Apologies if wrong thread, it seems my member ship has expired and just waiting for my renewal to show up as paid. Our 2002 auto Galant just died at an intersection on fri night. Called racq they banged on the tank a few times but no go. so towed home. Before I send it away to the guys who charge big money these days, I wanted to ask if there is a quick way for me to test my pump to see if it has failed. I did squirt a small amount of ether spray into manifold at rubber joint after MAF, and it seems like engine was trying to fire, whereas before it was just cranking - was wary of spraying too much. I'm not sure from this result , but it looks like it might be pump ie no fuel. So, another question then is where do I find a replacement fuel pump. I suppose I could take off top cover and crank with a plug removed to see if there is spark as well? Any tips would be appreciated muchly! tx
Suspect fuel pump failure
- Thread starter Kay
- Start date
Our cars dont prime on ign on. Only during cranking. You have to hotwire the pump to test.
TIL, I swear I heard my 255 prime but maybe I'm thinking of the indicator whirr haha.
In that case, get a spare battery, hot wire and listen.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks very much - I have never heard the pump before, and could not hear anything when I took seat out. I had a spare plug and stuck that into cop and earthed it on tappet cover bolt, but def no spark, unless this method is flawed, because I am used to normal plugs,,,lol. Had to make a call because I have heard it could also be a cam or crank sensor and I don't know how to test for that, so sent it to a racing place in Brisbane on back of racq truck, Hope to hear back next week sometime. First time the girl has let us down in prob 7 yrs I think, since we bought it. Only has 165K kms, but is 23 yrs old. Do you know symptoms of one of these sensors failing? Cheers
- Thread starter
- #6
That would explain why I heard nothing with seat out - perhaps, but as I said, never heard pump in all the yrs either tx
- Thread starter
- #8
Tx for the tips. Does it sound liek it could be cam or crank sensor - it just dies as we pulled a way from a stop sign - never had anything like that. Did have full timing belt, water pump , seals, drive belts , cam cover gaskets ignition leads done about 3 mths ago. Getting expensive now, I supplied parts from TME and labour still came to around 3 grand. so with parts was prob around 4.5 k $'s. More than half of what we paid for car ...lol. And belt was done early ie only 70 k as crank seal was leaking . I suspect that was leaking due to partially blocked PCV valve, which may have pushed crank seal out a bit - is that possible, or more likely wear? Cheers
TME is stupidly expensive now. That job shouldn't have been more than $1000, especially with parts supplied.
I just told you how you can check the signals. Get an LED with 2 small pins, poke into the connector and crank with fuel pump disconnected, it will pulse. The best way would be to get an oscilloscope though; it details it in the engine manual.
Really though if you get an inline spark plug tester that will also give you your answer, no signal = no spark
- Thread starter
- #10
Just had first contact from repairer; they seem to be very busy, but was taken by surprise to hear that they were in process of changing timing belt, so I said what, wait - timing belt was just changed in Dec. So then I was told someone thought they had authorisation as foreman was off sick etc. Anyway, then told crank sensor had broken off and damaged timing belt. Now it seems they think there are bent valves as they say when manually turning it they felt resistance and timing might have slipped a tooth or so? Will check timing tomorrow, so waiting for that ....anyone heard of sensors causing belts to jump timing?? this is going from a roadside stop to potentially catastrophic now
- Location
- SA
- First Name
- Bill/ビル
- Drive
- 2000 ギャラン Type-V
1997 Triton GLS [6G74 conversion]
2019 i30 N-Line
Is the repairer the same place you got the timing belt fitted?
I read your post as TME supplied the parts only, but someone local to you fitted the belt?
Sensor can only really come off of the 2 bolts have come loose or the chopper wheel has smashed into the sensor to break it off. I mean it's plausible it could have caused the belt to skip teeth if it got caught.
I read your post as TME supplied the parts only, but someone local to you fitted the belt?
Sensor can only really come off of the 2 bolts have come loose or the chopper wheel has smashed into the sensor to break it off. I mean it's plausible it could have caused the belt to skip teeth if it got caught.
Ive seen it before where some heavy handed mechanic either
A: breaks the cam sensor yanking the cam gear off when doing the cam seal
B: breaks it by using impact tools to run the cam.gear bolt in with the trigger plate infront of the sensor, therefore snapping it.
C: they bend the trigger plate by dropping the gear or similar then the bent plate wipes out the sensor. when the engine is turned over.
And unfortunately if that sensor breaks in two it can get sucked down the belt and end up between the crank gear and belt and cause damage.
