Runs rich all of the time. Replaced just about everything.

Nissan 300ZX technical discussion forum: Maintenance, performance, installations, modifications, how-to's and troubleshooting.
tjleilo
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Car: 1993 300zx Natrually Aspirated. TT fuel pump, new style injectors, basic bolt ons with Jim Wolf ECU upgrade, EGR delete.

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I’ve replaced the fuel pressure regulator, fuel dampener, fuel pump, fuel injectors, oxygen sensors, oxygen sensor wires, just about everything. I have a Jim Wolf aftermarket ECU with a slight tune (was having the same issue before the ECU) I have a code 34: Knock sensor. I have talked to Jim himself multiple times and he said that they bypass the sensor so even if the computer sees that it isn’t there it doesn’t matter. I have also replaced the crank angle sensor (it needs to be checked with a timing light and conzult) but everything above never changed the way it ran AT ALL. Only thing that changed it was after I got a TT fuel pump (my car is a 93 NA) for three days it ran amazing. Then it went back to running like s***, all of the repairs above were done after those three days to get it to run like that again, never had.
Yes, the fuel pressure is being regulated properly, it is around 38psi on cold idle and goes to 44psi when given gas. Regulator is fine.

Any ideas?

(I do have a new knock sensor installed, but this was the one job I didn’t do myself and they somehow wired it directly into the harness without the plugs and the computer isn’t reading it. Though, it shouldn’t be reading it due to the ecu upgrade, the car revs all the way to 7k so I don’t think it’s in limp mode, but it may still be retarding the timing...?)

Sorry for how lengthy this post is. It’s stumped every mechanic I’ve been to so far.


tjleilo
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Oh. In consult the computer is trying to time BTDC around 34 when giving it gas and around either 15-25 usually 20 or 25 BTDC when at idle. Is that normal? When I let off the gas at any speed above 40 it slows down faster and the timing goes to 0. It says 0, once I get below 40 when not applying any gas the timing comes back to normal. The timing and letting off the gas above 40 does something weird. (It’s an auto but it was recently reconditioned along with the TCU)

amc49
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What is your evidence for running rich all of the time?

The timing dropping to zero on decel is likely an emission reduction thing.

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NolimitZ32
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- Where did you get the ECU from? IT sounds to me like you were sold a knockoff. JWT do not bypass the knock sensor on street legal tunes, plus there is no point in doing so.
- What oxygen sensor wires have you replaced? The O2s plug directly into the EFI harness, there is not intermediate harness.
- You don't necessarily need conzult to check timing, you can use any old timing light if you are doing it correctly.
- The auto's are a whole different animal, they operate "oddly" from the factory (strange shift points on WOT and cruising, late downshifts when coasting, etc.) which is a huge reason most owners hate the autos
- As amc49 said, what is your evidence that the car isn't running as it should?

I can recommend 2 things:
1. Find a mechanic that knows the Z32 chassis, chances are a majority of the mechanics that have looked at it didn't know what they were looking at or were missing something (this isn't a 95 corolla).
2. Check the troubleshooting section in the FSM, its accessible through the link in my signature.

tjleilo
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Hi!! So sorry for the late response! I had no idea anyone responded.

The tailpipe and rear bumper is covered in exhaust emissions and the a/f alpha through consult regularly shows 112% and in I believe in the short trim correction tevself learning says +12. The car seems to run rich only at idle. I talked to Jim himself at Jim Wolf as I have called them about this plenty of times and he said that they do bypass the knock sensor CODE in case it pops up. So I don’t know....I replaced my iacv and air regulator two months ago and upon looking at consult I just realized that at idle it only opens to 15% (the car shakes and the air to fuel ratio becomes really rich) and then as I accelerate it opens to 49% and stays there. That doesn’t seem normal...my idle is very low in drive and the idle air control valve only opens to 15% but then opens more as I give the car gas? Yes, the closed throttle position sensor is closed while at idle and the tps is set to .46 volts.
My oxygen sensors are Bosch and at the end have a plug and then that plug connects to the plug on the engine wiring harness and then goes straight to the ECU from there. The timing only goes to 0 for a second while the car is above 40mph and only above 40mph and it deaccelerates quite quickly and in not a smooth or correct way. This issue is more recent and didn’t do this before. I haven’t been able to check the timing because the computer constantly changes it at idle and doesn’t try to set it for 15. (I believe that is due to my iacv not opening enough and causing an erratic idle) any ideas on the iacv?

