2000 chevy malibu problem

[SilentShado]

car has the 3.1 engine. Friends daughter was going to work and she said the car slowly decelerating then died. I went to go see and I can crank on the thing for ever but it wont catch. I can hear the fuel pump relay click but I didn't hear the fuel pump kick on. So I sprayed some starter fluid into the throttle body and it ran until it exhausted the fluid. So I am assuming fuel pump or could it be the relay? I also read about something with the theft lock another possible cause? Lastly can I access the pump from under the rear seat or does the tank have to come out?

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[jbigalow]

car has the 3.1 engine. Friends daughter was going to work and she said the car slowly decelerating then died. I went to go see and I can crank on the thing for ever but it wont catch. I can hear the fuel pump relay click but I didn't hear the fuel pump kick on. So I sprayed some starter fluid into the throttle body and it ran until it exhausted the fluid. So I am assuming fuel pump or could it be the relay? I also read about something with the theft lock another possible cause? Lastly can I access the pump from under the rear seat or does the tank have to come out?

turn on the key a few times to prime it (relay is activatin) and use a philips screwdriver to depress the shrader valve on the fuel rail to the left of the PS pump reservoir, nothing comes out its not pumping fuel.
i dont recal exactly but the access, if it has it, will be int he front floor fo the trunk. you can check the wires going to the pump if you have 12v for 2 seconds during the KO fp prime...if the car has 100k+ then its prob the pump. i have seen relay terminals that were arced to death before so dont just asume the pump is bad go ahead and check for the 12v.

btw every one of the relays ive found arced to death usually had a plugged fuel filter and a pump drawwing 12+amps after the initial startup surge.
so change out the filter while yer doing it or youll just kill the new pump

edit its me t400sbc just sso ya dont think jbigassho isnt blowing smoke up yer arse

 

[SilentShado]

when I unscrewed the cap on the scrader valve I got a dribble of gas, then when I depressed the valve I got some gas out of it but I thought I was gonna get hosed down. I mean it was more of a dribble then a pressurized spray.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

it woulda sprayed out at ya unless the fuel pressure regulator or pump one way valve are leaking down pressure.
press in and have someone cycle the key on, it'll spurt for 2 seconds at a fairly large rate if the pumps moving fuel

fyi the gas dribbling out when you removed the cap means the valve core may be leaking...fuel should only come out if te core tip is depressed

 

[SilentShado]

thanks man, what would you suggest I try first? The relay, or just go for the pump? Or are there other tips or tricks?

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

go for the pump first

this is one of the tricks of the diagnostic flowcharts....check power/ground then go to the end of the test chart and work your way up lol

check for +12v and ground at the pump connection
you should see two black, one gray, one purple
purple will be the fuel gauge
blacks are grounds
gray will be FP +battV

or smack the bottom of the fuel tank with a mallet a buncha times fairly hard while someone cranks the motor...youll likely jar it back to life for a short time....