fuel pump possibly dead ?

[macksvt]

ok bit strange.

about an hour ago, car was low on petrol - just put new seats and carpet into it has been out of action for a week or so.

drove to petty station on very low petrol. forgot my wallet. had to drive home, and get wallet.

Got fuel, all good. drove about 15km and i noticed my oil light appeared. I was allready on my way home, about 4km away. After driving for about 1km, i pulled up to a set of lights and noticed my oil light turn off. Then my car just died.

pushed it round the corner, and there she sits.. The car kicks over fine, just wont fire.

Seems like the fuel pump ? but what was with the oil light ???

[strgas]

bad fuel maybe ??? when engine stalls oil pressure drops and light should come on with battery light ??? any sign of oil loss under the car ???

[hako]

The oil pressure switch is part of the electrical circuit for the fuel pump - if it plays up, power is disconnected from the fuel pump (so in a prang if the engine stalls/damaged, the fuel pump no longer pumps fuel...fire!). So it may be the switch.
Another check is to have someone thump the bottom of the fuel tank whilst you turn the key to start - this can make the pump work again (temporarily). This presumes the pump itself is the problem and not the oil pressure switch.
Hope this helps.

[macksvt]

hako - so the oil light came on while i was driving because the fuel pump is more then likely buggered ? is the oil light coming on an indicator that the fuel pumps about to go ? and/or the obvious drop in oil pressure.

the car is full of oil, just checked. just got car towed to a mechanics

The oil light is still on when trying to turn the car over. - as it should be hence no oil pressure.

theres no loss of oil, like i said its still full.
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[Vee-ard]

He just told you. If the oil pressure SWITCH is buggered, it will turn off the fuel pump. Its got nothing to do with the amount of oil in the engine.

[hako]

There are also other items that can cause your problem - like if the main cable at the back of the alternator breaks (which is fairly common) the engine will stall with red lights and may even restart a second or so later if the cable makes contact again. Could also be a bad fuel pump relay.
What I would do is firstly check battery cables are tight and clean, then inspect main cable to rear of alternator to make sure it is not loose or burnt, then inspect oil pressure switch looking for external damage or wiring fault. If that's all looking good I would then turn ignition on, check immobiliser flashing red LED below radio is off and at the same time listen for the fuel pump to prime the fuel system (a humming noise lasting for 1 to 2 seconds) then crank the car.
If the red flashing light stays flashing OR you don't hear the fuel pump prime then the car probably will not start.
Re-reading your post I lean towards the wire at the back of the alternator or bad battery terminals or an almost flat battery. It's all a process of elimination unfortunately. Good Luck.

[StockoVRWagz]

Check for error codes, might help you narrow the problem down
Check this thread

[dubby]

Another check is to have someone thump the bottom of the fuel tank whilst you turn the key to start - this can make the pump work again (temporarily). This presumes the pump itself is the problem and not the oil pressure switch.
Hope this helps.

This works a treat, just did this about 2 hours ago, car was tickin over sweet but not starting, got someone to smack the fuel tank a bit and i drove about 70kms all the way home.