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Engine auto-off (thelemmy.club)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/lemmyshitpost@lemmy.world
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[–] 18 points 3 months ago (16 children)

Smack the fuel tank half a dozen times with a sledge hammer, the fuel filter is probably clogged.

Can confirm, I just did this yesterday.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    Been a while, but this can also work on the starter. Just a suggestion, keep the hammer weight under 2lbs.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    I had 82 Chevy Malibu station wagon in the early 90s while in college. The thing would start like a champion on the second turn, NEVER the first.

    Which was fine except the contacts on the solenoid started sticking when it was below freezing. It would sit there and run the battery down unless you jumped out reached underneath with something heavy to knock the solenoid loose... Get back, now being the second try, it would immediately start like a champ...

    Did that for 3 months before I finally changed the starter.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Kept a hammer in the passenger footwell of my '89 Volvo wagon for exactly this reason.

    No start? Pop the hood, and pop the starter.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago

    I feel knocking the starter with a hammer is a universal 80s driving experience. Like changing the electric distributor contacts mid trip, and using starter spray when the damn thing refuses to turn on again.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 months ago (9 children)

    Don't do this. If you unclog the filter the next stop for the junk you knocked loose is the engine.

    Fuel filters are cheap and easy to replace.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    Fuel filter indeed is not cheap or easy to replace, not on a 96 Sonoma anyways. You either gotta drop the tank, or remove the pickup bed, to access the fuel pump, where the primary fuel sock filter is located.

    Not easy or cheap to replace.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    There should be two filters, the sock on the fuel sending unit in the tank, and a real filter between the tank and the engine. If your pump and sock are 30 years old its time to get a loaded sending unit from AutoZone

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah, we don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, it's probably the original fuel pump and filter sock. The truck has just over 200k miles on it.

    Considering how old it is, it still purrs like a really big cat, but the other day it crapped out on us and simply refused to start. I verified the fuel pump was working and also verified good hot spark coming from the coil pack, but still it refused to start anymore.

    Puzzled I was, so we called a friend, and he was a bit puzzled too, but that's when he suggested taking a hammer to the bottom of the gas tank, to try to dislodge any crud. Well, we happen to have a sledgehammer, usually just used as a prop stick for the toolbox, but I smacked the bottom of the tank about 6 times (I didn't even smack it hard), and it started right up 👍

    Another commenter suggested a rubber mallet, which I actually do have, and that'll be going into the truck toolbox later today. As far as replacing the pump/sock assembly, well I won't be able to do that myself out at our apartment, as it requires either dropping the tank or removing the truck bed first, so that'll have to be done at a shop someday whenever we have the extra money, whatever the fuck extra money is...

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