Wont start! Fuel Issue?

[OxmanWI]

96 Thunderbird
4.6 V8
Fuel injected

Now that the weather is getting warmer it is time for weekend warrior to come out of hibernation. My Thunderbird has been sitting since November on jacks with out the wheels. Today I filled the tank with 5 gallons of premium 93 fuel and tried to turn the engine over. I have ignition but no fuel so no detonation what so ever. I checked my Autometer fuel gauge and the needle seems to be tittering on the 0 PSI mark and would not go any higher. When I turn the key over to POWER on the car you should hear the fuel pump whine, but instead I hear a faint tapping sound and nothing. I checked the fuel filter, looks to have clean and fresh fuel from the tank side.

I have a feeling that the fuel that was sitting over the winter has ether gummed up in the tank, fuel pump or in the fuel lines some where before the fuel filter. Or maybe my fuel pump crapped out on me. How would I go about cleaning it out without a last resort of dropping the tank?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys,

Josh

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

Check for momentary power at initial key on or continuous power during cranking at the fuel pump connector where it meets the fuel tank. If you have power there the fuel pump is most likely gone.
Sounds like a dead fuel pump all day but could be a bad fuel pump relay (uncommon) or mice chewed through wires or some other crap.

No problems starting up some of our junk around here after sitting all fall and winter (6 solid months with no fresh fuel added).

[OxmanWI]

Nice junk

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

"Good" junk.

[Russ Jerome]

Beat the bottom of the tank with a solid object while a helper cranks.
This usualy brings GM pumps back from there hibranative state until
they fail for good (somewhere on the road with a full tank of fuel).

[doe302]

Ox-man

[Yooformula]

doe302, did you have something to contribute to this thread besides "ox-man"?

[forest]

Ox-man

WTF?? Anyways, try jumping the power wire to the pump with 12v source while somone cranks the car, it will run the pump, or if the pump is dead, drop the tank........

[Reverend Cooper]

how about making sure the fuel cut out is not tripped in the trunk. did you store it without any fuel in it?

[OxmanWI]

Update: Everything worked out, fixed, thanks guys!

Are you talking about the fuse / relay box by the coolant tank? (same thing in your sig) That fuse is fine, I went to the auto store and bought a thing of Seafoam, I'm going to pour half the bottle in the tank and let it sit over night and check it out tomorrow with a new fuel filter.

Everything is fine, started right up. I think gunk was clogged in the fuel filter or something like that. Or maybe the Seafoam help break up some gunk in the tank, who knows. I almost died after it turned over, boat load of smoke came out the exhaust then went away after 10 seconds or so. The fuel pressure at the fuel rail was at 30-32 psi when idling so every thing is cool.

Thanks anyways,

Ox-man

Who are you? Doe-302