Drive It Forever

Tag : Fuel Pressure System

Q. I have a 1996 Plymouth Breeze, and since I had the fuel pumpreplaced - with a used pump - the car won't start normally. When Istart my car, it cranks over like it's going to start, but itdoesn't. I have to do that two or three times to get it to start.If I start the car, turn it off, and start it right back up, itcranks over on the first try, the way it should.
A. I'll make an educated guess that the fuel system is losing itsprime, and you need to cycle the key a couple of times to have thepump run fuel up the fuel lines into the injectors.
But it may not be the pump's fault. There's a check valve in thepump to keep the fuel from running back into the tank. That valvemay be bad. A small leak in the fuel-pressure regulator couldproduce the same effect. Or one or more of the fuel injectors maybe slowly leaking fuel into the intake manifold.
You're right to think that the pump may be to blame, given that theproblem surfaced so soon after it was replaced. But it could alsobe that some dirt was introduced into the system when the new pumpwas installed. It takes only a small piece of gunk to settle undera valve seat or in the pintle of a fuel injector to jam it open.
Here's a workaround: Instead of cranking the starter incessantlyand prematurely wearing out it and your battery, simply cycle theignition key on for a few seconds before hitting the starter. Thepump will run for a few seconds, until the engine-managementcomputer realizes that the crankshaft isn't turning and shuts offthe pump. Repeat this key-on, key-off cycle two or three times topressurize the line.
Also try adding some fuel-injection cleaner to the tank to see ifthat improves the situation at all.
Q. I tuned up my friend's 2000 Ford Escort. Now, when she turns on theheat, you get a smell of gas. I replaced the fuel filter andchecked the connections. Could the heater core be bad? When theheat is off, you don't get any smell.
A. There is nothing that smells like gasoline in the heater core.You've got a leak in a fuel line or in anevaporative-emissions-system hose, a solenoid valve that's stuck orany of a hundred other things.
But it's not the heater core: Fuel or fuel vapor is being suckedinto the plenum from inside the engine compartment.
Q. I have a 2005 Volvo XC70. When it was approaching 20,000 miles, Ithought I should have the tire rotation done.
My husband told me that his BMW dealership had warned him that acar with all-wheel drive should not have tire rotation done, or itwill lose all-wheel-drive function. I got online to research more.I couldn't find anything to indicate that a car with all-wheeldrive should not have tire rotation.
A. Every industry source I could find says that all-wheel-drive carsneed regular tire rotation, the same as any other vehicle.Twenty-thousand miles is kind of late - I'd rotate every 10,000miles.
Q. I have a 2002 Dodge full-size B-350 Maxiwagon, a 15-passenger van.I use it mostly for hunting and camping trips. You never have topack anything, just throw it in and slam the door. Nice!
Except for one small quirk: In colder weather all the windows fogup, unless I turn the defroster on full blast. Only the defroster!Then they stay clear. If I turn on a multiple setting, such as thedefroster and lower discharge for the feet, everything fogs up inminutes.
Not too hard to deal with in the spring and fall here in Wisconsin,but during the winter it's terribly cold on the feet. Anysuggestions?
A. Are you running in fresh-air or recirculate mode? Fresh-air modewill keep the windows dryer.
Otherwise, my only suggestion is a couple of aftermarket fans tomove some more air around.