Thank you for your help and time!

tjleilo
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Update: The car runs lean at 2,100 rpm. It doesn’t fluctuate up or down it runs lean constantly if I reset the computer self learning. If I reset the computer self learning and then hold it at 2,100 rpm it stays constantly at lean. This is according to conzult.

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NolimitZ32
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Only other thing I can recommend is to start checking all, the sensor inputs and outputs manually, get yourself an oscilloscope and check the O2 signals. Before doing all that work get yourself a good known Auto ECU and try swapping it out. Could be the ECU you have is bad.

tjleilo
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Will do, thank you! It’s weird, the only time the car ran well was right after I put a new TT pump in. Ran amazing for those three days and the pump was screaming loud every time I pressed the gas, super LOUD whine, and then it slowly got quieter and quieter and now I can’t even hear it unless I really strain to. I’m going to start working at autozone soon so I’ll probably pick up a pump and see if the new pump fixes it...seems like performance dropped with the sound of the pump. Fuel pressure was okay, seemed to lag a little though...

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NolimitZ32
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If you are running rich then the pump wouldn't be your problem. If you cant find an ECU locally let me know I have a couple laying around that you could borrow or purchase.

tjleilo
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NolimitZ32 wrote:
Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:32 am
If you are running rich then the pump wouldn't be your problem. If you cant find an ECU locally let me know I have a couple laying around that you could borrow or purchase.
Awesome! Thank you so much! I’ll let you know if it comes to that, that’s so nice of you!

The car ran lean today under hard acceleration after I adjusted my CAS. Brought it back to 15 BTDC it all matches up now, but the car runs lean under hard acceleration. So who knows, if the pump doesn’t fix it then I’ll definitely see about trying another ECU to see if that makes a difference. Thanks!

ca18det_boy
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Does the Z32 have the same issues as the S chassis regarding the ECT sensor? That could wreak havoc if they're the same and it's a cheap fix.

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NolimitZ32
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It does, good call. the coolant temp sensor does cause issues.

tjleilo
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Car: 1993 300zx Natrually Aspirated. TT fuel pump, new style injectors, basic bolt ons with Jim Wolf ECU upgrade, EGR delete.

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NolimitZ32 wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:42 am
It does, good call. the coolant temp sensor does cause issues.
Yeah I replaced the Coolant sensor, it definitely can make a huge impact on performance.
Update: Yesterday I got gas after driving the car really low on fuel, I filled it up half way and then I started to hear the fuel pump loud and clear again like I did when I first installed it a year ago. Immediately the torque and power came back while the pump was loud and whining. My power is definitely based on the pumps loudness. It’s related. What could cause this? It hasn’t done this in over a year. Nothing has changed to cause this. I replaced the Fuel pump module thing that gives it power a year ago so it’s not that. It’s getting the right amount of voltage. Why would the pump be loud again?

amc49
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A pump much louder than normal has likely got something wrong with it.

Set that partially aside for a moment. If the loudness means pump is now working at full rpm the car WOULD run well. It's just that the pump is going bad again or has something wrong with it.

If a new module is put into a car with not enough fuel in tank then the pump can go bad in less than a few minutes while trying to prime it. The pump is fuel cooled and burns up quick if it does not prime almost instantly. I used to warranty a lot of pumps people did like that, they think say a gallon of gas in the tank is enough and often it's not. Before pump dies like that it gets much louder, the sign of the impeller melting due to getting too hot.

tjleilo
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amc49 wrote:
Mon Apr 15, 2019 9:32 pm
A pump much louder than normal has likely got something wrong with it.

