michaelrogers
LVC Member
I had a problem shortly after buying my 2002 V8 that I just thought to share with you guys.
The car would infrequently not want to start, or start and then run very rough, and sometimes it would be running fine and then just start running rough or even die. The thing was, when it ran fine, it was flawless, smooth. So I ruled out spark and air provisionally as unlikely, though possible. That left gas.
I searched this forum and came to the theory that I had a bad fuel pump. This made sense because the car, when it floundered, ran like it was starved for gas. I read here that when the tank was low, the pump was not as cool, and it could overheat. But that didn't fit either, because it would happen at a cold start on a cold California day (oxymoron, I know
).
No Check Engine light, but I hooked up my OBDII anyway, and got a code for the "secondary fuel pump circuit". There is a sensor, a diode, some kind of regulator, and a relay. I ran all this past the dealer, and of course, he couldn't tell me anything "without seeing the car", meaning pilfering me for cash even though they probably had a good idea what it was.
I looked at the four components, and realized this relay is in the hood fuse block. OK, if they put a relay next to a fuse and it plugs in like a fuse, it only makes sense it may need to be replaced once in a while, or why make it easy and simple? The relay was $14. The diode was in the trunk fuse block, $7. I asked the dealer about the relay and they said "they are rarely replaced" and not likely the problem. Again, so why make it easy if that is the case? Argh!
Put in the relay anyway, and the problem has never come back after 6 weeks. I later put in the diode on the general principle that something so cheap is good insurance, but don't know if it was worth it. Diodes are pretty reliable solid state components, while relays are electro-mechanical accidents waiting to happen.
I think it is fixed, and for $14 and 5 minutes of time (not counting time spent knocking my head against the wall).
FYI
The car would infrequently not want to start, or start and then run very rough, and sometimes it would be running fine and then just start running rough or even die. The thing was, when it ran fine, it was flawless, smooth. So I ruled out spark and air provisionally as unlikely, though possible. That left gas.
I searched this forum and came to the theory that I had a bad fuel pump. This made sense because the car, when it floundered, ran like it was starved for gas. I read here that when the tank was low, the pump was not as cool, and it could overheat. But that didn't fit either, because it would happen at a cold start on a cold California day (oxymoron, I know
). No Check Engine light, but I hooked up my OBDII anyway, and got a code for the "secondary fuel pump circuit". There is a sensor, a diode, some kind of regulator, and a relay. I ran all this past the dealer, and of course, he couldn't tell me anything "without seeing the car", meaning pilfering me for cash even though they probably had a good idea what it was.
I looked at the four components, and realized this relay is in the hood fuse block. OK, if they put a relay next to a fuse and it plugs in like a fuse, it only makes sense it may need to be replaced once in a while, or why make it easy and simple? The relay was $14. The diode was in the trunk fuse block, $7. I asked the dealer about the relay and they said "they are rarely replaced" and not likely the problem. Again, so why make it easy if that is the case? Argh!
Put in the relay anyway, and the problem has never come back after 6 weeks. I later put in the diode on the general principle that something so cheap is good insurance, but don't know if it was worth it. Diodes are pretty reliable solid state components, while relays are electro-mechanical accidents waiting to happen.
I think it is fixed, and for $14 and 5 minutes of time (not counting time spent knocking my head against the wall).
FYI
