rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 2000 Legacy L. 190k miles on the odo. The other day it just stalled in traffic. I tow it home to sort it out and find that there's hardly any fuel going IN to the fuel filter. I could easily block the fuel with my finger on the filter's INLET hose. I don't have a fuel pressure gauge and being in a bind I just went ahead and bought a new fuel pump. I throw the new one in and STILL doesn't start. And I can still hold the fuel back with just my finger... normally an unregulated fuel pump can pump 40-50 psi and more but not on my car! There's a spark on all four plug wires also... What's up with my car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakotanBoogie Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I'm no expert but is the fuel pump getting good voltage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Fuel pump only pumps when the engine is running, or for about 5 seconds after ignition is turned on. Engine not running, no pressure. Not sure of your model year, but earlier models could be put into a diagnostic mode that would cause the pump to cycle off and on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 I was checking fuel pressure the ghetto way by turning the key to "ON". The pump turns on for about 1 second with this method. I measured voltage at the pump and it was 11.24V which is low but not so low that it won't pressurize the fuel lines. I'm trying to find the damned fuel pump relay on this car so I can bypass it and just have the pump running constantly for troubleshooting purposes. I can hear it clicking somewhere under the driver's side dashboard. The fuel is BARELY dribbling out of the hose that goes IN to the fuel filter under the hood. Is there another in line fuel filter on this car that could be clogged? All I know is, the gas is NOT making it to the fuel filter with enough pressure. There's a new pump installed. There's 11 volts at the pump. There must be something else blocking the fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 Okay... did a lil more research and apparently there is a "fuel pressure control solenoid" in the fuel line between the tank and engine. It's under the car somewhere, I'm still trying to find it right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 okay... nevermind the previous post above. I found the problem.. The fuel pump assembly (made of white plastic) has a small resevoir canister built-in to it. There's a brass cap on the bottom of the canister with an O-ring that seals it off. The pressure broke the brass cap's retainers and allowed a small leak which bled off the pressure before it even left the pump assembly! NO other cars that I've worked on in the past has this resevoir canister thingy on the pump assembly... I dunno why Subaru designed this into the assembly. I should've taken pics of it so other board members can refer to it for help in the future. I bent the retainers back into place and re-seated the O-ring and put it all back together... then BAM it started right up like nothing happened. If any of you have taken out the fuel pump assembly on a 2000+ Legacy you'll see the built in canister I'm talking about. I just wasted 80 bucks on a new fuel pump that I didn't even need! BUT all the troubleshooting I did pointed to it... oh well, I guess it's better than getting raped by dealership prices. Check my photo gallery to see an illustration of the pump assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 So, is the brass cannister thing part of the fuel pump? I thought I read that your problem persisted even with a new pump in place?? okay... nevermind the previous post above. I found the problem.. The fuel pump assembly (made of white plastic) has a small resevoir canister built-in to it. There's a brass cap on the bottom of the canister with an O-ring that seals it off. The pressure broke the brass cap's retainers and allowed a small leak which bled off the pressure before it even left the pump assembly! NO other cars that I've worked on in the past has this resevoir canister thingy on the pump assembly... I dunno why Subaru designed this into the assembly. I should've taken pics of it so other board members can refer to it for help in the future. I bent the retainers back into place and re-seated the O-ring and put it all back together... then BAM it started right up like nothing happened. If any of you have taken out the fuel pump assembly on a 2000+ Legacy you'll see the built in canister I'm talking about. I just wasted 80 bucks on a new fuel pump that I didn't even need! BUT all the troubleshooting I did pointed to it... oh well, I guess it's better than getting raped by dealership prices. Check my photo gallery to see an illustration of the pump assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 No... it wasn't the actual fuel pump itself. There's a white plastic canister that is part of the fuel pump assembly and it had the brass CAP that was leaking. The pump fills this canister first THEN the fuel goes out into the fuel line. The problem was the fuel would leak out of the canister first before it even made it to the fuel line to the front of the car. Look in my photo gallery to see the pic. I don't know how to post a pic from there to this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanski06 Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 haha i dont even know how to look into your gallery....but thanks for the up to date info....if my car ever stalls by not getting fuel this will be on the diagnostics list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 haha i dont even know how to look into your gallery....but thanks for the up to date info....if my car ever stalls by not getting fuel this will be on the diagnostics list I guess you can clock on "Photos" at the upper right corner of the forum. Type in "fuel pump assembly" in the search function. This would be 10x easier if I could just post the pic right in this thread. BTW, does anyone need a fuel pump for cheap? It's been used for about 1 minute and I can't return it to the parts store anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rysbrnr Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 haha i dont even know how to look into your gallery....but thanks for the up to date info....if my car ever stalls by not getting fuel this will be on the diagnostics list I guess you can click on "Photos" at the upper right corner of the forum. Type in "fuel pump assembly" in the search function. This would be 10x easier if I could just post the pic right in this thread. BTW, does anyone need a fuel pump for cheap? It's been used for about 1 minute and I can't return it to the parts store anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Save it! nothing like having parts on hand when you break down. I guess you can click on "Photos" at the upper right corner of the forum. Type in "fuel pump assembly" in the search function. This would be 10x easier if I could just post the pic right in this thread. BTW, does anyone need a fuel pump for cheap? It's been used for about 1 minute and I can't return it to the parts store anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Get a trailer hitch and tow (flatbed of course) another sube behind you and you'll never want for spare parts;) Save it! nothing like having parts on hand when you break down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uniberp Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 The canister is likely a pressure accumulator, to buffer fuel pressure more evenly and to maintain resting pressure for easier starting when the engine is off. okay... nevermind the previous post above. I found the problem.. The fuel pump assembly (made of white plastic) has a small resevoir canister built-in to it. There's a brass cap on the bottom of the canister with an O-ring that seals it off. The pressure broke the brass cap's retainers and allowed a small leak which bled off the pressure before it even left the pump assembly! NO other cars that I've worked on in the past has this resevoir canister thingy on the pump assembly... I dunno why Subaru designed this into the assembly. I should've taken pics of it so other board members can refer to it for help in the future. I bent the retainers back into place and re-seated the O-ring and put it all back together... then BAM it started right up like nothing happened. If any of you have taken out the fuel pump assembly on a 2000+ Legacy you'll see the built in canister I'm talking about. I just wasted 80 bucks on a new fuel pump that I didn't even need! BUT all the troubleshooting I did pointed to it... oh well, I guess it's better than getting raped by dealership prices. Check my photo gallery to see an illustration of the pump assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakotanBoogie Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Some days that might not be a bad ideal. I have had to replace the fuel pumps in both of my Subarus in the last six months. Both times I had to go after parts which is no small deal for me the nearest place that have things in stock is around thirty miles away. Get a trailer hitch and tow (flatbed of course) another sube behind you and you'll never want for spare parts;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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