Set that partially aside for a moment. If the loudness means pump is now working at full rpm the car WOULD run well. It's just that the pump is going bad again or has something wrong with it.

If a new module is put into a car with not enough fuel in tank then the pump can go bad in less than a few minutes while trying to prime it. The pump is fuel cooled and burns up quick if it does not prime almost instantly. I used to warranty a lot of pumps people did like that, they think say a gallon of gas in the tank is enough and often it's not. Before pump dies like that it gets much louder, the sign of the impeller melting due to getting too hot.
Interesting...the first time I started up the car after the pump was installed a year ago it was super loud and whining, the car runs great during that time, when it’s quiet as I said before or fades out while priming it sounds weak and sometimes gargles even when there is 50% or more fuel in the tank. So when the pump ran better after running it close to empty....that is weird. Do you have anything I could check? I bought my TT pump from Z1 Motorsports and they wouldn’t warranty it because they said that my issues don’t sound like a pump issue, and now my pumps warranty is up as a month ago. I find it weird that it gets super loud and actually sounds healthy when it whines but when it’s faint it sounds weak and the performance reflects that....

tjleilo
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It has to be my pump, it’s the only thing that has fixed my issues and makes a difference in the performance in my car. I just don’t know if there is another part in the tank causing the pump to act up....the tank has been cleaned out, the fuel filter has been replaced...I don’t know what else to do...

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NolimitZ32
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Do you have the correct accessories installed 2+0 and 2+2 pump accessories are not identical?
Do you have the lines connected correctly? There is a fuel damper and a fuel damper, one at the inlet to the rails and the other (regulator) at the outlet, if you crossed the fuel lines somewhere you are pushing the fuel in reverse through the system you can damage your pump and have low pressure in the rail. You said you tested the pressure, at what location did you test it?

tjleilo
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NolimitZ32 wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2019 10:15 am
Do you have the correct accessories installed 2+0 and 2+2 pump accessories are not identical?
Do you have the lines connected correctly? There is a fuel damper and a fuel damper, one at the inlet to the rails and the other (regulator) at the outlet, if you crossed the fuel lines somewhere you are pushing the fuel in reverse through the system you can damage your pump and have low pressure in the rail. You said you tested the pressure, at what location did you test it?
I used my stock pump holder and just replaced it with a TT fuel pump, which is obviously only meant for 2 + 0 since the TT wasn’t put in the 2+2 as you already know. The dampener and regulator in the engine bay are both new and no fuel lines have been re-routed or anything. I tested the fuel pressure right after the fuel filter as the service manual directs. Car runs okay, it just runs EXTREMELY better when I can hear the pump whining from inside the car. All fuel hoses should be fine, I’ve gone through the good majority of them and replaced the hoses and clamps with good clamps and high pressure fuel lines from Z1. I have not checked the vapor lines or any of the lines that run from the top of the tank since I would believe it would be hard to get to them. It seems that the pump gets louder when there isn’t any pressure in the system and then quiets down USUALLY once pressure has built up, but there are exceptions like the other day where the pump continues to be loud once the pressure has built up after a few minutes of driving. I have also replaced the fuel cap a long time ago and that made no difference. When I remove the cap to get fuel there is quite a long period of time where I must wait for all the gases to slowly come out before I fully remove the gas cap.
I like to turn my key to the on position and let the pump prime before I start the car since my check valve seems to be shot, and most of the time the pump seems faint and then quickly gets quieter after the pressure builds up, it sounds like the pump is struggling based on it getting quieter once the pressure builds up rather than staying at a constant loudness, I hope that makes sense. I don’t know if you have ever watched CleetusMcfarland but in his new red corvette they bought a new fuel pump for it, and that thing is LOUD, and sounds VERY similar to my pump when the car runs well.