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks very much for your reply. Yes, you are right - I always buy my stuff from TME as he normally is able to supply me with oem parts. I initially got a quote from a home mechanic on Brisbane southside who owned a very nice Galant manual for around $1200 in about June 2023. As car had a small crank seal leak, I was loathe to change blet out as it only had 60 odd k kms. But crank seal leak got worse so decided to get a 2nd quote from him in oct 24 and it was then $1800. So car was booked in but he broke his finger badly when removing a Nissan Patrol wheel and that was the end of that. So looked around and found someone on northside closer to where I live who seem to know these cars. They booked it in at a quote of closer to 3k, which surprised me, but went ahead and supplied parts. Was surprised to get a call that as I had supplied a water pump as well the price would need to be more as I had not told them that I wanted waterpump replaced too. I thought most shops would recommend the waterpump be done at same time, but so agreed to pay more. Anyway, was again surprised to receive a call on Thurs this week (still waiting to find out why car had stopped mid intersection) about 5:45 from owner to say that they hadn't quite finished fitting the new timing belt. So I said wait, what - why are you fitting a timing belt. So he said , oh don't you know the story... anyway, as the technical contact person was off sick, I put the confusion down to that. But again, the protocols of obtaining customer approval before going ahead with a job. That's when he mentioned the broken sensor (cam or crank - not sure?) and that it had dmaged the belt and he had been told it damaged the belt and that when they turned the engine by spanner they felt some resistance and did a leak down test and it appears there must be bent valves. So you can see my surprise going from a stall at a stop street pull away (by my wife who is a little old lady of 65 who loves her car and I can assure you does not much exceed 3000 rpm , if that). So, being an ex aircraft engineer, who has found many a failure was due to someone who had not done a proper job, I was instantly suspicious of this whole story. I asked if the belt was still on the car, and he went to check and said yes. At this point he agreed that 1st thing in morning he would check the timing, because I find it hard to believe that this sensor "just broke" 5000 kms after being fitted and has potentially wiped out our engine. And just as with say recommending a water pump be doen when fitting a timing belt - if that sensor looked at all wobbly or if they are known to get say brittle with age, would that also NOT be a recommendation?? So we don't sit with what we have now. Anyway, said he would check on things in morning - did not hear back from them at all on Friday - so now I really don't know what is going on.... owner sounded genuine when he said they would look after us if he found anything had not been done right, so can only update you when I find out what the go is. Car is in beautiful nick and hasn't even reached 170 k kms yet. I don't know what it will cost to do a job with potentially bent valves, but it was last thing we expected. So tx again for your comments on the sensor. It sounds as though you are saying they don't just necessarily break off with age?
Yes they are plastic and get brittle but no they dont just fall in half without being struck or damaged as described in my above post
- Location
- SA
- First Name
- Bill/ビル
- Drive
- 2000 ギャラン Type-V
1997 Triton GLS [6G74 conversion]
2019 i30 N-Line
Most petrol 4cyl and 6cyl Mitsubishi's of the same era use the same sensor. Never really heard of them failing tbh. Think Lancer, Magna, Pajero, Triton, etc...
- Thread starter
- #16
Tx again - I think that really goes to answering my question and my belief that something else has gone wrong here, prob workmanship. I have a Verada, a Pajero and none of them have ever had an issue, but 5 months after someone works in this area, I have a major failure - I don't believe the part was bad, I think it was damaged by less than stellar workmanship, but whether I get a fair go here is still up for debate. Still no response to a request for an update by txt to owners mobile as I don't want to be pushy, but one would have thought people would understand that a family down 1 car is hungry for info. I
- Thread starter
- #17
I sincerely hope to post a positive response here due to being blown away by some amazing person / company wanting to do the right thing if they find evidence of bad workmanship, and are proud of their reputation........we all make mistakes, or perhaps have staff that let you down, but hopefully don't cover it up. Time will tell.......
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- #18
I guess we will live with not being able to prove that they damaged the sensor - I personally don't believe that 5 months after interfering heavily under an engine bay to replace a pump and timing belt and all pulleys etc, that a catastrophic failure has nothing to do with you as the business. Someone else I know who is a mechanic on these cars and has owned a few, said that he is incredulous about this failure - never heard of one and also said he has no idea of why they took the sensor off, no need he said. And the evidence is in the pictures, there are painted lines on the bolts which they say they do when they have loosened bolts..... I will go to my grave knowing they doded a bullet, and prob know it, but won't own it and leave us with the fallout - so much for reputable companies! I do have a spare engine, which we were considering putting in, until the company said it would be $5000 odd to pull old engine and put the other one in. Also said damaged valves etc as timing belts jumped 4 teeth would be between 5 to 10 k to repair. Does anyone know somoen who would do such a job/ The ex mechanic I spoke to said it should be a days work or a little more, so thinking maybe 8 hrs at $200 an hr - is that off the mark. Otherwise we will have to think of selling our baby (in very good original condition) with a spare engine as a possible project? Tx for all the feedback!
- Thread starter
- #20
Thanks for the tip - still learning how to reply and post. I'm nearly 70 now, so the back won't be up to putting the new motor in. I wish we could find a recommended mechanic in Brisbane - other than the clowns who were obviously the last people to touch the crank angle sensor and then deny they had anything to do with failure, even though it gave out only a few months after their human hands touched it
Anyone one have any recommendation on a mechanic who knows these cars and could pull old motor out for us and put other one in - and how long in terms of labour should this be, just as a matter of interest, assuming no glitches? The clowns or monkeys as you said wanted $5000. Won't go near them again!!
They nearly destroyed the battery as well cos when I got it back , it was as flat as a pancake and I deliberately fully charged it before it went on the tow truck. Just another bit of evidence - a professional outfit, as they claim to be, would have looked after that - only charged in case they needed a full battery to trouble shoot before we knew what fault was. Anyways , would prefer to save the car, but if too expensive, will have to sell car, motor gearbox some doors and suspension parts. Even have 2 new front bottom suspension arms for front from TME original mitsi, did not even get to fit them yet.
Anyone one have any recommendation on a mechanic who knows these cars and could pull old motor out for us and put other one in - and how long in terms of labour should this be, just as a matter of interest, assuming no glitches? The clowns or monkeys as you said wanted $5000. Won't go near them again!!
They nearly destroyed the battery as well cos when I got it back , it was as flat as a pancake and I deliberately fully charged it before it went on the tow truck. Just another bit of evidence - a professional outfit, as they claim to be, would have looked after that - only charged in case they needed a full battery to trouble shoot before we knew what fault was. Anyways , would prefer to save the car, but if too expensive, will have to sell car, motor gearbox some doors and suspension parts. Even have 2 new front bottom suspension arms for front from TME original mitsi, did not even get to fit them yet.
