engine and drivetrain tii fuel pump issue and no start

[kmoy2002]

As my previous posts have mentioned. I am in the process of getting my tii back on the road after years of being in storage. After getting what I presumed to be all maintenance done, the car drove perfectly fine 25 miles to my office however when it came time to leave, the engine simply cranked and would not start.

 

I noticed that I did not hear the typical whir when I turn the key to the accessory position which leads me to suspect my fuel pump has gone out. Interestingly, the cars fuel gauge is non responsive and pegged at empty despite having a full tank. I recently replaced the fuel filter thinking I over tightened and crimped the fuel supply however this was not the case.

 

I suspect my fuel pump has gone out. Is this the correct prognosis? If this is the case, do most members here replace with the original unit (16141178751), the e28 fuel pump (16141179232), the e30 pump? Should I replace the expansion unit as well (16121111541)? Check my fuel level sensor?

[MatthewCervi]

The fuel pump doesn't run in the accessory position.  If you don't hear it in the run position, check the fuse before you do anything else.  Also, did you clean out the tank after the years of storage?  If not, you might have sucked up a lot of varnish or rust.

[Henryn02]

Concerning your fuel gauge and not related to no start:

There is a ground for the fuel sender under the right side trunk cover, close to the rear panel. I cleaned the connector and the contact point on the body and it fixed my fuel gauge issue.

 

Did you clean and inspect fuel tank before replacing fuel filter?

 

[kmoy2002]

I feel like a fool for having my car towed all the way back home. I initially checked the fuse to see if it had blown at the office and the fuse looked completely fine so I dismissed it being related to the fuse. I just went to the garage and to my surprise, the contact between the fuse and the pins were completely loose. I bent the pin back and sure enough, I hear the whir and the fuel gauge pegs right back to full. Thank you Matthew.

 

Thank you Henry, I also double checked the ground in the trunk and ensured it had good contact. 

 

A few more questions I have.

 

What are the implications of running gasoline with varnish or rust? I did not inspect the fuel tank prior. I ran the tank empty and refilled with fresh gasoline.  When I pulled the fuel line post filter, the gas looked remarkably clean and smelled fresh. 

 

Secondly, all this has me questioning the reliability of the current fuel pump. To my knowledge, the fuel pump has not been replaced throughout the history of the car. At least, I do not have record of such. Is it recommended to replace a pump that is presumably over forty years old or are plenty of board members running the original pump?

[OriginalOwner]

I got 35 years of service from my original fuel pump.  Nice, but .....  I should have replaced it at 20 years.

 

Those pumps are no longer available.  I recommend the Keith Kreeger method using a 5-series fuel pump to replace the existing.  I did this a few years ago, easy to do, and no problems since.

   http://www.my2002tii.com/tii-fuel-pump_how-to.htm

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by OriginalOwner