Well I could use some help. I wrecked my 88TII into the wall at the last drift day and now if will start up and run for 2 seconds then die. It sounds like it is running out of fuel. I check the fuel pump and it seems to be ok flowing fuel. Tried to hot wire the pump and it still dies after a few seconds. I checked all the fuses and the relay under the dash on the steering colum, those seem to be ok. any other ideas would be very helpful because I need to get this thing running again.

Thanks
Howard

 

Well I have been working on it for the past few hours and havent gotten very far. I cut off the bent exhaust just before the cat on the down pipe. I tried a new airflow meter and got no change. when I first cut the exhuast off the car started and ran for a 30 sec and I shut it off then. Now it still starts up and runs for 5 secs then dies

Please any ideas would be greatly appricated

 

did this car have a factory secuirty system?

OO, just thought - I don't know if these cars have this or not, but most late model stuff has an impact (or roll over) sensor, if you smash the car up it won't turn on the fuel pump, perhaps the 7's have a relay that cuts it off after 5 seconds? jsut a thought

 

Yes the car had a factory security system but I have taken most of the system out but I will check it out I don't think it has a starter kill or anything like that though

No the car doesn't have a crash cut off for the fuel pump. I am going to do a fuel pressure test soon and see what the pump is putting out. The car has a walbro fuel pump in it and it had fallen out of the holder from the crash so maybe I will take a better look at the pump too!!!!

 

Ok I just did the fuel pressure check and key on jumps right up to 30psi. start the car fuel pressure at 30psi then slowly goes down to 0psi then the engine dies and fuel pressure jumps up to 30psi and holds. I am relatively clueless with the rotory engine but I am a Ford tech so I would think that either I don't have enough volume of fuel or some other wierd rotory sensor or regulator may be causing this problem. Again remeber the car was running great before the accident.

If you have seen this before or you have a idea please let me know I am up for any suggestions....

Howard

 

Ok I am still looking for some help here. I installed a new fuel pump and the car is doing the same thing starting up and running for a few seconds then dieing. My question now is what powers the pump in the run position. I am not really sure from looking at the wiring diagrams in my manuel.

When I put the key to the run postion engine off there is no power to the fuel pump it doesn't even prime. Then when you start it the pump comes on fuel pressure comes up to 30psi then slowly goes down to 0psi then engine dies and fuel pressure goes up to 30psi again and holds but the power to the pump stops.

Any help with what powers up the fuel pump would be great.

Even if you are thinking of something that you think is stupid I would like to hear it because I am running out of Ideas.

Thanks
Howard

 

here's an idea, don't crash any mor eTIIs into a wall.

j/k sorry that was maen. sounds like your car will rev up a tad and start to burn more fueal but doesn't tell the pump that the RPM are rising (no NOT RPMs that pisses me off it means rotations per minute not rotations per minutes, so start saying RPM as the plural and kill the myth of it being called RPMs) so it doesn't give enough fuel then dies. Maybe a sensor. Then again I know nothing but good luck and try to be more careful.

 

Yeah sounds good I didn't mean to crash it into the wall but I will be fixing the body damage and it will live to drift another day.

It doesn't really matter if i rev it up or not the fuel pressure still drops down. What controls pressure?

 

there is a plug you can jumper to run the fuel pump constantly for diag. purposes, can't recall as I've never had to use it, but try searching for fuel jumper plug, or fuel pump jumper - something along those lines...

That will allow you to run the pump constantly regardless of key position and therefore determine whether its the pump cutting out (or pumps power source) or whether it is something blockign fuel flow...

OH - where were you getting the 30psi reading from, fuel rail or after the fuel filter? or what?

 

you could have knocked the pump loose or maybe pinched a fuel line under the car? it sounds mechanical over electrical or a sensor somewhere.

also can we have pics? i collect battle version pics.

 

Yeah I can get some pics up soon I have them on my camera just need to down load them on my computer.

Ok I will look for the jumper plug. I checked all of the fuel lines from the tank to the fuel rail. alll look ok and I put in a know good pump. I am taking the fuel pressure reading at the fuel line just after the fuel filter before it gets to the hard line on the engine.

I tried jumping a hot wire to the fuel pump yesterday and it did the same thing.

Now that I have put the new fuel pump in the car will start and run for a little longer but the fuel pressure reads 0psi how that is possible I am not really sure.

