Cannot get the fuel pump to activate to send fuel

Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 159,000 MILES
I have a 1998 nissan altima gle car that I cannot start. I purchased this car from someone that had the same problem and got tired of messing with it. He told me that he got it running once and it ran down the road and back, he cut it off and on a couple of times and it started fine. But later on that day the car would not star again at all. So I have tried to fiddle with car awhile now and I cannot figure out what is wrong with car. I cannot get the fuel pump to activate to send fuel to car.


I also put the code scan tool on car but the scanner said that it was unable to connect to the system of the car, and there was not a battery hooked to car for months when I bought it so there wouldnt be ant codes in system but why would it say it is unable to communicate with system.
I have tested the fuel pump by putting 12 volts directly from a spare battery and the pump worked. I traced the pump wires all the way up to the front drivers door under the trim and I put 12 volts battery power directly to them and the pump worked. I found and tested the fuse and it was ok. I swapped out fuel pump relays and the fuel pump still did not work. The fuel pump relay is the brown relay on the fuse panel top right on the drivers side under dash right?
i disconnected fuel line from the fuel filter and and jump 12 volts from a spare battery to the fuel pump wires and the gas squirted from the line, so there is no blockage in the lines
I put a test light on the fuel relay connector on the fuse panel to see if I was getting voltage on that connector and the light did light up.
I also sprayed some engine starter fluid into the throttle body and the car started up until it burned all the starter fluid up.
this is what I have tried and I do not know what else to do. I know I can take car to a mechanic but I wanted to do the job myself so that I can save alot of money they are going to charge for something maybe pretty simple. Thanks
Thursday, September 6th, 2012 AT 2:06 AM

11 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Ok, in the cavity for the relay, is there 2 hot wires? One will be hot all the time and the other with the key on only.

Roy
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 39 POSTS
Roy,
I tested the fuel pump relay cavity and there was 2 wires that was hot all the time and one that was hot when key was on. My fuel pump relay has 6 terminals on it it that is any importance. Thanks
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Did you check for power to the pump with the key on?

Roy
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
The fuel pump relay works only on 4 wires. Terminal 1 & 3 must have battery voltage at all times.
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 39 POSTS
So am I testing and looking at the right relay? I do not have any repair manual to look up which relay is the fuel pump relay. I went by what I read off some forums on the internet which one was it. So if this is not the right one can you refer me to the correct relay? The relay I am going on is the on the fuse block under the left side (drivers side ) closest to the door under the dash panel. The relay is brown in color an is at the very top of the fuse block with another relay to the left of it which is blue. And there is 3 more relays under these two. Let me know if I am correct in the relay I am testing. Also this relay has 6 terminals on it not 4 and #3 and #6 terminals have power on them all the time, #2 has power on it when ignition is turned on. The #1 terminal has no power with key on or off. But this is with the 6 terminal relay cavity I am using. Lmk
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Sorry our database does not idicate which is the correct relay.
I have only 3 relays shown.
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 39 POSTS
Ok none of those shown on the diagramis the fuel pump relay. The diagram you sent is almost exactly like the one in my car under dash except there are two more on top of the three shown on your picture. Do you know where the fuel pump relay is located on my car ust in case I do not have the right one, and where do I go from here if I do have the correct relay. None of my relays have what they are anywhere on them or the panel or the cover over the fuse box.
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
One of the two extra should be the fuel pump relay. If you can see the wire of the relay, they are Black/Blue (Terminal # 1), Black/Pink ( T #2 ), Black/White ( T #3 ) and Blue/Yellow (T #5)
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 39 POSTS
Roy I want to thank you for the assistance on the fuel pump problem I had. The help you gave me on the wire color for the pump relay was right on. I got bad info from another source and that took up alot of time and work. But now the pump is working the car still will not start but the pump is now working.

What I have tried first is putting starting fluid directly into the throttle body and the car fired right up until the fluid was gone.
Next I tested each spark plug wire coming from coil to see if I was getting fire, and all 4 wires were firing up.
Next I done a test to see if there was power on the fuel injector connectors and all 4 connectors had 12 volts on them.
Next I tested the injectors with my ohm meter and the 4 injectors all tested 11.3 to 11.6 resistance and my repair manual showed that the injectors should have resistance of 10 to 14.
Next I read that if the pressure regulator had any king of fuel coming out of it that the diafram in the regulator was busted and needs to be replaced. When I took the pressure regulator hose off the regulator there was fuel dripping from it. And when I turned key on to car to engage pump the fuel poured out of the regulator. Is it suppose to do that and if not does that mean that the regulator is bad? Or if not what do I need to check next to get car going. Thank
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
DAVIDDLW
  • MEMBER
  • 39 POSTS
Am I going to have to make another donation to have further assistance with my problem. Lmk
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
I thought I was done here.

You have a problem with the injectors circuit. They are not pulsing and that couls mean a fault with the PCM or cam sensor.
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Sunday, August 26th, 2018 AT 12:11 PM

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