Hey all,
I have a 2001 Cavalier and here's my story. So last year around this time I had some major issues with this car. I couldn't get it to start at all so my mechanic looked at it and said the fuel pump power line had become corroded so he replaced the line and drilled a new hole in the firewall to run the line. Car had been working fine ever since. Well, recently I moved to a place where I park on an incline and due to money issues I had let the gas run low many times. Same kind of issue started to happen. My brother took a look at it and thought it might be the fuel filter considering how I was letting the gas get low. We replaced the fuel filter. Now, before it would crank but not turn over. Now it will turn over and start but die right away. Instinct says passlock but there's no anti theft light on. I think I hear the fuel pump priming so I doubt that is the issue, especially since it does start for a moment. I'm wondering if maybe there is some pressure in the fuel line which is causing the fuel pump to not send enough gas to the engine but I'm at a loss right now. Anyone have any ideas that I didn't think of save the ignition switch or sensors? (I doubt those last two are the problems) Thanks in advance!
The fuel system has a return line on it... so if it's running, and not using fuel, it will just cycle back to the tank.
I would put money your pump being bad.
Ditto, run a fuel pressure test.
You know I had the exact same thing start to happen to my 91 S-10. Whenever the gas got low or I was driving up an incline with a low gas level it would start to sputter out. On a hunch I ran a bottle of 'dry gas' with a fresh tank of gas and the problem dissapeared! Best $1.50 I ever spent. Apparently some water had collected in the tank over time.
Ipud wrote:We put Jap Traps on cinder blocks around here. We don't wave the American flag for novelty
I proudly own American cars, nothing else....
Sure you put the fuel filter back in the exact way it came out if its backwards it will allow a small amount of gas to run through but wont keep it running
Erik Packard
This would be a good point since I think both ends are the same size IIRC
