Help! Ran out of Gas, now car won't start

[MrJFK]

I picked up my 1992 C4 today and drove it from Columbus, Ohio to Richmond, VA. The car has 71,000 miles on it and has no issues, the previous owner took very good care of it. The car was showing 51 Miles Distance to Empty and had one bar on the Gas Gauge, I was in the process of pulling off the Hiway, when the car sputtered and felt like it was either running out of gas or the fuel pump was bad. It finally stopped and would not restart, even after I put 5 gallons of fuel in it. I had it towed home. Here is the diagnostic I have done so far:

*I checked the fuel pump fuses (both of them) and neither are blown.
*The Fuel pump is not making the sound like it is working when the key goes to the on postion.

Do C-4 Corvettes have an inertia switch? (I am Former Msutang Guy and they all had them) If so, where is it located?

I am going to assume that I burned out the fuel pump becasue the car ran out of gas as I was driving it and the fuel was no longer lubricating the pump. Of course this really angers me as the Distance to Empty showed 51 Miles left... WTF? Do C4 Corvettes typcially give errounous fuel readings?

Bottome line?? How hard is it to access and repalce the fuel pump? Does it require dropping the fuel tank? (I'm praying no.. )

 

[John Robinson]

Fuel Pump

Welcome to the I think you already know the problem no fuel no cooling for pump. As for the gauge you got snake bit by not having any experience with your new car and unfortunatly you found out the hard way that gauges can be wrong.

The fuel pump is one of the easyist things to work on. You do not have to drop the tank just remove the fuel filler door and the tank and fuel pump opening is right there. You might do a search and find some good information on replacing the pump.

 

[tcolyer]

Try putting a test light on the fuse and see if you get power when you turn key on for 2 sec. If not check your relay or computer output. You can also check with a test light at the plug at the tank

 

[MrJFK]

Problem Solved!

Here is an update, I bought the Fuel Pump and installed it today. It took a little under 2 hours to do. It was a very easy install. Afterwards, the car still would not start. I had someone turn the key into the on position and I stood above the fuel tank and no humming noise from the pump. I immediately assumed it MUST be the fuel relay. So, I bought a relay, searched this site and one other and could not find a link to anyone that successfully replaced a fuel relay and detailed exactly where it was. Some folks said it was under the passenger side dash pad…. Ha! Now that’s a fun project. I still have no idea how to take off the panel that sits under the glove box. I’m thinking that only GOD himself or the ghost of Zora Arkus Duntov knows how.

In the process of trying to figure out how to take this panel off (The lower black one easily came off with three screws, but still no access to the relays or the “secondary fuse box”) I decided to look at the fuses again to be sure none of them were blown.


Guess WHAT??!!!!!! The one marked FP was blown. I replaced it and the car started right up, no problems. Why I didn’t see the one marked FP the other night when the police officer, tow truck driver and my girlfriend were all standing over me on Interstate 64 is a mystery to me, kinda like the great pyramids of Egypt. I think I was only looking at the ones marked Fuel Injection.

Bottom line? I over thought this, and should have methodically stuck to the basics. Check the fuses dummy.

Because I’m still curious, does anyone have a picture link to how to find and replace the fuel relay?

 

[Eagle]

Thanks for sharing what you found. By the way, I purchased a 95 aqua blue from a dealer in Richmond just before last Christmas. Am really enoying it.

 

[MusclecarJohn]

I killed the F/P on my '91 Z28 one time by being too much in a hurry to get to work
and not stopping for gas when I should have:eyerole
and I HAD to drop the tank on that car, What a P.I.T.A:ugh:ugh

 

[MusclecarJohn]

BTW Glad to hear you Vette is rollin' again !

 

[tcolyer]

Because I’m still curious, does anyone have a picture link to how to find and replace the fuel relay? [/quote
This should help with relay location and diagnosis info