Fuel pump, CCRM, Bad Gas, or ?

[Mr.E]

My 03’ GT has been in storage since last Nov. I was set to take my car out of storage but it wouldn’t start. The car will crank but it won’t fire up. I didn’t think I could hear the fuel pump prime but it was hard to hear over the CD player going through all the CD spots. This was about a month ago. I was having surgery on my shoulder so the issue would have to wait.

When I stored the car I filled it with 93 (less about a gallon or 2) and put STABOL in the tank. Oil was changed and the negative lead was disconnected.

I did some research into the issue. If the fuel pump isn’t priming it could be the pump itself or the CCRM. I picked up a CCRM at a junkyard and enlisted my Dad to do the bulk of the wrenching (I’m still in a sling from surgery). We swapped the CCRM and got the same result: crank no start. We didn’t hear the pump but my Dad is half deaf and again I can’t hear anything but the CD checking itself (I would think I could hear the pump over that though).

For grins we swapped out the fuel filter. We tried it (again I didn’t hear the pump) and the car fired up, ran a little rough for a second or two then smoothed out real nice, after 5 – 10 minutes it started running rougher until it died. I tried to get in to give it some gas but the fit in the garage is tight at best and I’m trying not to bang my arm. The car would not start again. The engine cranks, we can smell gas, but it won’t catch.

When we put the car up on jack stands we only lifted the car from the passenger side so the car was at an angle. My Dad thinks there is water in the tank and when we jacked it up the water moved away from the pump. When we put it down we got heavier (than gas) water in the system.

There were no codes at anytime.

Could it be:
Bad gas
Two bad CCRMs
The pump

What would be the next thing to check? Is there a way I could diagnose for any of the above?

Sorry for the long post, I’m just trying to cover all the bases.

 

[trombonedemon]

What type of gas did you put in the car, even w/the stabol in there Ethanol is hydroscopic; there maybe water in your tank. Fortunately, our gas systems can be easly replace and not that all complicated. So throwing parts here wont hurt as bad. IMO, storing cars w/fluids in them is asking for trouble, I would completely drain the oil and leave no gas in the tank. Less likely water would get in the tank and in the engine. Lubricating oil is inherently hydroscopic--or naturally prone to the absorption of moisture. It will eventually absorb the same amount of relative humidity as the surrounding free air. Ordinarily, oil and water will also separate except in turbulence or in an emulsified state http://www.fueltestkit.com/expiration_of_ethanol_gas.html

 

[Mr.E]

I filled it with Sunnoco 93 before storage. The car is about an hour away so put in the Stabol before I left to be sure it circulated.

I had heard that with the ethanol in gas these days water retention can be a problem.

I suppose I could run a siphon down to the bottom of the tank and see if what I extract seperates.

Has anyone else on the forum had this issue while storing their Stang for the winter?

 

[trombonedemon]

Our tanks are siphon proof, looks like you have to drop the tank to get the gas out, well why you are there, wouldn't hurt to upgrade the fuel pump.If you havn't already.

 

[wmburns]

Check PATS

Double check this isn't a PATS problem. Is the theft light blinking?