FUEL PUMP won't prime. Summertime fun in jeopardy ;-(

[codeChimp]

My Chimaera's been laid-up over the winter but now I'm ready for some action! Unfortunately the car isn't ;-(

I had a similar problem last year: I turn the key but the fuel pump doesn't whir into life. Last time it was the fuel pump relay, but it can't be this time because a new one didn't make any difference and both times I could hear and feel it switching.

• I tested every fuse in the box - just to be on the safe side - but all are okay.
• I pressed the inertia reset switch thingy in the passenger footwell.
• The immobiliser is definitely disarming because I am able to crank the engine.

Arrrgh! Can someone pleeease help?!

[TVR keith]

Have you cleaned the connections to the pump and checked that with the ignition on you have power there and earth?

[codeChimp]

Thanks! I'll get on that as soon as I can.

[CarlosV8]

Check the connections on the fuel pump. Mine did this when I first got it and it was because the exposed terminals on the pump were covered in crud and not making a good connection. A quick clean sorted it out

[blujay10]

+1 for the fuel pump.
Had similar problems with mine, although when I checked the connections, one of the terminals fell off! A new pump sorted the problem.

[bereman]

Had the same problem with mine. It took ages to find as it was intermittent. It usually failed in an embarassing position, usually after returning to the car after a short stop. I eventually traced it to the inertia thingy and shorted it out with a paper clip to confirm. No problem since.

Good luck

[Alexdaredevilz]

Had same issue with mine I

New relays
New connections on pump
Took ecu apart gave a quick clean and wiggled everything

Fired up first time

[codeChimp]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. That's really helpful. I'll take a look at the fuel pump itself next and see how I get on.

[quattrophenia]

Hope you have sorted it. If not you could have a quick read through a thread we were discussing on a few weeks ago that might help you out. The culprit for me and one or 2 others was the fuel pump relay.
I am a bit computer stupid when it comes to pistonheads and dont know how to import the link for you, but if you do a search for the below thread:-


"non starting chim! - fuel pump relay?"

[smudge660]

I had the same issue last year but it turns out it was the inline fuse for the immobiliser wasn't seating properly , a little wiggle and no trouble since , have you also checked the 100a fuse ?

[Aussie John]

Check the fuses not on the board but on the flying lead near the fuel pump relay and ecu relay.

[Cider Andy]

Don't discount the immobiliser just because the engine turns over. The starter and fuel pump are on two separate, distinct, independent circuits within the immobiliser.

[Green is good]

I agree about the immobiliser, I had fuel pump prime and eveything normal at start up until you turned the key to the crank position, then nothing, but it was intermittent. After checking out all sorts of things it was the immobiliser, the channel to the ignition circuit wasn't working. Everyone thought it would be the hot start issue but it wasn't.A wire bypassing the immobilser circuit now has it sorted. Good luck anyway.

[M@H]

Cider Andy said:

Don't discount the immobiliser just because the engine turns over. The starter and fuel pump are on two separate, distinct, independent circuits within the immobiliser.

Agreed - if you have lost the switched live feed to your immobiliser but still have the permanent live you can get this sort of behaviour - what exactly is happening when you press the fob button - anything?

You can test this by getting the dash top off and running over the connector with a meter - if its dead then taking a feed from the battery to the second (??) pin on the connector block into the alarm (double check that it is the right one) should energise the fuel pump.

(my vote would be the relay though even though I realise you have tested it... did you swap them round between the blue and the black connector blocks? )

Edited by M@H on Thursday 5th May 12:23

[Good Soil (Pete)]

Lay under the car and simply wiggle the wires on the fuel pump....mine simply needed that and it ran fine for the next year or so...... probably should have cleaned the connections etc but wiggling fixed it...

[codeChimp]

Thanks again, everyone: you guys are great. I haven't even had a chance to get back on the car this week but should be able tomorrow.

Thanks again ;-)

[MADMAX2]

codeChimp said:

Thanks again, everyone: you guys are great. I haven't even had a chance to get back on the car this week but should be able tomorrow.

Thanks again ;-)

everyone had sweated blood and tears racking their brains and you havnt been to have a look??

[codeChimp]

So, it turns out it definitely was the relay - same thing as last year.

My misdiagnosis was the result of a complete rookie error. I replaced both relays in the loom last Sunday but accidentally plugged the other one into the wrong socket What a pranny. So I sorts that out and - unsurprisingly - the blimmin car works. Sweet.

So, for future reference, the fuel pump relay goes into the black socket and the other one the blue socket. And always have a spare relay (Bosch 0332014112 / Land Rover AFU2913L) to hand - I get mine from Classic LSE on eBay.

Thanks again everyone who helped.

Edited by codeChimp on Saturday 7th May 15:05

[pbaker43]

Hi codeChimp, looking on the site you provided for the fuel relays I gather the fuel relay is the one with the red line diagonal. Can anyone tell me why most of the relays are around £5 and the fuel one is £20 notes, is this a rip off or is the relay a special item?

[codeChimp]

@pbaker43 Yeh, that's right, the Bosch one with the red stripe. I've updated my last reply to include the part numbers - sorry I forgot to add them.

When I bought replacement relays last year, the best price was around £13 inc P&P from Classic LSE. Not sure why they're so much more expensive now. If you find them cheaper elsewhere, please let us know where