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1991 Tercel fuel system problem


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removedparrot
New User

Aug 30, 2010, 5:16 PM

Post #1 of 4 (2438 views)
1991 Tercel fuel system problem Sign In

Hi,

I have a 1991 Toyota Tercel (1.5L, 215k) that ran out of gas and now will not start:

About 9 months ago, I ran out of gas across the street from a Shell station. I went to get a jerrycan of gas from the pump, but they gave me one from the back for free. I put the gas (est. 5L) into the tank, but the car wouldn't start. I figured it could be the fuel pump, fuel filter, or spark plugs, so I replaced the filter and the plugs and made sure the pump still works. I hired a mobile mechanic to diagnose the problem and he said that shell definitely gave me bad gas. So my question is:

How do I clean out the fuel system (lines, tank, pump, injectors, etc...) myself? Or is there a less complex way to solve this problem (fuel cleaning, filling the tank, etc.)???

Thank you very much!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 30, 2010, 5:31 PM

Post #2 of 4 (2434 views)
Re: 1991 Tercel fuel system problem Sign In

All you have to clean out is the tank and the fuel filter. You may have to remove the tank to empty it out. Make sure he's right though. In tank fuel pumps are cooled and lubricated by the fuel in the tank. When you run a car out of gas, it pumps a lot of air through the pump which overheats it and causes some severe wear and many times, failure when they cool off.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



removedparrot
New User

Aug 30, 2010, 7:15 PM

Post #3 of 4 (2428 views)
Re: 1991 Tercel fuel system problem Sign In

The pump still makes a strong noise when I turn the car on, and I can feel and hear fuel running through the lines. Does that sound OK?
The filter has been replaced, and to clean the tank do I just drain it and add cleaner? Or is there a special way to clean it?

Thanks!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 30, 2010, 7:22 PM

Post #4 of 4 (2423 views)
Re: 1991 Tercel fuel system problem Sign In

Until you have used a fuel pressure gauge, you have no idea if that pump is good or not. It needs to run at a specific pressure and nothing outside of that spec is acceptable. The spec for this car is 265 - 304 kPa (38 - 44 psi) a few pounds lower with the engine running.

If it's really only a fuel issue, then all you have to do is get the fuel out of it. You can add some water remover to the new fuel for insurance if you want. Unless the filter was replaced after this incident and no one tried to strart it since, the filter needs to be changed again because it will be full of bad fuel.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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