This morning I go to start the car for my morning commute. I turn the key to the on position and I immediately get an intermittent buzzing/groaning type noise from the fuel pump relay. So I jump in my other vehicle and head to work and while there I spend the day researching the fuel pump relay and the possible causes. I found alot of great info and I rush home thinking it's surely the fuel pump relay.

I get home and try to start the car and I get the same scenario. I pull the fuel pump relay out. Visually the relay looks brand new with no signs of corrosion or anything else wrong. All the contacts are in perfect shape. I call the previous owner and he confirms the relay was replaced shortly before he sold me the car.

EDIT - Here's an update after a couple hours of troubleshooting.

I have found:

- Battery terminals are clean and battery is fully charged

- All fuses are good and are cleanly seated. No corrosion

- The #4 fuse (in tank pump) has zero voltage when key switch is in on position

- The #6 fuse (main pump) reads 12.5 volts when key switch is in on position

- When I jump the #4 and #6 together I can 100% hear the main fuel pump humming from under the left rear side.

- I am solo working on this so I can't tell if the in tank pump is running

- When I jump the terminal 30 to 87/2 it makes no difference. This is in the Bentley Manual section 230-2 as a trouble shooting test for the fuel pump relay.

- After knocking around and troubleshooting the relay no longer makes the buzzing noise.

 

I bought a 16 dollar fuel pump relay...NEW...aftermarket....

lasted ONE WEEK....GOT ME A JUNK YARD, OE, ONE AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE....POPPED THEM OUT OF THE PLASTIC FOR COMPARISON...AND THE OE IS WAY WAY ....I MEAN WAY BETTER QUALITY....I AM NOT AN ELECTRICAL EXPERT BUT VISUALLY ANY ONE WOULD SAY THAT THE OE IS BETTER BUILT...

find out if the relay was oe or aftermarket...

 

This morning I picked up a new aftermarket fuel pump relay and tried that. Didn't help. Car still won't start.

I did however get the chance to clean out the flame trap today which was really gummed up. Just need to get the car started.....

 

Hey, bare with me because I have the older style ['83] but I've owned your style and I've read a few scenarios you should check if you don't want to/before you verify you have spark and fuel.

These things change throughout the year range so......

Somewhere near, mounted to or beside the fan shroud or near the coolant reservoir you'll find the radio suppression relay ~ same as the fuel pump relay ~ try replacing that with your extra one/spare.

If that doesn't get it going, see if you have the 25A blade fuse on the inner driver side fender and check if it's okay.

Short of these 2 quick/easy things it'll be time to verify you're getting fuel and spark. There's a Hall Sensor inside your distributor that can fail and cause issues as well.

Just trying to ease your frustration [trust me I feel for ya] and maybe get you going again.

Good Luck!

 

Problem solved. It was the 25 amp fuse holder. Visually it looked ok from the front. It had some corrosion where the wires come in the back. Replaced the holder and she fired right up.

Also while fixing that I noticed some cracks in the main hose between the throttle body and the maf sensor. The car already idles much better from cleaning the flame trap out. So hopefully the replacement of the main throttle hose will cure the very minor idle surging it does.

Every time I tinker with this car I learn something new and my confidence that I can fix it on my own grows.