1985 Ran fine yesterday, today will not start. Fuel hand does not work well so I thought it might be out of gas. Put in 4 gallons still will not start. I sprayed starting fluid in the intake and she fired right up.....until the fluid was gone :-( My question is....what next? How do I check the fuel pump or any other things I should check for first?
Go down to about the 13th picture in Tim's thread. There's a check connector(right by the air intake hose) that you put in a paper clip-or wire- to bridge the connection. You should hear a 'whirring' of the fuel going through the lines. At least that's for a 1986-89 van but I'd wager it's the same for the '85. The key should be turned to the 'run' position.
http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...uel+pump+check
Thanks so much for the info on the fuel pump test plug! I jumped it and the only thing I here is a relay clicking under the dash.....no sound of the fuel pump or any fuel going thru the lines.
So I am guessing my fuel pump has died?
If you're hearing the relay, then that narrows it down significantly. Could be the relay contacts or the wires from the relay to the pump, but I'd give it 90 something percent odds it's a bad fuel pump. To rule out the relay contacts and the power side of the relay circuit you could pull the glove box and put a test light on the wire going from the relay to the pump. If it lights up with the check connector jumped then you've narrowed it down to the pump and/or the wires between it & the relay. You can track the relay by listening to it clicking (while a helper moves the jumper in & out). You can verify when you find as it will have "circuit opening relay" printed on it. I'm pretty sure I made an earlier post with more info on wire colors, etc. One other potential trouble spot is where the wires hook up to the fuel pump port on the tank (corrosion can form here & compromise the connections). Good luck. Tim
PS: I found a good deal on fuel pumps on eBay for around $35. Just search my prior posts with the terms "eBay fuel pump" and I'm sure you'll find it. Tim
Finally had a little time to check under the van and found that I have about 12 volts coming in on the 2 fuel pump wires while the switch is on and the fuel pump jumper wire in place. So I think you are right and the fuel pump is history! I could not get my hand on top of the tank to check the wires from the connector to the pump but I tugged on them a bit and they feel secure....so now I think it is time to drop the tank........
I'd say so. Even if it was only corrosion on top of the tank you'd still need to drop in order to get access. Dropping the tank isn't that bad. I've dropped tanks & replaced fuel pumps inside of 2 hrs. Of course this was on a van without any severe corrosion underneath (all the bolts came right out). I recommend draining the tank before dropping (much lighter & safer depending on volume of fuel inside). Hint: drains faster & more complete if the gas cap is off. The square drive end of a 3/8" ratchet or extension works well for the drain plug. One thing worth noting is the joint where the flexible fuel line from the tank attaches to the steel line on the body. For some stupid reason Toyota uses "interference threads" here. This means you can't just break it loose and spin it off.........you have to use wrenches to turn it all the way (about 6 or 7 complete revolutions). You don't get the best access here to swing your wrenches so it's one flat at a time while fuel is dripping down your sleeve. Recommend using good quality tubing wrenches for this fitting (at least to break it loose). Tim
Thanks so much for the information...I did not even know it had a drain plug!Also, I noticed that the wires going to the sending unit have been rubbing the drive shaft and were almost worn completely through. So all you can lovers, if your fuel gauge is acting up like mine, you might check those wires close to the tank and make sure the drive shaft is not eating away at them!
Finally got around to installing my new fuel pump/strainer.......the van lives again!Originally Posted by lamont
Thanks so much for the information...I did not even know it had a drain plug!
Having trouble with my 86 cargo. Stopped running suddenly.
New fuel pump recently installed..isn’t receiving power. I have tried a new open circuit relay with no success.
Have you tried jumping the fuel pump test connector?
https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/...ing-for-years)
Hey Tim so my van’s not starting, and I can only hear the fuel pump when I do the jump connector never when I just put my car to on. It sounds like the fuel pumps working? Or does that sound like there’s wiring problems or should I just replace the fuel pump because it’s not working properly. Thank you
If you hear the pump near the tank and/or can hear the fuel flowing in the engine area, then it's working. FYI, The Circuit Opening Relay only sends power to the pump when the starter is cranking or if the engine is running (there's a flow switch in the Air Flow Meter that activates the COR after start-up). Without that safety feature, fuel could be pumping out on the ground after a crash making the scene much more dangerous for anybody in the vicinity.
If the fuel pump is working, then focus your efforts on something else. The 3 main things engines need are air, fuel, and spark. Have you checked to see if it's getting spark?
Yes it is getting spark! I actually ended up putting in a new COR and it started right up, I have a new air cleaner hose coming in (thank god) but mine is rigged up pretty good and tight. I might of had a bad COR, I guess I’ll find out in the morning if it starts up again, will keep you updated thank you so much for the help and all of your write ups and tutorials on TVT!!
Hey so actually my van’s back to not starting, it’s doing this weird thing where I hear a pop and then see a little bit of white smoke rise up kind of near the throttle body, do you have any ideas of what that could be?
Thank you man
Could it be a back-fire up through your intake? Also, the igniter is mounted on top of your AFM, could the smoke be coming from there?
If it's not starting but the fuel pump is working, check again for spark. It's not super uncommon for igniters and/or coils to fail or become "intermittent" on these vans. Coil failure is more common & that's mounted inside the distributor. Tim
Yes I think it could be coming through the intake, and sounds good I’ll check for spark again. May as well replace coil, I’ll dive into that. Thank you for replying again 🙏
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