After sitting 6+months '95 Cutlass 3.4L drives 3 miles then quits.

[atikovi]

I left the car at an upholstery shop to have a new top installed. I was in no hurry and they've been busy, LSS, they finished it this week and I picked it up today. The battery was totally dead so they had to jump it. I got 3 miles out when the engine started missing and then quit. Any ideas? I'm thinking clogged fuel filter or water in the fuel after sitting that long.

[chadz34]

Replace the fuel filter anyways, because it's dirt cheap. Did you try to re-start the engine?

[94 olds vert]

X2 on fuel filter. Check for fuel pressure. Try to resart it and then you can tell us if it's hard to start.

[Schurkey]

CHARGE THE BATTERY. FIRST. Before you dick around with anything else.

[Night Fury]

Fuel injectors. Ohm them.

[chadz34]

From experience both of my 3.4L engines at least threw codes when the battery wasn't fully charged after sitting a while. Maybe a an alternator?

[white4d96]

My TGP has a dead battery in it and does the same thing. I was suspecting fueling issues as well, but throw a good batt in it and see what happens. It cleared up all my problems.

[Oilpatch197]

Battery totally dead?

 

Those batteries do not last long if you don't keep them charged!!! I think the battery is going to fail premature. You shortened the life of the battery for sure.

[atikovi]

The place is 2 hours from home so I had it towed back there for safe keeping. I'll drag it home next week and try a good battery first.

[atikovi]

I put in a good battery. What a PITA that is, but still wont start. Checked the fuel pressure and it's like 10 psi. Even if I jumper the fuel pump at the relay, it takes 10 seconds to even get to 25 psi. It will start then but the pressure keeps dropping until it quits. Looks like it needs a new pump. Is there a write-up on dropping the tank on the convertibles anywere on-line?

[94 olds vert]

Replacing the battery is pretty easy I think. As for dropping the tank there are two straps under it that hold it up. Remove all fuel from tank. Unbolt the straps. Lower it with a jack. They aren't that heavy. Check the hoses on the filler neck with the vent tube. Those tend to go bad.

 

Not sure what climate you live or how much rust your vehicle has. If it looks rusty you might want to replace it.

[Crazy K]

I put in a good battery. What a PITA that is, but still wont start. Checked the fuel pressure and it's like 10 psi. Even if I jumper the fuel pump at the relay, it takes 10 seconds to even get to 25 psi. It will start then but the pressure keeps dropping until it quits. Looks like it needs a new pump. Is there a write-up on dropping the tank on the convertibles anywere on-line?

I take it you've never owned a Chrysler product that requires wheel removal to change the battery? Our cars are childs play by comparison.

 

pump would be it. I prefer the Bosch turbine pumps, which can be had with a lifetime warrenty from Advance auto parts. use a coupon and buy online for a deal.

[GnatGoSplat]

I put in a good battery. What a PITA that is, but still wont start. Checked the fuel pressure and it's like 10 psi. Even if I jumper the fuel pump at the relay, it takes 10 seconds to even get to 25 psi. It will start then but the pressure keeps dropping until it quits. Looks like it needs a new pump. Is there a write-up on dropping the tank on the convertibles anywere on-line?

 

I had that problem and it was the fuel filter. I didn't think a bad fuel filter could have that much of an affect on fuel pressure, but it did. Change that first just to rule it out.

[Crazy K]

I had that problem and it was the fuel filter. I didn't think a bad fuel filter could have that much of an affect on fuel pressure, but it did. Change that first just to rule it out.

iirc, yours was installed backwards? the 95 (ie 92+) filter can only be installed one way. having sat the pump probably corroded and failed. a filter is cheap and can't hurt, though...

[GnatGoSplat]

iirc, yours was installed backwards? the 95 (ie 92+) filter can only be installed one way. having sat the pump probably corroded and failed. a filter is cheap and can't hurt, though...

 

Yeah, mine was backwards, but like you said, it's cheap and you never know. New pump should get a new filter anyway, so I'd change the filter first and test it to make sure pump is still necessary.

[atikovi]

DAMN IT the car is just out of gas! I dropped the tank, (no fun job) pulled out the pump and see there is no gas in the tank. CRAP! But the gauge shows a 1/4 tank. I already bought the parts, pump, sock and filter. Since the tank is down and it's an 18 year old car I figure it would be stupid not to change it anyway.

[94 olds vert]

The gas guages in these cars suck. The one in my Cutty it off by an 1/8th of a tank. I had a whole new fuel system put in my GP. I'll see how it goes and see how the much gas gauge is off.

[Schurkey]

Gas gauge reading over-full is caused by resistance between gauge and sending unit; or between sending unit and ground.

[atikovi]

I'm just checking the sender. It's reading 25 ohms when the float is all the way down. Should be 0. I'll take it apart and clean it and see what it reads then.