I am thinking that it is some stupid sensor or something because I have checked all of the wiring and fuel lines for damage and there is none. I also replaced the pump so if anyone knows are there more than one relay that controls the fuel and does the computer control the fuel pump...

 

was the AFM damaged in the accident? or even severly jarred?

 

Well I am not sure what the AFM is but I assume that it is the air vane meter on the intake tube that the air filter mounts to. No that wasn't hit in the wreck as the car was hit in the rear but I did have an extra one and I tried replacing it and made no difference.

 

Ok well I took the weekend off from working on my car. So i will play with it some more to day again if you have any Ideas let me know.

As promised here are a few pics of the carnage

 

That's not nearly as bad as I was expecting. Looks like you just backed it into the wall. I'm thinking that you most likely jarred loose. I'm searching around to see if I can find a good answer for you.

 

yeah it was a good hit but the roll cage held it together fairly well.

I think something had to just come unpluged or just a sensor that shouldn't be taking a big hit did and now it is not working.

the newest update is that I can get it running for a few min now but if i touch the gas it dies. When i first start it the fuel pressure comes up then goes down to 0 psi but the engine will continue running i am taking fuel pressure at the rubber line between the fuel filter and the engine hard line.

I have been reading through my maneul and testing some stuff. I took off the intercooler to inspect underneith it and every thing looks good. I messed with the varible resistor on the inner fender. no change

When it dies after running for a little it just shuts off like i turned off the key

any help would be great

 

ok i just jumped the fuel pump connector on the inner fender ( the yellow one)

I can hear the fuel pump running. If i go key on the pressure goes up to 35psi then i start the car fuel pressure starts dropping then at 5-10psi engine dies fuel pressure jumps back up to 35psi.

What controls the fuel pressure when the engine is running?

 

I'm hoping that Karack, Kevin Landers, or one of the guru's will jump in here soon. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

damn...

so you say it dies like the key is turned off not like its running out of fuel?

perhaps throw a spark tester inline and fire it and see if it is still sparking when the motor is dying....that might shed some light.

Im lost on this though man - wish I could help more....hey maybe if we all start clapping and you crank it over it will fire? you know, peter pan style?? haha

 

Well no it is running out of fuel. I had the afm disconnected and it would start and run for a little longer before dieing but the fuel pressure still drops very quickly then it will run with no fuel pressure for a few seconds then die. I tried manuly moving the afm flap but no change.

 

has the pump been pulled to verify that its still situated in the rubber inslator and that all connections are clean and the sock is attached and clean....

HEY, have you performed the fuel pump re-wire or is the wiring sitll factory?

because (if the wiring is still factory) there is a relay that switches the voltage from low to high for idle and load.....perhaps you are only getting idle voltage - then when you hit the throttle she starves herself.....just a thought....

 

Yes the fuel pump has been inspected and I replaced it with a known good one out of a friends car. I am not to sure as to what you mean with a fuel pump rewire.

I do have a switch inline on the power to the pump but I checked that cuircet and it seems ok

I think that it is some sort of pressure controll issue because with the pump on it makes good pressure then the engine starts and the pressure drops and engine dies then the pressure comes back up before the pump stops

I am going to try and run it on my fuel inj flush machine by putting pressurized fuel in at the fuel rail tomorow

 

you pinched a fuel line somehow.

i can almost gaurantee it, check the fuel line routing near the front of the tank and i will bet it is pinched from the damage.

FI systems can run on 0 pressure(there may be no pressure but there is just enough volume to supply enough fuel to keep the car running either via vacuum or via low volume) with no throttle input, don't ask me how i know because i would like to forget about that little fiasco.

 

Well I have check the fuel lines front to back and haven't found any pinch but I will drop the tank down and check again. I don't think that the tank moved in the crash and the metal around it doesn't appear to be bent or anything so I don't know if it is even possible for the fuel line to pinch but I will check it out in the morning..

And I will let you all know if I missed something as simple as a pinched fuel line I am going to kick myself in the face

 

well if it isn't i would replace the fuel filter if you haven't already. the hard jarring from the accident could have knocked some sediment in the tank loose and plugged the filter, to me it sounds like fuel starvation and not due to the pump so the lines are blocked somewhere or possibly there is low voltage to the pump but i would start by checking the lines, filter and then check voltages at the pump both cranking and running.