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1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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NaymzJaymz
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Jun 24, 2019, 2:00 PM
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1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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1995 Buick LeSabre 3.8L V6 134k miles Yesterday I jacked up the back of this vehicle to replace the rear brakes. I left the rear raised overnight, and upon finishing the brakes this morning the vehicle cranks fine, but won't start. Turning the key to the run position, the sound of the pump being energized is audible at the fuel inlet. The engine fires(briefly) immediately with starting fluid, and the spark seems fine. Upon disconnecting the fuel line, there is no gas coming from the tank while cranking. This fuel pump only has about 20K miles on it. The tank is not very full(about 1/8 tank), but the gas flows freely from the fuel line when I lower it, just from the siphon effect. Is there any chance that the rear being raised like that had any effect? Should I chalk this up to bad luck and do the fuel pump again? I'm sure the moderators are fed to the teeth with posts like this, but I did read the forum rules and tried to do some rudimentary troubleshooting first. Just trying to maybe save a few of my scarce dollars if I can before going to a professional. Thank you.
(This post was edited by NaymzJaymz on Jun 24, 2019, 2:04 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 24, 2019, 2:45 PM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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It's possible the fuel drained away from the compartment where the pump is located but should come back after being parked on level ground for a while. You really shouldn't run your fuel that low. It is very bad for the pump and shortens it's life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 24, 2019, 3:27 PM)
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 24, 2019, 3:20 PM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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True - never run (HT had a typo there is RUN where 'fun' was said) low on fuel - that would do this up to burn out fuel pump. Other by now is check wires at pump and plugs. Take them apart and lube those or replace if needed can part work or will soon just by age. Other is this could be OBDII that you can't read now IDK where you could find a connector! Tough year, Buicks only I think otherwise good car. OK, one more: Watch out for PS and trans coolers on these for front not this time. Look where lines run and a heat exchanger is! OMG right where you can bust those just jacking or rust in time fast when in salted roads ever it couldn't be or wouldn't be here now. Move those if you have time they are just poorly placed just a stone in the road can bust those two things anywhere at anytime! Everything has some flaw that was one, Tom
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NaymzJaymz
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Jun 24, 2019, 3:55 PM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Thank you HT and Tom. I should've mentioned that I did the OBDll and did not get any codes, and I was very careful about placing the jack on the frame rail. Sounds like I may have murdered it by letting it get so low on fuel, which I've done many times. That might be the lesson that comes from this. Would it be worth it to put some more fuel in the tank and see if it starts? Thanks again.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 24, 2019, 4:16 PM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Anything that pumps except by "diaphragm" action like any type of pump needs lube of what it's pumping. The damage is permanent it can burn out or wear out lubed items by what it's pumping. Follow me? Car is and seems old but really isn't Buick but first Oldsmobile did stuff ahead of other cars or GM divisions and this was one year they did. My own late Dad owned this car new had no miles offered it to me an I refused it for free he was so bad on a car you wouldn't want one of his! Miss him forget the cars. He hated hot cars in sun so parked on wet dirt under a pitch pine tree. It's a salt use state for snow/ice doesn't go away reactivates when wet all year. His parking off pavement made car so wet plus hit rocks under it bent oil pans, broke the coolers was re-routing them or by-passing them he never drove more than a few miles didn't need the extremes of stuff or just bust it again and again. His had lots of toys - options. T/C meant traction control on this a button. If slipping even just wet road would feel like a blown transmission switching which wheel got power. Just the dumb luck was this car well equipped or plain I think now all were 3.8 engines it's been quite a while now when I had to know, Tom
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Hammer Time
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Jun 24, 2019, 5:01 PM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Sure, try putting 5 gallons in it. Not too much as you may have to drop the tank to change the pump later. After you do that, try banging on the bottom of the tank with a rubber hammer ot block of wood while a helper tries to start it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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NaymzJaymz
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Jun 25, 2019, 8:14 AM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Okay guys, here goes one more post. I don't want to keep this thread going forever since you have other things to do. I put 5 gallons of gas in the tank and it fired right up. I drove it a couple miles and parked it, but resisted the urge to rush in here and tell you guys. Good thing since it now won't start again. Taking into account the things you said previously, can you guys please sum it up for me and help me glean what I can from this? Is it simply time for putting in another fuel pump and not making the mistake of letting it run so low? Could it be anything else? Thanks so much for helping me.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 25, 2019, 9:53 AM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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It probably is time for a new fuel pump and gas buying habits. I would first confirm that you have no fuel pressure when this happens. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
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Jun 25, 2019, 10:31 AM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Ditto: This one if you want and need this car I'd waste the $$ and time just do the pump! That IS why they fail at the pump. Do ask for an OE whole unit not just pump or it's just adding risk even new. Cars are costly any which way if you know this one you should know what you have. Fuel habit as HT said. Just quit that. Fuel still should be kept on the full side if only because the dang ethanol used absorbs water out of air that displaces used up fuel has water in it wrecks more things! Stop that habit it's now just sense and do use it up this fuel now for a while is junk so use it up. Additives? I can't prove they help but do use fuel Stabil brand and mark how old it is still and use that up from sealed containers or use it for weed killer - that bad, T
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Hammer Time
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Jun 25, 2019, 10:45 AM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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Never go below 1/4 tank ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Sidom
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Jun 25, 2019, 11:21 AM
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Re: 1995 Buick no fuel and fuel line.
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As HT posted, 1st confirm no fuel pressure. Then while it isn't starting you need to get a voltmeter and check for power and ground back at the connector, keeping in mind that there will only be power for 2 seconds (unless it starts) so you need to be setup and read to read the meter as soon as some on turns on the key... A quick cheat would be to swap out the fuel pump relay with another one in the box to see if this gets it to start.
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