check your fuel filter? another member also just had a kink in his fuel line from the pump, make sure its all nice and straight.

 

The line going in the bottom of the filter is actually twisted like someone was trying to break loose the bolt and kept turning the whole filter but I've been driving it like that for a yr now, just realized it... Would that cause the car to totally stop running out of no where? Plus I dont think the pump is even priming when I turn the key to on.

 

im not sure how loud these fuel pumps are supposed to be as i cant hear the pump prime on my car from the drivers seat.

the bent fuel line could possibly cause a reduced flow, and maybe got a clog in the bent. whoever mangled it that badly though and didnt break the line is pretty lucky though.

 

"Replaced the ECU today and still no change" the ECU is not controlling a fuel pump operation on these cars!!
Bend in the pipe should cause fuel starvation on high speed and possibly prevent the car from running .

 

Had someone come to diagnose it they said the EFI relay & fuse are fine, also the circuit opening relay is fine. They said the pump connector under the rear seat was only getting 5.3v and it was from a bad ECU. Replaced the ECU today and still no change. This car is driving me crazy. What can the problem be? I don't think I have a broken wire out of no where. Any ideas?

Jumping terminals +B and FP does nothing at all. Also jumped the 2 terminals (forget which ones it is) to try and pull a error code and it just keeps blinking steadily which the haynes manual says is normal, no codes.

You will need to find out whether that was 5.3V with the pump plugged in or not.

Also, as Dr. J noted, the ECU has nothing to do with controlling the fuel pump. The fuel pump relay (called the Circuit Opening Relay by Toyota on this car) is activated by the key in the "Start" position or the Air Flow Meter flap being open. The fuel pump does not prime in the key "On" position.

It is very quiet, but the key in the "On" position with the Fp and B+ connections jumpered should allow you to hear the fuel pump operating.

Fix that mangled fuel line and go from there. it sounds like you need more info on the electrical side of things too.

-Charlie

 

Ok I was thinking of taking a wire and running it from positive on battery cable to the positive on the pump connector to test if its an electrical problem. Theres a few different wires on the connector, does anyone have a diagram or know which wire is positive? Also can I just run from positive battery terminal to the positive pump wire or will I need to run from negative to negative or ground as well? This is just to test not permanent.

 

As an avionics tech, i read wiring diagrams daily. On page 308 of the Haynes repair manual, it appears the White/black wire at the fuel pump is ground and the Blue/Black wire at the fuel pump is power. You can verify with a multimeter or test light. The manual doesn't show any other wires going to the fuel pump that I see.

Using even the cheapest multimeter will tell you if you have any shorts/opens in those wires. Very simple test. If you need more details on how to check all your connections, let me know and i'll tell you where to start shooting wires.

EDIT: The manual does show other wires spliced off those power and grounds so perhaps those are the wires you see. Take a pic if you can to verify what you see. Also, power flows in this order to the FP. Battery>40amp FL main (fuse)>15amp EFI (fuse)>EFI main relay>Circuit opening relay>Fuel pump.

 

The fuel pumps on these cars aren't audible at all from my experiences. You can't hear them even if you put your head right above it with the rear sear off.

 

It's been a while, but if I recall correctly the fuel pump is internal to the fuel tank. Before blaming fuel supply issues I would look to the Neutral Safety switch as they have been known to cause issues of all sorts...

Hope this helps...

AF

 

Theres a few different wires on the connector, does anyone have a diagram or know which wire is positive?
I afraid these wires are going to the fuel level sender
The gas pump has 2 pin connector:
blue wire with black strip - the positive one
and the white with black strip - negative to the ground
Also, the neutral safety switch has nothing to do with the gas pump operation!

 

Also, the neutral safety switch has nothing to do with the gas pump operation!

I never said it did. All I said was to not jump to conclusions and assume it's a fuel supply issue. It may very well be a fuel pump/fuel supply/fuel filter issue but that's not the only thing that could cause the engine to crank but not start. It could be an ignition problem i. e. neutral safety switch, or some other ignition safety interlock. It's worth it to check, simply bypass the switch as a test and if it starts then you know you are good. If not, check for a failed ignition coil pack with a VOM. If all that fails, then start looking at the fuel system. It's just a suggestion I've offered from past experience, not the word of God.

