Hi, I need some help!! This if for a 2000 Buick Regal 3800SC , I do have 5 Fieros and my 88GT has a 3800SC in it. The wife was driving, she guned it a little to get around another car, came to red lite, it stalled. It will start and run for about 3-5 seconds then dies!! Occasionally if I tap the gas pedal at the right time, it will start that pat pat pat and run a little longer 7-10 seconds--then dies . The fuel pump does come on each time the key is turned..All fuses seem to be fine. It`s not coding anything!! I need to get this asap as its sitting on private property, the car has been running fine, although we did get a we did get into single digits that day. For those of you that know me , I haven`t been here for a while , I had health related issues , I have forgotten some part names & locations, if you would please bare with me, it will be grealty appreciated along with any help or info. Thank You ...
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05:27 AM
PFF
System Bot
ohio86se Member
Posts: 1308 From: akron, ohio, summit Registered: Mar 2002
I would suggest replacing the fuel pump dropping resistor it is in the passengers wheel well on the regals and GTP's. It is a thick ceramic piece with two wires coming out of it, follow the wires back to the connector. Seperate the connector and use a piece of wire to short across the two pins on the connector going back into the harness. If the connector is not there look on the fire wall as replacement resistors were remounted to the firewall. This will eliminate the resistor and give full power to the pump. Dan
I would suggest replacing the fuel pump dropping resistor it is in the passengers wheel well on the regals and GTP's
Thanks Dan, When you say wheel well, do you want me to take off tire,then go after it that way?
It is a thick ceramic piece with two wires coming out of it, follow the wires back to the connector
Ok , confused here a little , you want me to follow the wires from that ceramic piece back to the connector.. Which connector ??
Seperate the connector and use a piece of wire to short across the two pins on the connector going back into the harness
Ok , I think after I find the connector--and where to short it --will it be kinda self explanatory? Also, will I need a new fuel pump?
If the connector is not there look on the fire wall as replacement resistors were remounted to the firewall. This will eliminate the resistor and give full power to the pump. Dan
I`ll try this tonite as it`s the only time , they will let me access it. On a strange note last night, when the engine was stalling on me, the dash lights seemed to have gotten brighter, then kinda dull as it was on it`s way to that idle stopping & engine quiting. Probally nothing , but noticed it, its kind of hard to miss it as it`s freezing outside and I`m stuck in snow and ice.. Thanks Again ..
Thanks--so what your saying here is , all I need to do to get it running to get it home, is pull out the fuel pump speed relay (any hints to getting that thing out)??, its in there tight. Then bend the tab in the link I`ll have below, re-insert , start the car, then go? Then purchase a new one and my problem is solved ?? I think mine is # 18 or 19 but looks like they are in the same postion as they do in this pic.
MAP sensor. Try unplugging the MAP sensor and see if it runs in back-up mode. The fact that you can get it started tell me that it isn't the fuel pump. When you first start it, the IAC opens up in high idle mode, then as it closes to get the engine to base idle, it will stall (per you description). Sounds like the MAP sensor may be wonky. The other place I'd look is the MAF sensor.
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06:22 PM
darkhorizon Member
Posts: 12279 From: Flint Michigan Registered: Jan 2006
I have never heard of a map sensor failing, and the car will run just fine if it does not work, it just goes into limp home mode. Maf sensors when clogged up and dirty will screw with your fueling, and cause stalling, but its usually a blatent, and can be fixed by unplugging it.
When the fuel pump dropping resistor goes the pump will still prime and if you rev it high enough the engine will run as long as the PCM is bypassing the resistor. The resistor is only used when the SC is not generating boost once you nail the gas the SC bypass closes the bypass valve to allow boost to be generated and removes the +12v it sends tthe fuel pump speed control relay and the pump gets the full 12 volts. I prefer to just unplug the resistor and short across the two connector pins with a piece of wire to eliminate trying to find the right relay, but that is just me. Dan
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06:58 PM
darkhorizon Member
Posts: 12279 From: Flint Michigan Registered: Jan 2006
If my wiring setup does not utilize the GTP relay group rather I have the Fiero FP relay. Is my fuel pump seeing 12v all the time? I have seen on the ZZPerformance site there is a "hot" wire setup for the fuel pump because the pump may not be seeing 12v.
If your car is wired with just the fuel pump relay then yes the pump is seeing a full 12 volts all the time, in 2001 GM stopped using the dropping resistor. There is no harm in not using the resistor it was more for trying to keep the pump quieter under normal driving. Dan
I got it started , and then home, because of rain I had to use the bend tab method, allthough on 2000 Regals --compared to the pic in the link above-- the fuel pump speed control relay is closest towards the engine and the top tab on the 2 pronge side is whats used to bend. I have relays here that have the same part # from a 99 park-ave-ultra and tried those in the fuel pump speed relay holes, with no luck, so nothing worked except the bend tab method. Now at risk of sounding like an idiot here, LOL !! I`m assuming I just need a new fuel pump speed control relay ??? And not drive the car until it`s replaced? Theres a good reason for me asking this--I tried 3 different relays with the same part # in that slot and they did not work? Again --I just need a new fuel pump speed control relay correct ? Thanks again for taking time to reply. Will stop back in a couple hours to bump everyones rating bar up one, wish it could be more, right now I`m soaking wet & freezing ..
There seems to be a problem now when calling the dealership--they are only showing that the 2000 Regal Gs 3800sc only has 1. fuel pump relay and not a fuel pump speed control relay as it says on top of the fuse block box under the hood.They seemed to have the same #`s on them though. Both dealerships I called mentioned a resistor as mentioned above..So I`m lost again on what I need to do?
1.Will a new fuel pump relay work in the spot/slot --that calls for a fuel pump speed control relay? 2. Or am I looking for a new fuel pump resistor ? *And* a new fuel pump relay to fit in the slot that says fuel pump speed control relay . Again , these are both the same relay side by side in the fuse block under the hood. I know that it runs by bending the tab, but read somewhere I`m making the fuel pump run faster than needed by doing this.. You can see them side by side here in this link . I seem to be missing a piece to this puzzle ?
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11:01 AM
ApexNC Member
Posts: 239 From: Apex, NC, USA Registered: Dec 2004
Based on your original post, I'd think the first thing you'd want to do is a fuel pressure test. Put a pressure gauge on the rail and see if it's holding pressure after it primes. Fuel pressure has gotten me a couple ways in my 3800 sc swap. A faulty fuel pressure regulator stuck and created too much pressure once, which would cause the car to stall over 2500 rpm. Then I had the oem pulsator fail under the load the swwap was producing. When I pulled the tank to fix the pulsator, I found the excessive rust in the tank had saturated and clogged the sock filter. All of this to say, I've learned to check the fuel pressure first. It's easy to do and a gauge runs $30 - $45 Good luck
[This message has been edited by ApexNC (edited 12-10-2007).]
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11:13 AM
darkhorizon Member
Posts: 12279 From: Flint Michigan Registered: Jan 2006
Ok, well you can get a resistor from pretty much any 3800 enthusiest, we sorta collect these things. I have a few I could sell, and dan also stated he had a few laying around. I doubt I would have any problem selling mine for $10 and some change for shipping.
meanwhile, your PERFECTLY fine running with the tab bent, for well, ever, the resistor is just an engineering precaution gm took when they put in the high draw pump.
