'01 Saturn SL1 won't accelerate when warm

[wingsauce7]

So I put a fuel pressure gauge at my fuel rail and was reading 44 psi, changed the fuel filter and was now reading 56 psi. I drove past the normal 20 min till failure without acceleration loss and started getting stoked. Drove for another 25 minutes without any issues or fluctuation on the pressure gauge.

I decided to make one last 60 mph run up a county road when the needle started fluctuating like crazy and then the pressure dropped to 20psi and then to less than 10 with no acceleration.

Ordered an OEM fuel pump from amazon for $158 ($100 less than napa). Guess I'll be dropping the fuel tank Saturday.....

 

[BTHOtu]

a Saturn with 325k miles? time to build a ramp and jump it

I read somewhere that Saturn is one of the most reliable, longest lasting Daily Driver out there even beating out the Honda Civic. Best bang for the buck.

 

[CarlWinslow]

I read somewhere that Saturn is one of the most reliable, longest lasting Daily Driver out there even beating out the Honda Civic. Best bang for the buck.

could be with all the little vin diesels out there opting to bag the imports. but that car with 325k is probably worth about as much as the fuel pump wingsauce just purchased for it. Not worth putting money into, just spend 500 bucks and get another 13 year old Saturn with half the mileage. Then you can begin constructing the ramp

 

[wingsauce7]

I read somewhere that Saturn is one of the most reliable, longest lasting Daily Driver out there even beating out the Honda Civic. Best bang for the buck.

I'm a believer. I bought the thing with 45K on it and really all I've up till now besides tires, brakes and oil is install a junkyard starter, replace a leaking intake manifold gasket and change wheel bearings.

The car still gets 40 mpg on the highway with 325K miles on it.....Fuck the Prius and it's headed to the landfill $4500 battery change in 6 yrs!

Oh, and I look like such a stud in my Saturn S Series Sedan!

 

[fordman84]

I do NOT envy you changing that fuel pump. Did it a few years ago on the wifes explorer and it was the biggest pain in the butt.

Oh, and it ended up not being the pump but a stupid little connector under the passengers floorboard that was kicked out when my wife (who was the passenger as they were driving around for her bachelorette party) somehow kicked it loose as they were dancing or doing god knows what in the car. Plugged back in and everything worked great. DOH. But that was a true "off and dead" and not fluctuating like you have. Maybe you have a bad pump, and hope if you change it then the issue is fixed.

While you have it dropped look at the wires and connectors around it. Make sure there isn't a bad connection near it that might be shorting and causing the pump to quickly ground out and come back on, messing with the pump. Gonna be a bitch getting it out, might as well look all around

 

[wingsauce7]

could be with all the little vin diesels out there opting to bag the imports. but that car with 325k is probably worth about as much as the fuel pump wingsauce just purchased for it. Not worth putting money into, just spend 500 bucks and get another 13 year old Saturn with half the mileage. Then you can begin constructing the ramp

Nah, she's got anther 100K in her...that's a little over 2 yrs with my 124 mile daily RT to and from work

 

[wingsauce7]

I do NOT envy you changing that fuel pump. Did it a few years ago on the wifes explorer and it was the biggest pain in the butt.

Oh, and it ended up not being the pump but a stupid little connector under the passengers floorboard that was kicked out when my wife (who was the passenger as they were driving around for her bachelorette party) somehow kicked it loose as they were dancing or doing god knows what in the car. Plugged back in and everything worked great. DOH. But that was a true "off and dead" and not fluctuating like you have. Maybe you have a bad pump, and hope if you change it then the issue is fixed.

While you have it dropped look at the wires and connectors around it. Make sure there isn't a bad connection near it that might be shorting and causing the pump to quickly ground out and come back on, messing with the pump. Gonna be a bitch getting it out, might as well look all around

I got my high-speed. Gonna cut a hole under the back seat and pull 'er out from the top. Hopefully I won't win a Darwin award..

 

[JuiceTheGator]

So I put a fuel pressure gauge at my fuel rail and was reading 44 psi, changed the fuel filter and was now reading 56 psi. I drove past the normal 20 min till failure without acceleration loss and started getting stoked. Drove for another 25 minutes without any issues or fluctuation on the pressure gauge.

I decided to make one last 60 mph run up a county road when the needle started fluctuating like crazy and then the pressure dropped to 20psi and then to less than 10 with no acceleration.

Ordered an OEM fuel pump from amazon for $158 ($100 less than napa). Guess I'll be dropping the fuel tank Saturday.....

Boom. Good for you young man...diagnosis is the hard part of that kinda' deal.

Why in thee hell did they ever start putting pumps in the tank? I guess in case they leaked...but what a PITA!

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Sounds like problem solved here...I always replace O2 sensors as well, they go bad your car runs like shit, but no codes says that aint a problem.

Like the "top down" access assault...GL2U

 

[wingsauce7]

Boom. Good for you young man...diagnosis is the hard part of that kinda' deal.

Why in thee hell did they ever start putting pumps in the tank? I guess in case they leaked...but what a PITA!

And why the hell don't they put an access panel above the pump?

 

[wingsauce7]

I got my high-speed. Gonna cut a hole under the back seat and pull 'er out from the top. Hopefully I won't win a Darwin award..

Ended up dropping the tank after all- not enough room to safely cut a hole. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be,but still a pain. Not 10 minutes after I dragged the tank out from under the car, Fedex showed up with my new pump. Seems to be running great and she's ready to get back to work dragging my ass to work the 124 miles round trip to Cheyenne.