fuel pump?

[ashleem]

anybody have an estimate on the parts + labor for a fuel pump on a 95 legacy? after just buying the car a month and 2 days ago ($1900), replacing cam seal, crank seal, timing belt, plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, and alternator in the past 2 weeks ($670), its still giving me trouble starting up. it either wont start at all unless i give it a little gas, or will start and then will stall out. one opinion/guess is a weak fuel pump. and/or leaky fuel lines. any steps i should take to determine what it is exactly?

[idosubaru]

how many miles, does it run at all? how well does it drive once it's started? did it have this problem before the timing belt change and other work?

 

i wouldn't throw parts at it. subaru fuel pumps can fail, but they don't fail very often. alot of people that don't know much about cars say "it's probalby a fuel pump". not saying you do'nt know much, but if that's what other people are telling you, they're probably wrong. i say that, because many people that bring their car to me say "my dad" or "i think" or "so and so" said it's probably the fuel pump. and it's never been the fuel pump, ever. one of mine needed replaced, still worked it just leaked because it was very rusty. if yours did leak somewhere you would likely smell it unless you have horrible allergies. there are other items that are more likely.

 

first thing to do is to verify it has spark at each cylinder, fuel is coming out the fuel hose and the timing belts were aligned properly.

 

did you use Subaru spark plug wires? EJ engines do not handle aftermarket wires very well. but if that's causing your problems it would likely show a check engine light "cylinder misfire".

 

so, does the check engine light ever come on? if so, read the codes. do a diagnostic check on it as well.

 

the coil pack, cam sensor or crank sensor are likely culprits as well. if this problem started happening after the timing belt and seal job then the crank and/or cam sensors are likely to blame since their right next to all of that stuff. check the coolant temp sensor for corroded connector plugs.

 

replacing the fuel filter and PCV wouldn't be a bad idea either. PCV won't cause a no start condition though.

 

well you originally asked about fuel pump...parts and labor will vary alot. $100 - $400 depending if you go used or new, dealer or not. they don't fail enough to justify buying a new one in my oppinion. i'd get a used one for $25 and swap it out. they are very easy to replace, so labor isn't insane, should be one hour of labor.

[Olnick]

Grossgary makes an excellent point--check the basics first before you start throwing big (expensive) parts at it. His list of sensors and connectors is a good starting point.

 

Tell us as much as you can about the car. How many miles on it, did it have starting/running problems when you bought it? Did you do the timing belt, alternator, etc. yourself or did a mechanic work on it? I'm guessing from the price you quoted a mechanic did the work--if so, you might want to ask him for input.

 

And if you need help or specific advice be sure to ask here. Good luck!

[porcupine73]

Yes coolant temp sensor can cause this issue. I'd check it over/replace it before messing with the fuel pump.

[ferret]

1995, I suspect the last time the IAC was cleaned was ..... probably a long time ago if at all.

 

You stated it would start ONLY if you gave it gas ... ie stepped on the pedal to open the throttle plate. Then it would stall, I am making an assumption here ( and correct me before I do make a fool of myself ), that it continues to run if you keep your foot on the gas, but stalls when you let it off.

 

The only 2 things that come to mind is the TPS ( throttle position sensor ), or more to your symptoms the IAC ( Idle Air Controller ).

 

If this is true, and you are not setting a code ( shorted, or open IAC or connector ), Do a search on IAC and there are many threads already on how to effective clean it.

 

If these are not you symptoms, then yes the Coolant sensor and other suggestions are also valid to be considered.

[ashleem]

wow, thanks for all the speedy replies!

 

more details/replies to your questions: it has 138k. it runs great if i can manage to get it into drive before it stalls out. it sounds and feels smooth. but lately, after this problem has re-started, it does seem like its lacking some power though, and gas mileage has been terrible. i say re-started because it began a few weeks ago, stopped for a bit after i had the plugs, wires, etc replaced, and then just re-started a few days ago, but worse.

 

yes, a mechanic did the cam seal, crank seal, fuel filter, air filter, timing belt, plugs, wires, and-- yes the pcv valve (which i forgot to originally mention).

 

my uncle changed the alternator.

 

i dont know what kind of spark wires the mechanic used. i can try to find the receipt for a parts number.

 

the check engine light is always on.

 

my dad, who also frequents this board, says to go get the codes checked/diagnostic test done. he has also been telling me its probably one of the sensors as well. looks like the general consensus is saying the same thing. i will probably go do that tomorrow and let you know how it comes out.

 

thank you, everyone!

[idosubaru]

definitely pull the codes, it's silly to guess when the code will likely tell us something important. being an OBDI i think you can plug a connector in and get it to flash the codes for you. the codes will tell you what you need.

 

the mechanic probably didn't use Subaru spark plug wires, i'd look to change them in the near future even if that isn't the problem right now. the EJ engines (which you have) are notorious for running terrible even with brand new aftermarket wires and i've seen it before myself. you mechanic likely doesn't know that.

[Manarius]

Here's a general idea for those of you out there with Check Engine Lights on: Before you replace stuff, read the codes off the ECU. That will save you A LOT of money and hassle. Don't just go and get stuff fixed thinking you know what you're doing. The computer is there for good reason.

[Olnick]

Being a '95 it's most likely OBD-2, so you can try the Autozone route--or seee if your mechanic has a code reader.

 

Happe Easter all!

[nipper]

Yes dont spend any money on this untill you pull the codes. There are several possabilities as to why this is happneing, and i dont thnk its going to be a single cause. My guess is a bad tep sensor and a bad o2 sensor.

 

This car is OBDII. There is nothing wonrg with the fuel pump, though a fuel filter prbbly wouldnt hurt.

 

 

nipper

[WoodsWagon]

The 95's have the black and green connectors under the dash like the OBDI cars, so I don't know if you need a scan tool neccecarily. Borrowing an OBDII scan tool would be better though.

 

I vote temp sensor too. If you give it a shot of gas on the airfilter, it will probably start right up. Your gas millage will suck too.

 

The temp sensor is under the intake manifold on the passenger side, You will see a 1 wire sensor, and a 2 wire sensor with a redish brown connector on it. It's about 34bucks.