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NolimitZ32
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2+2s were available everywhere else in the world in TT guise, but that's not important here. Are you sure you didn't cross the fuel lines at the tank when you replaced the pump since the return and supply are near each other on the top of the access plate? A loud pump doesn't mean its dead or dying, a quite pump that gets louder with time on the other hand can point to such an issue. You have phase 2 injectors on it correct? Are they NA or TT (BTW most if not all 93 NAs came from the factory with phase 2 injectors)? Is the new fuel pump controller NA or TT? I'm not sure what check valve you're referring to, I don't believe the Z32 has an external check valve in the supply line, if I'm not mistaken it is integral to the pump on the TT's and the fuel damper acts as the check valve for the rails. I would say if you want to be sure that the entire fuel system is performing as it should connect your fuel pressure gauge and get some readings under load. I still think you need to try a factory ECU before doing any other testing because it sounds like something with the fuel control is out of whack.

tjleilo
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NolimitZ32 wrote:
Thu Apr 18, 2019 6:16 am
2+2s were available everywhere else in the world in TT guise, but that's not important here. Are you sure you didn't cross the fuel lines at the tank when you replaced the pump since the return and supply are near each other on the top of the access plate? A loud pump doesn't mean its dead or dying, a quite pump that gets louder with time on the other hand can point to such an issue. You have phase 2 injectors on it correct? Are they NA or TT (BTW most if not all 93 NAs came from the factory with phase 2 injectors)? Is the new fuel pump controller NA or TT? I'm not sure what check valve you're referring to, I don't believe the Z32 has an external check valve in the supply line, if I'm not mistaken it is integral to the pump on the TT's and the fuel damper acts as the check valve for the rails. I would say if you want to be sure that the entire fuel system is performing as it should connect your fuel pressure gauge and get some readings under load. I still think you need to try a factory ECU before doing any other testing because it sounds like something with the fuel control is out of whack.
Oh, okay. My bad. I don’t think I did because the car ran great when I first installed it, are you saying the car would run well for awhile but eventually if the lines were flipped it would kill the pump? I had other people remove the pump and clean the tank for me and it still ran exactly the same, so I’m assuming they had the hoses in the same sort of way, it’s weird that the pump gets loud on occasion like it did the other day randomly. I have brand new, new style injectors in. My car was one of the rare ones I guess because when I got the car it had the original old style injectors in so I put in the new style with the rail adapters. (I was also confused by this because you are right, most 93s came with the new style so I was confused as to why mine did not) Though, no difference after that job was done, it did take away my surging on occasion though. My fuel pump controller is for a 91 NA. I still have my original 93 and it seems to have nothing wrong with it, since the new one didn’t make a difference, but I currently have the 91 NA FPCM installed. And huh, I don’t know if the 300zx has a check valve either, the service manual says it does and that it has a vapor vent valve too in the ventilation line. So I could be wrong, I’m a little confused on that check valve, I asked elsewhere if the TT pump has a check valve internally since my pump doesn’t have the check valve thing on the outside of the harness, I hope you know what I’m talking about, I’m sorry for not explaining well.

I’ll go back and check the pressure again soon with the car well under load for a few seconds to see if the pressure drops off or if anything weird happens soon. Been pretty busy recently but I’ll try that again soon.
Thanks again for your help! I hope to get this fixed eventually...
Last edited by tjleilo on Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

