Car won't start!!! Is it my fuel pump?

gavij012379 · 10-19-2008, 10:54 PM

Hello everyone

This is my first post and I am here with a problem. Any help is greatly appreciated. It is 2002 olds alero with 2.2L engine, auto transmission with 114k. I have own it since 2003 when it had 27k.

My car won't start. This is how it started. My wife drove the car to school (30 miles away) on wednesday on a rainy day. She said the low tire pressure light was coming on so I ask her to check the pressure on the tire. But after checking she was not sure. So I told her to take it to Walmart over there to have them look at it and do the oil change too. The guys at walmart took off the inlet air temperature sensor (I don't see how that happened). So she comes home and tells me that the low tire pressure light is off but the car is jerking often while driving and also while shifting into gear. After spending several hours, worrying my transmission is busted and having autozone find the code, I figure out it was the sensor. So I plugged in the IAT sensor and disconnected the battery overnight, Next day I connected the battery and it started fine. My wife again drove the car about 12 miles that day. Then on friday night we drove to the grocery store and just as I was pulling into the parking spot, the car handled a little funny and the trac off light came on. I shut it off and started it again and the engine was vibrating. I shut it off and tried it again and it will vibrate more but wouldn't start. So I had it towed home.

Next day I check all the fuse, it is all fine. So I had a next door mechanic look at it. It was not starting and he bangs on the gas tank and it ran for a while, so he says it's the fuel pump.

Now all I want to do is make sure it is the fuel pump. I just don't want to change the fuel pump ( $ 400- $500) and find it's not the problem. Everything is fine with the car and everything is fine except it won't start. It will still start for a while if I hit the gas tank but not as long. Only my trac off light was on earlier but now my service engine light is on too. I don't think it is a passlock issue since the security light is not blinking. I already tried the fix for it anyway. I don't know if I even have passlock because my key is just a regular key although I have keyless entry. I just want to make sure it is the pump that needs replacement before and not go on a wild goose chase.

My one question is if the fuel pump is bad how can just hitting the tank make it work for a while.

I am sorry for such a long post but I just want to make everything clear. Although when it comes to alero problem, my story is always long. I spent all night yesterday looking at the various posts and I have had all the problem that I see here except that passlock issue. Thanks for all the help.

guiguilandry · 10-20-2008, 12:31 AM

for my dad's van it worked like two years hitting the gas tank with a 2x4, lol but it can just stop working anytime... depend really of each car...

guiguilandry · 10-20-2008, 12:38 AM

btw, you said you had trac off and service lights at the same time... suspect a wheel bearing, maybe..

gavij012379 · 10-20-2008, 12:46 AM

If the car would a long time after hitting the bottom, I might be tempted but it is not running for a long time.
the track off light came on probably because the engine vibrated so the sensor senses that. The bearing should be fine or else it will be my 4th time changing it. And usually the service vehicle soon light and ABS comes on if its the bearing. I have the service engine light on probably because of trying to crank it without the fuel.

guiguilandry · 10-20-2008, 01:24 AM

then it can be your fuel pump that begin to stick or maybe the shaft in the pump itself is broken so it can't give you enough flow to get the car properly running... you can get the car to a garage and have it checked
they can do a presure test and also a flow test... because pressure isn't the only concern in fuel system, one day I tested a safari van and the pressure was all good but to get the flow test, the truck imediattely stopped, the pump was good enough to get the car idling but not revving

Nate's Alero · 10-20-2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guiguilandry

then it can be your fuel pump that begin to stick or maybe the shaft in the pump itself is broken so it can't give you enough flow to get the car properly running... you can get the car to a garage and have it checked
they can do a presure test and also a flow test... because pressure isn't the only concern in fuel system, one day I tested a safari van and the pressure was all good but to get the flow test, the truck imediattely stopped, the pump was good enough to get the car idling but not revving

so, it may be your fuel pump, could the fuel filter also be clogged? i mean, it might be clogged and when you it the tank, it rattled some loose, and let flow resume for a bit

brim · 10-20-2008, 06:33 PM

o....god

problem being the vehicle is running funny, forget about the wheel bearings right now, do not listen to a mechanic that smacks things to find out if they are the cause of the problem.

Suspect the fuel pump? Hook a pressure gauge to the fittings on the car to see if you're building pressure.

The car wouldn't start doesn't say much, does it not try and turn over at all, does it crank but not fire? Did any other lights come on while it was running before it cuts out?

gavij012379 · 10-21-2008, 07:20 PM

I finally had the car fixed today. The fuel filter was clogged. The mechanic replaced both the fuel pump and the fuel filter. Now my question is could it be the fuel filter was the only problem and my pump was still good. Or does it mean since the fuel filter was clogged, the pump got damaged trying to pump fuel through the restriction. It all happened all of a sudden that's why I think the pump might still have been good. It cost me $ 420 to get it done but if it was only the fuel filter, I could do it for $ 20, that's a big difference..........

Redog · 10-21-2008, 09:12 PM

As soon as you said "banging on the gas tank" I posted this

Fuel Pump!!

A clogged fuel filter can lead to pump failure, it's just that much harder that the pump has to work to get the fuel thru the fuel lines.

I change my filter every year, I use to do it every 18 months, but I just get it done at inspection now. Easier to remember