Took my 91 out this weekend for some light off-roading and exploring. It's been running great, starting great and all around super reliable. Except today, we stopped for some lunch and then tried to get going again and it wouldn't start back up.
Conditions:
- drove up a hill in 4 low
- not particularly hot. ~61 degrees out
- super bumpy grated road. gave everything a super good rattle.
Symptoms:
- CEL on in the acc position (but turns off when the car normally starts) (This means the EFI system is working no?)
- All other dash lights turn on
- when I go to start, no crank where it normally cranks right away.
- I can hear something flowing (fuel pump?) during the attempted start with my head under the hood
- Battery is brand new, and I put a jump pack on just be sure.
- The only click was when the accessory relays are switching on. Other than the flowing, no other relay our mechanical noises could be heard.
- Checked fuses, everything looked good
I eventually got it to start, without doing anything much other than:
a) trying to take the key out and then back in to try again
b) let the car sit longer
c) dig around the wiring harness under the dash and near the starter motor to visually inspect. maybe I bumped something that was rattled?
Current state:
- Cranking and starting as reliably as ever.
- Nervous that it could happen again
Any ideas what this could be? Things to inspect or replace?
Bonus: photo of us before realizing we were marooned (unfortunately I didn't take a video of symptoms durrr)
EFI relay. Time to replace?
Conditions:
- drove up a hill in 4 low
- not particularly hot. ~61 degrees out
- super bumpy grated road. gave everything a super good rattle.
Symptoms:
- CEL on in the acc position (but turns off when the car normally starts) (This means the EFI system is working no?)
- All other dash lights turn on
- when I go to start, no crank where it normally cranks right away.
- I can hear something flowing (fuel pump?) during the attempted start with my head under the hood
- Battery is brand new, and I put a jump pack on just be sure.
- The only click was when the accessory relays are switching on. Other than the flowing, no other relay our mechanical noises could be heard.
- Checked fuses, everything looked good
I eventually got it to start, without doing anything much other than:
a) trying to take the key out and then back in to try again
b) let the car sit longer
c) dig around the wiring harness under the dash and near the starter motor to visually inspect. maybe I bumped something that was rattled?
Current state:
- Cranking and starting as reliably as ever.
- Nervous that it could happen again
Any ideas what this could be? Things to inspect or replace?
Bonus: photo of us before realizing we were marooned (unfortunately I didn't take a video of symptoms durrr)
EFI relay. Time to replace?