, and that didn't do anything. Please help!

Spark, and fuel? Those are the first two things to confirm.

 

Was the fuel pump aftermarket? Did you check the connector on top of the pump assembly for corrosion?

The fuel pump was aftermarket. I used the same model as the one the previous owner installed. I didn't see any corrosion. 

 

How do I check spark and fuel? Sorry, I have very scattered knowledge of this sort of thing.

I just went through a bunch of this testing while trying to troubleshoot a problem on my '95.

 

To check fuel: remove the fuel hose that goes from your fuel filter to the top of your engine.  Remove it on the engine side (be ready with some paper towels/rags and gas will be wanting to spew out a bit.  Wear some goggles/glasses as well.  Get a small bottle and insert the fuel hose into it and then turn the key to the on position (no need to crank).  You should get a shot of gas into the bottle (with my car it was about 1/4 cup) when the fuel pump primes.  To check fuel pressure you need a fuel pressure gauge kit (can be "rented" from some auto parts stores (e.g. Autozone) for free (you pay a deposit (essentially equal to the cost of the tool) and then they refund that when you return the tool).  Someone had a thread in the last few days with a photo of a fuel pressure kit hooked up.

 

To check for spark, the simple way is to remove the spark plug boot, unscrew the plug from the cylinder head, and then put the plug back into the boot and set the plug on the engine block.  You need the metal hex surface of the plug to contact the block to ground it.  Have your assistant crank the engine and look for spark at the gap.  There are also spark testers that plug in line between the plug wire and the plug.

 

It could also be worth it to check that the timing belt hasn't jumped.  If your timing is off, the car will turn over and not catch (don't ask me how much this happened to me recently!).

Alright, I did the fuel test, and nothing came out. I should mention that between your reply and my testing, I tried spraying some starting fluid in by the air filter. When I did that, it started up, ran for a few seconds, then died.

Bet that new aftermarket pump is shorter than the OEM pump. What happened is the weight of the pump has caused it to separate from that short hose used to connect the pump to the hard line. Pull the pump and use a hose clamp around the pump to hold it in its bracket or better yet, get a stock pump. 

If you have some salvage yards near you it would be worth a trip to look for pumps.  I picked up a couple last week and paid $9 each (of course, I don't know for sure if they work...but at that price I'm willing to roll the dice).  Looks like online dealer parts include the entire fuel pump assembly (fuel sender unit, pump) and the cheapest I saw was just under $300.

 

You could check www.car-part.com.  Looks like there are a few yards in Idaho Falls that have some listed (Marler Auto Supply, Bonneville Auto Wrecking, Cross's Crashes) for decent prices.  Bring some cash and negotiate.

I have also have had to replace the fuel pump on a 95.  The junk yard is the best place to get a replacement.  They don't fail so often that you really have to worry about getting a bad one.  I replaced the entire assembly.  Cost was about $30.

Edited July 18, 201411 yr by mikec03

Thanks guys. I'll go check it out after work and keep you posted.

Okay, update time. I went to O'Reilly's, the place I got the first pump, and they swapped that one out for free, which was nice. I put the new pump in, tried to start it, and nothing happened. I did the fuel test again, just to see what was happening, and no fuel came out of the hose.

A buddy of mine told me it might be the fuel pump relay, so I went and swapped that out, but to no avail. 

Alright, it's fixed! I had my neighbor, who happens to be a mechanic, come check it out. After much fiddling, we deduced that the problem was with the wiring in the actual fuel pump assembly. In case anybody has that issue, there's how to work with it.