tjleilo
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Sorry, I was trying to write that while taking my husky outside. In short, my car came with the old style injectors, but last month I installed the new style injectors. My issue has been going on well before then and there are no leaks from the rail or injectors that I know of, so I don’t think it would be that. I will be checking the fuel pressure as soon as I can again. This time I will do it under load for a few seconds to see if it keeps the fuel pressure up.
The pump made the loud whining noise (though, it sounds like a healthy whine) when it was first installed and got quieter as the pump stayed in my car longer. Occasionally though it will get loud again like it did the first day I had it installed but that only happens like once every 8 months, so the pump still can make that loud whine noise just as it did originally. I don’t think the hoses are mixed up, but I wouldn’t put it past the other mechanics I’ve had that have worked on my car. There seems to be a very strong fuel scent near the carbon canister area of the car, I don’t smell it under the carbon canister but more so on the driver side of the car right below the fuse box near the front headlight. (I understand hot gasses rise) so. When the pump makes the loud sound and the cars power comes back, the fuel scent goes away...I’m sorry for these lengthy replies. I again can’t thank you and everyone else enough for your help. It’s nice knowing that there is support in this community, especially with the 300zx being such a weird car to work on at times.

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NolimitZ32
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The check valve on the TT pump is installed on the pump body, I think its a safety release valve actually but it's been so long since I've done that research. The z32 NA FPCM is 2 speed, thus when you hear the pump change volume its probably going from half speed to full speed, this is controlled by the ECU via the FPCM so if the tune is not right then you would have this sort of problem. Otherwise I'm out of ideas, without physically putting my hand son the car I got nothing left.

amc49
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'A loud pump doesn't mean its dead or dying...'

That is correct in many cases but if one has everything proper mounted it is not a good sign. Here the issue may be different, if the pump body got added to another support or holder for it the pump needs to be firmly held and damped with rubber to not make noise.

Check valves are often built into the pump outlets as it stops vapor lock from ever happening further up the line. There can be more than one too, my Focus cars have two within a couple of inches of each other.

This car may just have a noisy pump based on the situation real world. Meaning need to concentrate on why the 'good running' is there or not.

amc49
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' I got gas after driving the car really low on fuel, I filled it up half way and then I started to hear the fuel pump loud and clear again like I did when I first installed it a year ago. Immediately the torque and power came back while the pump was loud and whining.'

What happened there? The fuel level changed in tank.

I went looking at various Z32 pumps. What pickup tube and strainer do you have on the pump now? Is it the short 2 inch or so standpipe/strainer or the very long hose with a strainer clamped on the very end of it? If you have the long hose the strainer needs to be positively bolted down or fuel slosh will have it coming out of fuel at times with a low tank level. That long hose will definitely move around, and could be your loud or quiet pump thing.

Fill tank up to as full as it will get (DON'T take up the necessary airspace there, let the fuel hose trip off by itself) and see how bad it runs then.

tjleilo
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amc49 wrote:
Sat Apr 20, 2019 2:55 pm
' I got gas after driving the car really low on fuel, I filled it up half way and then I started to hear the fuel pump loud and clear again like I did when I first installed it a year ago. Immediately the torque and power came back while the pump was loud and whining.'

What happened there? The fuel level changed in tank.

I went looking at various Z32 pumps. What pickup tube and strainer do you have on the pump now? Is it the short 2 inch or so standpipe/strainer or the very long hose with a strainer clamped on the very end of it? If you have the long hose the strainer needs to be positively bolted down or fuel slosh will have it coming out of fuel at times with a low tank level. That long hose will definitely move around, and could be your loud or quiet pump thing.

Fill tank up to as full as it will get (DON'T take up the necessary airspace there, let the fuel hose trip off by itself) and see how bad it runs then.
Thanks for the reply!
I have the long hose strainer that came with my car. It’s super long as you said and is not bolted in. I filled it up as you said and I hear the pump, but it’s not screaming loud. It’s definitely an improvement from where it was and 40% of the power came back.
The other day when I filled it up halfway the pump was about a 9 on the loud scale, now it’s running on a constant 6 when fully filled. it’s usually a 1 or 2 and in the past I couldn’t hear it at all almost. This is weird. You are on to something.

