No prime on fuel crazy issue fixed!

Robman8028 · Jun 28, 2025

So I have been trying to figure out fuel pressure and prime for a long time… 8.6 v on fuel pump… replaced relays on pump and ecu. Still no luck. Check continuity on ground to ecu. Sanded the ground to fender bolt hold nice and clean Checked from ecu to drivers side fender and all looked good. Replaced crumbling ignition switch.. so im staring at the starter solenoid and I see someone run a jumper from solenoid base to a ground…. And a light popped in. I attached the ecu to ground on battery and I’m running! How in the hell does my fender not work as a ground!

General karthief · Jun 28, 2025

Ground from battery to engine block, actually the timing cover, battery ground to inner fender, on the same screw is the computer ground, ground from the back of the drivers head to the firewall, ground wire (maybe orange) from the injector harness to the intake or back of passenger head, do you have all these grounds?
I believe there is another ground by the computer behind in the passenger side kick panel

Robman8028 · Jun 28, 2025

I don’t think my battery ground goes to inner fender , I’ll look but I have everything working. I was figuring a grounding strap to inner fender was missing. If there is one. What blows my mind is the inner fender is bolted everywhere and you would think that there would be a sufficient ground there. And I had been looking for this issue for months so I was so excited I found it I left good enough alone and walked away. Not sure what you mean by “ground from the back of the drivers head to the firewall though or passenger head. The screw that grounds ecu on inner fender had only the ecu wire running to it. I actually made a ground from it to battery and yet the solenoid still needed its own ground. And your correct, there is a green screw behind ecu for a ground as well

nickyb · Jun 28, 2025

Glad you got her running

nickyb · Jun 28, 2025

Glad you got her running

Noobz347 · Jun 28, 2025

It sounds like somebody has been monkeying around in there. Not uncommon.

If you think of it: Look for a "Electrical & Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual" for your year car when you're on E-Bay. It is not laid out the best however, once you figure out the multiple sections that indicate each ground and splice point, it becomes pretty useful. Even the Shop Manual doesn't have this information.

--Also-- Fill out your Profile Signature with your car info when you get a chance.

Glad you got it all working!

General karthief · Jun 28, 2025

The factory put a ground strap, a flat braided wire strap is screwed to the firewall by the clutch cable opening and bolted to the back of the drivers side head, this is for the gauges mostly. All the grounds I explained in the above post pertain to the battery and computer grounds and should not be stacked in the same spot.
You referred to the inner fender being 'bolted on' or did I not understand?

AeroCoupe · Jun 28, 2025

It could just be that the factory ground wire from the battery to the block is fubar. You need a ground from the battery to the chassis, chassis to the block, and motor to the firewall.

Robman8028 · Jun 29, 2025

AeroCoupe said:
It could just be that the factory ground wire from the battery to the block is fubar. You need a ground from the battery to the chassis, chassis to the block, and motor to the firewall.

Well I thought that too so I went through checking them all. I guess I’ll run a grounding strap like the one from the block to firewall to the inner fender. I’m guessing the last owner painted something. This car was owned by his father and him. Which is my wife’s nephew. They said he is a great mechanic…. It took me a year to fix the engine he screwed up . A year of tracing wires he wired wrong! Right out the gate, I bought a battery and connected it and the ground caught on fire. He had to positive cable going to the mini starter solenoid from the solenoid on fender. It burnt up the whole ignition system plus the ecu and relay. I’ve got the engine running now… and I have all electrical working that is important to engine complete. Now it’s time to find out why clutch cable won’t engage. New quadrant, new cable and yet the clutch pedal can’t move the linkage. I’m guessing he did something to it cuz everything he had touched I’m fixing. I’m pretty sure I routed it right, going to have to find one so I can look at how it goes but I’m thinking something wrong inside clutch and pressure plate. Not even sure what he could have done wrong in there cuz he got the transom so it had to be ligned up.

Robman8028 · Jun 29, 2025

Noobz347 said:
It sounds like somebody has been monkeying around in there. Not uncommon.

If you think of it: Look for a "Electrical & Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual" for your year car when you're on E-Bay. It is not laid out the best however, once you figure out the multiple sections that indicate each ground and splice point, it becomes pretty useful. Even the Shop Manual doesn't have this information.

--Also-- Fill out your Profile Signature with your car info when you get a chance.

Glad you got it all working!

I have the manual! Best electric diagrams I could ask for. I also have the Haynes manual but I don’t like it. The electrical and vacuum troubleshooting manual is too except for the way it was put together, after a few months of diagnosing and fixing electrical issues , pages are falling out.

Noobz347 · Jun 29, 2025

Robman8028 said:
I have the manual! Best electric diagrams I could ask for. I also have the Haynes manual but I don’t like it. The electrical and vacuum troubleshooting manual is too except for the way it was put together, after a few months of diagnosing and fixing electrical issues , pages are falling out.

The manuals though, do not show the body location of the splices and grounds so far as I know.

Noobz347 · Jun 29, 2025

Robman8028 said:
The electrical and vacuum troubleshooting manual is too except for the way it was put together

Agreed. Very wonky.

Robman8028 · Jun 29, 2025

Noobz347 said:
The manuals though, do not show the body location of the splices and grounds so far as I know.

No it does not but it shows the grounds and colors of wires to help trace them

No prime on fuel crazy issue fixed!

Robman8028

Member

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Robman8028

Member

nickyb

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

nickyb

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Robman8028

Member

Robman8028

Member

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

Robman8028

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No prime on fuel crazy issue fixed!

Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

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Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

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