Fuel Pump

[Dave Scott]

Hi. Not long bought a Gt3 on a "T" plate. Unfortunatly i let the battery go flat. Recharged the battery and reprogramed the door key, and the car wont start. Some one told me that it could be the high pressure fuel injector pump, as no fuel seems to be coming through. Could this be correct and where would i find it. Thanks

[andydclements]

Are you certain there's no fuel? I take it the plugs are dry.

The reason to be certain before you fiddle with the pump is its location. It's in the fuel tank. You need to remove the rim, get to the top of the tank where the ECU sits, remove all the electrics and the boards and then it's secured by means of a big (4 inches or so) locking ring, which you rotate and then lift the round pate with pump from the tank. You cannot miss it, as it has two fuel pipes running to it, one via the filter (supply) and one direct (return).

Best of luck, and I hope you have patience.

[lotus4s]

Have you checked the inertia switch along with the fuel pump fuse and relay?

You should hear the pump energise for a few seconds when you turn the key to the on position and you can then check for pressure at the shrader valve at the aft end of the fuel rail.

As Andy said the pump is a bit of a pain to get to but once you do and before you pull it, you can jump 12 volts to the connector at the pump directly from the battery to see if it runs or not.

Check the easy stuff first.

[Dave Scott]

hi. Thanks for that info. I have also been told the crankshaft sensor could be the problem. Could you let me know where i could find this. Many thanks

[Bibs]

At the top (12'o'clock position) of the gearbox bellhousing, probably hidden by some pipes! It will have a right angled 2 wire connector connected to it.

Have you run Freescan on the car to check for error codes?

[Qavion]

By "won't start", do you mean the engine is cranking but it fails to run?

How long has the fuel been in the tank? It will go off if it has been in there too long.

As LotusS4s says, when you first turn the key to ON (not try to start the engine), do you hear a whirring sound (indicating the fuel pump is priming the fuel system)?

It just seems strange that something broke when the car was NOT in use. Is there an immobiliser fitted to your car and does it act on the pump? (Is there a battery in your key fob?)

If you are a member of an automobile club (RAC, etc), surely they can do the basic tests for you for free (fuel, ignition checks)?

Cheers.

Ian.

[fflyingdog]

Depress (slowly and with rag) the schrader valve on the fuel rail ,if you have no fuel peeing out then you have no fuel pressure which then means the pumps not running,i have been through 2 pumps in as many years ,and incidentally i can never hear my pump running when i turn the ignition on.Get an Avo across the pump connections and see if you get a run signal (12v),if you do then you need a new pump or you could have a pump that runs but puts out no pressure through being worn.Then all i can suggest is you work your way back through the system ,fuses relays etc

[mr.oogieboogie]

if you stuck i have a spare one as i replaced mine last year but it works fine, maybe worth replacing the fuel filter you can get these for less that £10. if you do pull the fuel pump i used a hammer shaft to turn the locking washer on top of the fuel pump so no sparks, can be a bit trickey to get to due to where it sits.

is there any fuel in it? if its been sat for a while