tjleilo
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NolimitZ32 wrote:
Fri Apr 19, 2019 5:35 am
The check valve on the TT pump is installed on the pump body, I think its a safety release valve actually but it's been so long since I've done that research. The z32 NA FPCM is 2 speed, thus when you hear the pump change volume its probably going from half speed to full speed, this is controlled by the ECU via the FPCM so if the tune is not right then you would have this sort of problem. Otherwise I'm out of ideas, without physically putting my hand son the car I got nothing left.
I appreciate it. You’ve been a lot of help! I know what you are talking about, it does go between the low speed and high speed. When I can hear the pump it goes from the low speed and is pretty quiet and then when I give the car gas it goes into the high speed mode. It seems to get louder just slightly as I increase the throttle opening even though this is only a two speed FPM with a three speed Fuel pump. Something with pressure change within the tank since the engine is using up more fuel id assume. When I get this figured out I’ll update everyone because I’m sure everyone is as curious as I am since it seems like a weird issue. A long time ago I had someone else install the pump after I did and they may have moved stuff around...? I haven’t been able to check since this is my daily at the moment.

Having your daily as your project car is not a good idea, but it’s my only choice since I can’t afford a car payment right now. Haha.

amc49
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Man you really need to fasten (or weight it down somehow) that long hose pump strainer down to the bottom of the tank if it isn't, fuel slosh will be moving it all over the place and the noise changes when it flips up to draw just air. Not to confuse with normal low or high speed as needed.

When and if you suck air the fuel pressure will drop like a rock and engine performance goes right with it.

The pumps burn the impellers if made of plastic (most are) pretty quick depending on how much time they spin out of the fuel that keeps the impeller lubed and cool, they run at several thousand rpm commonly. Why new car owner manuals now say to never run the cars out of fuel, they can burn the pumps up simply trying to restart the car as many people do not put in enough fuel to feed the pump 100%. I myself consider a pump dead with 5 minutes of dry running on it, I've seen them melt impeller in 3 or so.

When I used to sell the pumps, the most common 'warranty' new pump fail was running them on too little fuel at the install, people think 1 gallon is enough and it just burns them up. I use 3 gallons minimum and I like 5. I used to lecture people over that all the time and doing so greatly lowered the returns on new ones.

tjleilo
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amc49 wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:21 am
Man you really need to fasten (or weight it down somehow) that long hose pump strainer down to the bottom of the tank if it isn't, fuel slosh will be moving it all over the place and the noise changes when it flips up to draw just air. Not to confuse with normal low or high speed as needed.

When and if you suck air the fuel pressure will drop like a rock and engine performance goes right with it.

The pumps burn the impellers if made of plastic (most are) pretty quick depending on how much time they spin out of the fuel that keeps the impeller lubed and cool, they run at several thousand rpm commonly. Why new car owner manuals now say to never run the cars out of fuel, they can burn the pumps up simply trying to restart the car as many people do not put in enough fuel to feed the pump 100%. I myself consider a pump dead with 5 minutes of dry running on it, I've seen them melt impeller in 3 or so.

When I used to sell the pumps, the most common 'warranty' new pump fail was running them on too little fuel at the install, people think 1 gallon is enough and it just burns them up. I use 3 gallons minimum and I like 5. I used to lecture people over that all the time and doing so greatly lowered the returns on new ones.
Makes sense...I’ll try to do that soon.
It’s still weird though because I usually run my pump at full, I rarely let it get low. For the year that I drove it after the pump was installed I barely ever heard it when either the tank was filled 100% full or low. Just recently has it started to pick up performance and you can hear the pump while the car is running. My fuel temps are pretty cold too so that may be a good sign.
I’m sure it may be a part of the issue, but this is the reason I’m so stumped. The pump was super quite for a year. It was insanely loud at first and the car had tons of power, then for about two weeks following that, the pump would be loud some days and then 50% loud other days and then the performance dropped, and then the pump became basically unhearable while driving and seemed weak, and then all of a sudden this week it gets super loud again for two days, and even though I filled it up whole way after it got low again, it’s only 40% loud again and only a portion of the power is back, the pump was louder and I had more power four days ago when I was on a half tank and the pump was about 80% loud of what it was when I first installed it. It makes absolutely no sense. (It used to be that the car ran better on low fuel and worse on more fuel being in the tank by the way, but about 6 months ago it flipped and now the car runs better on more fuel in the tank.) Thats why I’m wondering if it has to deal with pressure inside the tank working with or against the pump and may be causing the vapors to be forced into my carbon canister more than usual. Idk.

