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Fri 29 Mar, 2013 01:20 pm
My old '98 Olds Cutlass had irregular missing with check engine light on. Kept getting worse until several times it would refuse to start after having been run warm for a while. It was a lot like the vapor lock we used to have in older cars. Several repair shops could not duplicate the starting problem and could not reproduce missing. Diagnosed computer bad EGR.
A friend figured it must also have bad fuel pump, because that, to him, would be the only cause of starting problem. We replaced fuel pump; very expensive and requiring fuel tank removal. Turned off the idiot light.....
Idiot light never came back on. Computer says nothing about EGR. Just thought I'd clue folks in on this. If we had replaced both, the EGR runs about $250.
@neologist,
checking the fuel pressure is one of the things best done before replacing parts.
the computer does not monitor the pump pressure, only mixture.
@Rockhead,
My only previous experience has been with mechanical fuel pumps.
Don't know how my friend arrived at fuel pump diagnosis. The car would run beautifully most of the time.
Thanks to both of you for providing good diagnostic troubleshooting into. Luckily my current car is young and in good health ... knock wood.
@Ragman,
Thank the Rockhead. I could have saved a lot of hair pulling if I had talked to him first
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