Engine quit, Car has 3/4's fuel, guage reads.

Tiny
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The large connectors are the ones iam concerned with I only see the white and the grey connectors in the pics but not the black one?What iam looking at is the terminal opens where they go into and connect to the fuse box terminals they shouldn't be open. They should be closed so make a good connection. In the pics some of them look open compared to others in the pics do you see what iam talking about?
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 AT 5:38 PM
Tiny
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No, I don't see them to be open to the point of not connecting, but I'll take it apart again and have another look. I didn't bother with the black (large) connectors because I checked the fuses across the top and have power on both sides, and that would indicate a good connection, wouldn't it? I'll have another look to check if they are open too much, but I doubt that the terminals are the fault. The only reason to question them was the fact that I did (once upon a time) get life at the guage and the pump. But only once. Might that just have been a coincidence?

What would be the common cause of no spark, an empty indication on the fuel guage, and the security light staying on only for a few seconds after the key is turned on?
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 AT 6:21 PM
Tiny
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Okay, just opened it up again, black connector photo attached. Should I try to bend some of the pins?
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 AT 6:35 PM
Tiny
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I call it more then coindencie most likely a poor connection or bad fuse box I have seen a few bad fuse boxes here and there. There really isnt any common reasons for all those things to go wrong.I really wish I was there to help you out you cant see the terminals that are open more then the other ones?They should all look closed. What I do is take a little pick and insert it where the terminal starts to bend and go back down into the terminal.I bend it closed on one side of the bend and then the other side. Also when the bolts holding the connectors in arent tight causes issues also.
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 AT 9:40 PM
Tiny
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I did try to open some of the pins, almost impossible to get something in to open them up. I tried to remove a pin through the bottom to make it easier to spread, but couldn't get the pin to release. I pulled the blue plastic pin holder, still was unable to push the pin out. What a PITA. I will open the box again and try harder to spread the pins some. I even used an ice pick, and even that was too big to get into it to spread it open. Will give it another try.
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Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 AT 11:57 PM
Tiny
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I opened the fuse box and used a tiny flat screwdriver to pry open any of the pins that looked to be a problem, put everything back together, and nothing has changed. Still no fuel guage, no fuel pump action, no spark. We touched on this before, how about the CPI? I read that it controls the entire starting sequence. You said it might be a bad fuse box, should I go to the junk yard and pull one tomorrow? Along with a CPI? Another BCM?
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Thursday, November 15th, 2012 AT 3:12 AM
Tiny
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For whatever it's worth, I went to the junk yard today and bought a very clean fuse box, complete with all the fuses and relays. Removed the original one and installed the new, and nothing. No improvement. Should I give up on this?
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Thursday, November 15th, 2012 AT 10:47 PM
Tiny
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Alright while cranking the engine do you have power out of the grey wire from the underhood fuse box?Also do you have a constant power to both sides of the fuel pump fuse?
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Friday, November 16th, 2012 AT 7:34 PM
Tiny
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Welcome back. I checked and there is power at the fuel pump, while cranking and also while at rest. I noted this last week, but unsure of what you mean by "to both sides". With the fuse in place there is power to both sides, but not when the fuse is removed. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?
As for the "grey wire from the under hood fuse box", I see two grey wires, one goes to the 10amp fuse that reads Injector (L4), the other to Controls IGN 1. They both show power while cranking and also when not cranking but with the key in the on position. Can't remember if I mentioned that I can get the pump to come alive if I jump the relay.
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Sunday, November 18th, 2012 AT 4:28 PM
Tiny
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So the grey wire has power all the time at the inline connector back by the gas tank?If so the fuel fuel pump would be running all the time if your ground to the fuel pump was good
Have you checked the actual fuel pressure yet?
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Sunday, November 18th, 2012 AT 5:58 PM
Tiny
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You asked if I had power while cranking at the grey wire from the underhood fuse box. I said there are two grey wires in the fusebox, and I said what they connected to. There is power at both these fuses when the key is in the on position, and also while cranking. I guess I was not clear about the location where you wanted me to check the grey wire. I didn't know that you wanted me to be looking at a grey wire at the fuel pump.

I never checked the fuel pressure, don't have a guage, but there is a lot of pressure when I depress the valve on the fuel rail.

Getting back to the grey wire, do I have to drop the tank to be able to get at the connector, or is there another junction where I can access it?
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Sunday, November 18th, 2012 AT 8:22 PM
Tiny
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Right behind the gas tank there is a inline connector you test there if there is fuel pressure then the pump must be working. They rent fuel pressure testers at auto zone.
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Sunday, November 18th, 2012 AT 10:38 PM
Tiny
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I'll jack the car, locate the connector and check the grey wire for power. My guess is that there will be power. It's Sunday night here now so I won't be able to get a fuel pressure tester until tomorrow. Is there anything else I can check at this time?
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Sunday, November 18th, 2012 AT 11:54 PM
Tiny
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On the fuel injector connector one wire will have battery voltage with the key in the run position. The other wire will have a pulsing ground while cranking. To check the pulse ground get a led test light.
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 2:34 AM
Tiny
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Another day. Checked terminal at the injector, 12v on one pin, no pulse to ground on the other while cranking. Still don't have a fuel pressure guage, but there is good pressure at the rail when the pump has been run and the valve is depressed. There is no spark to the spark plugs, never has been. What could be causing that?
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 8:44 PM
Tiny
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The anti theft will shut down the injector pulse but not the fuel pressure or the spark. See if you can rent a code reader from auto zone while your there I want to know if we can talk to the computer or have codes. Could be a failed ecm.
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 8:58 PM
Tiny
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Maybe another clue. Forgot to tell you that the trunk release remote button isn't working anymore. It was working at the beginning of this starting problem, I used it to open the trunk before I jacked the car up. I'm going to unbolt the main ground to see if there is any corrosion. Could a bad computer be the reason for no spark at the plugs, and no pulsating ground at the injector?
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 9:11 PM
Tiny
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Okay, I'll try to rent a reader at NAPA, already tried Auto Zone, they won't do it. I might have to buy one, does it need to be anything special beyond OBD ll?
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 9:21 PM
Tiny
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Yes the computer controls spark and injector pulse. So you live incalifonia?I would get one that can read live engine data there is a nice one on amazon that can do that for like 50 something.
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 9:39 PM
Tiny
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Just had a buddy come by with a scanner. He plugged it in and it came up ECM error. He said he doubted the ECM was bad, he seemed to think I had a bad ground. Will check grounds next. So I will look for something that will read live data. I live in NY.
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Monday, November 19th, 2012 AT 10:24 PM

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