amc49
Posts: 1183
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:24 pm
Car: '11 Nissan Versa
'17 Nissan Altima

Post

You MUST have normal venting (atmospheric) or the pump cannot pump fuel, meaning drop any pressure ideas unless an evap valve that should be open is shut at the wrong time. Depends on how the evap system is set up. If you have overfilled the tank to flood the carbon that brings all sorts of troubles too and why you NEVER overfill a tank.

Car runs better with less fuel normally as that is a whopping amount of weight difference.

Can't say exactly but consider that the longer a rubber hose stays immersed in fuel the floppier and more flimsy it gets to move around more.

That strainer must be fastened or held down to know. Wasting time on other ideas until it is done.

Likely the pump has wear on it already due to sucking air over and over and why noise now. The damage is accumulative. The noise once there can have no rules applied to it as it can be erratic as well, I had a Ford once that got a recall over the pumps going bad and it made noise all over the map, sometimes none all the way up to very loud and no rhyme or reason to it other than bad pump.

Meaning you're likely overthinking some of it. Chaosian chance brooks no application of logic to it.

tjleilo
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:59 am
Car: 1993 300zx Natrually Aspirated. TT fuel pump, new style injectors, basic bolt ons with Jim Wolf ECU upgrade, EGR delete.

Post

amc49 wrote:
Mon Apr 22, 2019 6:36 pm
You MUST have normal venting (atmospheric) or the pump cannot pump fuel, meaning drop any pressure ideas unless an evap valve that should be open is shut at the wrong time. Depends on how the evap system is set up. If you have overfilled the tank to flood the carbon that brings all sorts of troubles too and why you NEVER overfill a tank.

Car runs better with less fuel normally as that is a whopping amount of weight difference.

Can't say exactly but consider that the longer a rubber hose stays immersed in fuel the floppier and more flimsy it gets to move around more.

That strainer must be fastened or held down to know. Wasting time on other ideas until it is done.

Likely the pump has wear on it already due to sucking air over and over and why noise now. The damage is accumulative. The noise once there can have no rules applied to it as it can be erratic as well, I had a Ford once that got a recall over the pumps going bad and it made noise all over the map, sometimes none all the way up to very loud and no rhyme or reason to it other than bad pump.

Meaning you're likely overthinking some of it. Chaosian chance brooks no application of logic to it.
I think it may have to do with the ventilation valves...like you said the tank needs proper ventilation and my carbon canister always has a strong fuel smell when the car isn’t running well. (I haven’t overfilled my tank) for the year the pump was silent and I had no power I had the tank filled pretty full most of the time, usually half or above and I know for a fact the strained stayed below the fuel, I know what you are talking about.
Though, at times I did hear gargling when the pump was priming and only when it was priming, it never gargled while the car was on or driving though, so that’s weird. I don’t know why it would make a gargling sound while priming occasionally. I probably am overthinking it, the only way to know is to change out the pump soon and make sure the strainer stays down. If that doesn’t change it, then it’ll be a lot easier to diagnose. I may have just had a bad pump to begin with.
I’m pretty sure the fuel pressure is okay, the car never stalled out with the new pump if I remember correctly...it’s been awhile.
I appreciate your help and knowledge. This is such a great community. I really appreciate it. Within the next few weeks I’ll try and save up some money for a pump. I bought my last pump through Z1, but now that I work at Autozone, do you think it would be safe to just buy the pump they have for my car to see if it fixes it? Would that be smart? I believe they offer an OEM one for like $160? But since I have a discount I could get it for cheaper.


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