03 not starting

[PHROG]

After a prolonged storage (years), 03 started and ran for a few seconds, died and will not restart. Battery has had a maintainer on it and never has been low. Fuel pump reset and fuse have been verified. It has at least 5 gallons of gas. ( added because gauge showed empty.) I feel like the problem might be w/VATS, but don't know where to look.

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[airpirate413]

I have a 2002 tbird. Same exact thing. Good battery, I took off fuel pump relay and manually reset with a small screw driver. Put back relay and nothing. Engine cranked but no start. Another thing I did was spray starter fliud in intake. Car stated and ran for 5 seconds. I also took off fuel line at fuel filter. Then I cranked engine and no fuel came out. Reverified pump pressure at engine fuel rail port with gauge and no pressure. Double checked relays and fues in all boxes. They also checked good. Only thing left was to pull fuel pump. Main fuel pump is right behind passenger seat. I asked ford dealer on costs to repair. They quoted $1100 in parts and $800 labor. I bought new fuel pump with lifetime warranty at Oreillys auto parts. Also rented fuel pump removal tool at auto zone (you need this). Me and my buddy completed task in 4 hours. Runs like a bat out of hell. By the way I was told never to store or run car with less than 1 quarter of a tank. This makes your pump work twice as hard and ends with abrupt failure. My car had less than 1/4 tank and was stored all winter in my garage. It has less than 30 thousand miles on it. By the way the 02-05 tbird has saddle tanks. You don't need to drop tank to fix. Also go to youtube and look at 2002 tbird fuel tank removal video. Hope this helps.

 

[Lulu]

Hi Everyone.. My car will not start! It turns over. No codes!! although I will test again later when it cools down. I feel like its not getting gas.. SO... I have checked fuses, relay REM has been rebuilt! Fuel pump?? Do these cars throw a code for fuel pump??

 

[edward301]

They do not throw a code for a bad fuel pump. Back in April my Bird was started after sitting a long time
and did the exact thing. After a new fuel pump, and new fuel runs great.

 

[Lulu]

Mine seems more like electrical. This car sat. Outside. I found it On the side of somebody’s house I bought it from the lady she said it hadn’t been running. It’s out there for a couple years has 13,000 miles it stopped running though when she was actively driving it. Today I found a blown fuse at the fuel pump slot number 17 I put it in thinking it was going to start up and now all the lights and everything are out in the car and the radio or six CD player sounds like it’s trying to load . weird stuff

 

[Gus Gutz]

Reading these forums you will hear from people who do not drive their cars. They have starting problems all the time. Usually replacing both fuel pumps is the answer. The Rear Electronic Module also controls starting, but I would check the fuel first. The REM is a pain to get fixed.

My CD player is always making noise. It's been broken for years. Even openning the trunk with no key in the ignition makes it start cycling the disks. People will tell you it's a battery or some other issue. But these go bad and none of those things work.

 

[edward301]

You can do what I did to verify my fuel pump was bad. I put a volt meter
on the wires going to the fuel pump. When I read the proper voltage going
to the fuel pump, that confirmed the fuel pump was bad.

 

[Lulu]

Do you know what the amps are suppose to be to the fuel pump? theres 2 correct?

 

[Lulu]

Do you think a mechanic, or the ford dealer to diagnose? Believe it or not I am an old school Half rate mechanic,,lol But this electronic stuff just baffles me! More so on this car.. It seems so unnecessary the way they designed this car. So cute.. But may not be worth my time at this point. I will check into it for about another 2 weeks but I am getting irritated.. Its in my Driveway blocking in my 69 Camaro! LOL Sham.. I really like the looks of it.. So may be going up for sale if there are any takers.

 

[U5512]

I am willing to bet that it is the FUEL PUMP.

 

[Lulu]

Maybe.. I need to walk away for a day or so. Isnt there 2 fuel pumps? How easy are they to change out.. I have a code now of P1237.. So It is fuel related. Do they normally go out after 13,000 miles. Found the fuse blown yesterday Does the pump if not working blow the fuse as a safety . I have two cars I am currently working on.. An old school one and this.. and this one is making me crazy

 

[Gus Gutz]

Maybe.. I need to walk away for a day or so. Isnt there 2 fuel pumps? How easy are they to change out.. I have a code now of P1237.. So It is fuel related. Do they normally go out after 13,000 miles. Found the fuse blown yesterday Does the pump if not working blow the fuse as a safety . I have two cars I am currently working on.. An old school one and this.. and this one is making me crazy

It seems all these low mileage tbirds have fuel problems

 

[Lulu]

maybe because cars do not like to sit. People dont drive them enough

 

[Elsie]

Gus wrote - "It seems all these low mileage tbirds have fuel problems".

A couple of weeks ago I drove my Tbird to a meeting at a local club I belong. Another member saw me drive in parking lot and came up to talk. He said he had a 2002 sitting at home, purchased it brand new. I asked him if he ever had any trouble with his bird and he said he only had to replace fuel pump. I asked him how many miles he had on vehicle - less than 30,000. 17 year old car with less than 30,000 miles so that is what 1700 miles a year and he had to replace fuel pump.

I've got an 1989 Ford Probe GT - Turbo that sits a lot. Seems like every time it sits for longer than 4 or 5 months I have to replace brake master cylinder. But of course I'm replacing master cylinder with cheap Chinese auto parts too, so that could be part of problem. But sitting idle is hard on vehicles.

 

[edward301]

When my fuel pump went out, it also blew the fuse. I would just replace the fuel pump, on line
it is only $81.00, not hard to change it you have, or rent the tool.

 

[Mach5]

Cars are designed to be driven - not sit around idle for months at a time. Gasoline, when fresh and moving through the lines/system retains its solvent qualities and keeps things clean and moving/actuating (fuel pumps) and spraying properly (injectors - like in the Mobile gas commercials). However, when gas sits it goes stale many bad things can happen - especially gumming things up, like fuel pumps and injectors (and in ye days of olde, carburetors - don't get me started on my emergency generator).
(In my dreams I aspire to be like Jay Leno - own great cars and enjoy them by driving them.)

 

[biddle]

Do they normally go out after 13,000 miles.

How easy are they to change out..

There is a reason why cars have warranties that are Years/Miles, whichever comes first. How old is your car?

Also, there is a video in this thread showing how to change the fuel pump. I found this using the search feature . https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com/threads/2002-t-bird-fuel-pump-replacement.5906/

 

[Pelagic]

and...........why you are supposed to add a fuel stabilizer for storage. 🙂

 

[Lulu]

Everyone.. I bought the car out of a storage. In non operational condition.

 

[edward301]

Replace the right fuel pump, bet car runs after that. I did not even bother
to see if my left fuel pump works. Left fuel pump only help when fuel drops
below quarter tank. I never let car go below half tank.