No power to the fuel pump

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joe_keefer
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:13 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

No power to the fuel pump

Post by joe_keefer »

hi everyone,

i have another hopefuly simple problem. my 79 528i has no power to the fuel pump. there is power at the fuse. power at parts of the combo relay, although i`m not sure when power should be where. i did read the FAQ about it. but at this point my brain is mush. i`m having the exact same problem with my88 range rover. so i`m a bit wigged out right now. if i could afford to just replace all of the fuel inj parts i would. can somebody talk me through this? thanks in advance.
Bones heal, pain goes away, and chicks dig scars!


1979 528i 500k+ miles "betsy" 2nd owner!
1994 Vw Golf 234k starts everytime!
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Jeff Dennis
Posts: 478
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:29 pm
Location: Huntsville, Alabama

Post by Jeff Dennis »

Joe,
Did you try to to prop open the flap in the Air Flow Meter and check for current at the fuel pump with the key on? If not try this first - remove the hose to the air cleaner and put something into the AFM to open the flap I use a screw driver.
Let us know the result.
Hanging out in Huntsville
1977 530i 60K
1980 525 Euro
1989 E30 Cab
1992 E30 Cab
1976 R75/6
1974 2002
Alfas
joe_keefer
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:13 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

Post by joe_keefer »

i hadn`t at the time of my post. i continued reading here and in my manual and saw that the flapper would activate the pump. i tried that but only to hear that it made the combo relay click. tomorrow i will do it again while under the rear to hear / test the pump. i tell you i`m tempted to just buy a new pump and combo relay. this car has sat for 5 years and was only run a few times in the first 1-2 years. i`d like to adj the AFM a touch richer either way. i will keep you posted.

thanks, joe
Bones heal, pain goes away, and chicks dig scars!


1979 528i 500k+ miles "betsy" 2nd owner!
1994 Vw Golf 234k starts everytime!
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Mike W.
Posts: 2889
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:12 am
Location: Sonoma County

Post by Mike W. »

joe_keefer wrote: i`d like to adj the AFM a touch richer either way. i will keep you posted.

thanks, joe
Be careful on that. I know it's popular in the E28 world, but I tried it on an '80 E24 one time and every couple of days it would go into a massive rich full puke mode. It would die or be undrivable and I could get it to run again by disconnecting the O2 sensor. But except when it did that it didn't run any different. And that was with a whole 2 clicks richer on the AFM. :shock:
Mike W.



02 525ita. Wife's, aka grocery getter
02 530i. New to the fleet, 3 pedals.
03 QX4, AKA the Datsun. Finally got the 4WD vacationmoble to stop smoking.
07 Xterra. Still on the DL, a purchase from hell.
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