I'm not sure what this is. The car starts and runs great, but if I have the key turned there is a clicking coming from behind me. I'm not sure what electronics are behind me other than the fuel pump, or if this is normal. Is it anything I should worry about?

This is an 80, if that makes any difference.

 

do you know the relative area from which this sound comes? at this point your post is vague, it could be anything sounds like it'd be something to do with the harness but its untelling, maybe its just your fuel pump?

 

does it only click once the engine is running? how constant is the clicking?

 

I'm pretty sure it stops clicking after the engine is running. I'm just saying it still runs.

I don't think its anything in the harness because thats all under the dash right? The main harness anyway.. I'm not sure about anything other than that behind me. I'll go outside and see if I can get a better idea of where it is. Do either of you think its something I really need to worry about by any chance?

 

So I think it is coming from the fuel pump. Its a fast clicking, more than 3 a second I'd say. I think it may be mechanical and not electrical.. since I could feel it when I put my hand on the tank. It still runs great though. Am I going to be needing a new fuel pump?

 

i just figured it was like the fb and had a rear harness for the lights and such maybe arching, but i'm guessing it is your fuel pump, i remember someone posting a vid of their SA and it did some loud clicking, that you could still hear over the car lol

 

Hm. Thats why its wierd though, because it stops clicking when the car is running as far as I can remember. I'm hoping its just an exposed wire or something but I'm fairly certain its not, since I was doing a lot of this in the dark with no lights and would have seen any arching that was happening.

 

are you sure it stops clicking when its running? chances are you just cant hear it over the engine and exhaust. when a fuel pump is failing, they'll make that noise. some are just louder than others. either way, i'd replace it though.

 

Mine's been making that noise for something like 8 or 9 years. At one time, it would be louder until the car started... something to do with a change in back pressure, I guess.

I'm sure it will eventually fail, but so far, it's just loud.

 

That long eh? I suppose for now I'll just leave it. Other stuff is more important. Thanks!

 

Your mileage may, of course, vary.

 

Well, I think the pump gave out lol. Or something electrical messed up..

Here goes.

Car ran a week ago. Had the clicking that I posted about. I pulled the battery to put into the other 7 that I have been trying to get started up and I finally found my problem with that. So I put the battery back into the car that ran and tried to start it, to move it. Nothing. Now, when you turn the key two clicks the tac needle is supposed to go up to like 5-6k right? my 79(the other car) does this and the 80(the car I'm talking about) DID until it stopped running. I'm also not getting any clicking from the fuel pump. The car still turns over, and runs on gas poured into the carb but I get no clicking from the fuel pump or any other noise to indicate its working and I unplugged the fuel line and turn the key and it pumped nothing.

The only thing I have done since it last ran is taken the battery out and replaced it, and emptied the gas tank by turning the key and letting the pump, pump all of the gas into a can(this was before I removed the battery). Yes, I put gas back into the car.

Ideas? Is it electrical or is it the pump..

 

After an hour or so of searching I think it may be something to do with the main fuseable link? Sometimes its completely dead and sometimes it turns over. I must have knocked something loose when I was messing around changing the battery. We'll see tomorrow, I'm going to check that out.

 

pull the connector to the fuel pump and unplug it. turn the key to the on position and see if you are getting 12V to the pump per the FSM. if you are then the pump is bad. if not, check the wiring and the fuel pump relay.

 

The tach on SA's functions as a voltage gauge when the key is on and the engine is not running. If you look at your tach, you'll see a second set of numbers toward the inside of the guage - - these indicate primary voltage in volts.

If you put the battery back in and suddenly nothing works, and the tach reads flat zero, you've either got a completely drained battery, or a wiring problem. It's rare for a battery to actually show ZERO volts unless it's damaged internally, or completely out of acid.

Working downstream from the battery, this could be a dirty battery clamp, a really bad battery cable, a poor ground connection, a loose or broken primary lead from the battery to the fuselink block, a bad fuselink, or something downstream from there, like a failing ignition switch.

If you're for-certain the battery is still good, it's time to grab your wiring diagram and a voltmeter, and start tracing the primary feed to see where voltage stops or the ground fails.

 

as others have said, your milage may vary. carter fuel pumps are known to make noise when they pump and they are on when you turn your key to the on position. you probably do not hear it over the engine idling. you said the noise did not occur in your other seven. well it may have a different fuel pump or the wiring is not working since your tach on that car is also not working.

 

In my experience, Carters make more of a buzz. Stock pumps and Facet pumps make the clicking sound.

 

Oh yeah, Carters certainly buzz. Loud enough that the only thing that drowns it out is my music. from 10 feet away you can hear the fuel pump over the idle.

 

Where is the fuel pump relay?

I think its in the ignition. I checked the fuseable links and they're all good..


If I put the key in, turn it one click, nothing happens. Then HALFWAY between the first click and second click, everything comes on, and works.. Then at the second click, the tach needle drops to nothing, and I have no power going to the connector behind the drivers seat which I am assuming goes to the fuel pump? I don't know what could cause this and I have no experience chasing wiring gremlins..

 

80 doesn't have a fuel pump relay. Pump is fed directly from the ignition switch, via a 15amp fuse.

Wiring diagram is your friend at times like these. You really, really want to download it.

 

Yep, that sounds like the ignition switch all right. Could just be dirty contacts in the switch, could be physically bad.

 

Mine is mounted to the frame rail and you can't hear it when the engine is running.