*a word of caution, if you start messing around with electrical connections involving the fuel pump, get a can of DeOxit and an old but clean toothbrush and clean the connectors, and make sure all of your grounds are solid. SAFETY FIRST.

-AF

 

UPDATE: GOT IT TO START!! FINALLY!!

So I was planning on junking it this week but got a feeling to look at it once more. Put a ground wire on the white/black wire on the connector and my amp power wire to the blue/white wire and pump worked but car wouldnt start.

Then I decided to hook the fuel pump connector back up and jump the Fp & +B terminals one more time. Did that put it in start position and pump worked but car still wouldn't start.

Then I realized the ECU was still unplugged. Hooked it back up and it started! Wont start without a wire jumping the Fp & +B terminals but that tells me its not a wiring issue.

So it has to be a relay right? I'm thinking the guy who tested the relays was full of shi+. Which one should I replace?

 

The check-engine light not coming on should have been a hint that the ECU was unplugged.

The relay that controls the fuel pump is called the Circuit Opening Relay, and it is attached on/near the ECU.

If replacing that doesn't fix the problem, you might have something wrong with your AFM (the air flow meter, on top of the air box). If the phillips head screws on the top were ever removed, it can damage the internals of the AFM. The electrical plug to is should be removed by moving the small metal c-clip, not the screws.

-Charlie

 

Ok cool thats what I thought, already ordered the opening circuit relay. Hopefully thats it.

 

Ok so I got the relay, hooked it up and it started and ran fine... shut it off did some more work that needed to be done (checked exhaust tape, attched exhaust heat shield) then started it again ran fine but then sputtered and died and wont start again. took the maf sensor off, put the key on and opened the flap and I hear the fuel going through, also took the banjo nut off the fuel filter again and this time fuel leaked out so im guessing that means theres not a blockage in the lines? WTF why wont it start NOW?

 

Did you accidentally unscrew the two screws on the top of the AFM? That is a pretty common mistake and might cause the 'start then die' you are describing. Also check for vacuum leaks, etc.

Oh, and the intake tube between the AFM and the throttle body must be in place and leak free for the car to run.

-Charlie

 

Nope didnt unscrew them unhooked the 2 clips to remove wire. Tube is connected and could a vacuum leak start out of no where? It was running fine 30-45mins before I started it up again. Also never had any problems before the relay went in the 1st place. Any chance it can be the fuel filter not letting through ENOUGH fuel?

 

UPDATE: Went and took another look figuring I'd change the fuel filter just to rule that out. Well It took about an hr but I got it off. Then I turned car to start and when I moved the afm sensor flap fuel came out then stopped. Isn't it supposed to be a steady stream as long as I hold the flap open? I hear the pump working just no fuel coming out. Is this normal or does that narrow it down to clogged fuel line or possibly no gas getting to the pump? I have about 1/2 tank but I'm parked on a decline with front going down.

 

I think you mean the RUN position, not the START position, right? (the start position would engage the starter motor, and should also turn on the Circuit Opening Relay to power the fuel pump without the AFM flap opening)

The next step is to check for power to the fuel pump in these situations. You'll need to hook up a voltmeter or test light between the blue-black (power) wire and the white-black (ground) wire to the pump. You can access it under the rear seat bottom.

-Charlie

 

Not sure exactly what it says but I mean the position where I turn the key on but not all the way where it starts turning over. What would cause the pump to run only when the afm flap is open or the fp & +b terminals are jumped? The opening circuit it new and I hear it clicking when I turn the key on.

Also any clue about the fuel not coming out steady with the afm flap open?

 

On 83 Camry the fuel pump check valve broke off and plugged the fuel line; a good blow of compressed air from the filter fitting cleared the fuel line.
Check the condition of the ground point under left headlight; failure of this connection will make fuel pump to run only with Fp and B+ bridged