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Cadillac Repair/fuel pump relay
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Question
I ran my 1983 cad sedan deville out of gas, wouldn't start however you could hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds, someone told me I needed to prime the fuel system. now you cannot hear the fuel pump run for 2 seconds and I never learned how to prime the fuel system? I have read where I might have a faulty fuel pump relay, Where is this relay? What do I need to do to prime my fuel system , get my fuel pump to run again and get my car started?
Thank you.
Hello,
Look in your owners manual and it will tell you where the relay is, however I think I have some bad news for you.
Everytime I have seen an electric fuel pump run dry and lose its prime, the fuel pump is history. The only way I know to prime a fuel pump is to have a new one with fuel in the tank.
When a fuel pump loses its prime from running out of gas it is sucking air (cavetating). Once this happens and it only takes seconds, the fuel pump burns up and has to be replaced.
This is not like the mechanical pumps where if you run out of gas, throw some in the tank and the engine starts.
Good luck on the relay, but you need to think about where the problem is. The relay is on the other side of the system and a problem fuel pump will not burn up the relay.
You even said it, you heard the fuel pump run for 2 seconds and I think you will find that was the final 2 seconds of its life without gas.
That is the problem with people and today's cars. We do things we could get away with with the 70's and 80's cars. No gas-no big deal- but these days it is. Engine overheats, drive it with the hot light on for a couple miles. You over heat that aluminum engine and run with the hot light on for a couple miles, your engine is now junk and you won't find one used because they were all overheated.
You didn't know and neither does anyone else, but with modern cars, we can't use old behavior.
Not being a smart guy, but there is one silver lining. At least you don't have to remove all the gas when you drop the fuel tank to replace the pump.
By the way, don't go rushing to Cadillac for the fuel pump. You can save money by going to stores like Auto Zone.
Good Luck!
http://www.autotheftexpert.com
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you Rob Painter, this Caddy is and has not been my primary vehicle for a while , in fact it was because it was sitting in the yard that I ran it out of gas , thought I was doing good to start it every week or so. It has been sitting for a while and I need to do something with it. Thank you so much for the advise and I will try to locate a manual for it and check the relay. I might even price a fuel pump and try to do it my self, or I may just sell the car to a salvage man. It was such a beautiful car just not very long ago. Now it is sun-weathered and kinda an eye sore. Thank you again for the information. Thank you, Carol | ||
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Rob Painter
Expertise
Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?
Experience
Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.
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