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Fuel pressure regulator

wannaeatyourbrains

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I replaced the O-rings in the quick release tabs on the fuel filter.

I had the injector rack off, and the line still had a bit of fuel in it.

I blocked off the fuel pump end of the filter.

Then I blew into the line up the injector end to see if petrol was still pissing out through the tabs on the 3-way.

I was fairly easily able to blow the fuel out somewhere, not through any leak around the filter, which was tight as now tab-wise. I heard bubbling after that, I guess in the tank (hard to know cause I work alone). No fuel pissing out anywhere. When I blew slowly, no resistance. When I blew hard, there was considerable resistance.

Should I be able to blow fuel and air back through the pressure regulator valve in the fuel sender unit with just my lung power?

I have fuel pressure issues...I just replaced the sender...they are expensive here in Saudi Arabia, even second hand.

Please enlighten me. No talk of computers. I live in the middle of a bloody desert.

Thanks for your help. The good-natured people on this forum have given me many years of happy motoring from what was a complete wreck when I got it. You love it all the more when you fix up everything yourself.

It is a 2005 VZ Executive, known here as the 2006 Lumina. Readers may be interested to know there are huge piles of Commodores lying around in the desert wreckers here. Enough to keep you all going for years. Perfectly preserved in the desert environment. Parts off them are dirt cheap.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Noone helped, but I still appreciate all the help I have received here over the years.

Guess no one drives these much now. It's no worries. Or maybe I broke some unknown protocol, for which I am sorry.

Wanted to detail what was up for the next person, however, just in case.

There were, in fact, two problems. One, my fuel tank was contracting when driving, and the car kept stalling on hot days in traffic.

I found the fuel pressure regulator was stuck shut, and this stuffed my fuel pump and two of the injectors. I replaced them with some I scavenged out of the desert. They were blue, out of an LTZ, but replaced the black ones in mine no worries and work well. I bought a second-hand fuel sender unit off some legendary Sudanese goat herders, cause out of ignorance I broke the original one. They had shitloads of Commodore parts they had got to before me in their hovel, but luckily I managed to get a couple of good spare fuel tanks they left behind while I was out there, which compensated for the cost of having to actually buy something.

The trick to opening it up is to pull off the fuel regulator valve first. It just pulls out once you pry open the clip. Straight out. You can wiggle it, but be careful not to break anything else by squeezing too hard when you do it. Then just gently pry open those clips on the swirl tank housing, and that comes off. Next time it will be a breeze to change anything in that sender unit.

This fuel pressure problem made all the seals leak in the fuel lines as well. These were easy to replace. You will find the plastic ends pop off, and there are a couple of O-rings in each with a hard black plastic ring between them. Do it somewhere well lit, cause these are easy to lose.

That sorted the fuel pressure worries. Yes, you can blow fuel back through the valve with just your lungs. The first one was stuck, see, hence the uncertainty.

After that, it would only bloody run in safety mode. I disconnected the TPS sensor, and found that made no difference. I ripped off the throttle body, and undid it by popping those silver clips off with a screwdriver. Just pull that straight off, and you can service the stuff inside.

There were a few drops of water in there! I dunno how, cause the humidity here is so low it sucks the breath out of your lungs, and makes you feel freezing cold on even the hottest day because of how fast water evaporates off your skin. But we had had a few heavy dews, so I guess it was condensation. Either that or camel dribble.

I cleaned it and lubed it up. There was a bit of verdigris making it wig out - green fuzz on the connections for the servo motor. I cleaned it all off with an ear bud and a bit of wd 40. Chucked it all back together.

Bam. Back in action. Burnout city. 230 000 kms, 100 000 of which I have flogged it mercilessly. Made to hack the dust.

PS: The original symptoms of the fuel injector problems and the TPS issue were going straight to safety mode, and blowing shitloads of white smoke.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Well, it would sure be less lonesome at nights than married to a Commode. But let's not go there...
 

99notout

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Hey, I visited Mecca back in about 1980. Traveled over on a sheep carrier as the radio operator, interesting place. Hope you have the old girl up and running well. Sing out if you ever need anything. Cheers.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Why thank you very much, 99notout. Be careful I don't make you come good on that, ha ha. Every time I google up the VZ, I see a mouth-watering array of parts and accessories available in Australia and not elsewhere. It's hard not to spend money. By the same token, if there is anything you need off a wreck here, let ME know. Original parts abound.

Yes, Mecca is awesome. The Red Sea is right there, and unlike the Barrier Reef you only have to go one meter from dry land to see coral, giant clams and coral trout. The desert is breathtakingly beautiful. Every day guarantees a perfect sunrise and sunset. Never rains on your birthday.

Saudis are the least understood nation on the planet. They are the friendliest people imaginable. I have yet to have an unfortunate experience with anyone, which is more than could be said of any other country I have lived in. I can't go anywhere without them trying to drag me home to their house for lunch. I can't walk to the post office without half a dozen cars stopping to give me a ride. They would be Australians' best friends, if the ordinary person got to know them, as we share a lot in common.

I have great adventures with the car. They have ghetto industrial sections here where Pakistani, African and Yemeni guys in little bessa block shops can perform just about any technological repair imaginable. Rarely are new parts required. If you don't speak Arabic much, like me, you meet a lot of people and get a lot of cups of teas and exotic treats working your way through the maze, trying to use sign language and limited language skills to indicate what needs doing, and find out who will do it for you.

5 years I have been here. I teach at a hospital college on a big army base out in the middle of nowhere. It's a good life, and I absolutely consider here home now. Easy place to fit in.
 

Fu Manchu

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I’ve seen giant clams.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Not sure if it is politically correct, but I laughed a lot. Where is this thread going... Gonna leave them to you, Fu Manchu.
 
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