First Start Problem

[Joecobr]

I have a 1998 Cobra 4.6 DOHC engine on 8740 with a dieted harness by Art Cuesta (he has been very helpful) and a Ron Francis chassis harness. When I tried starting the first time, the engine turned over nicely, I could hear the fuel pump prime, and all the gauges worked fine but the engine would not start. Fuel was not making it to the engine. I replaced the fuel pump assembly but again no start. I remove the fuel line from the gas tank to the fuel filter and it is perfectly clear. I reinstalled the line and tried to pump gas into a bottle from the end of this line. No go. I have a little less than half a tank of gas according to the gas gauge. The inertia switch is OK and the fuel relay is OK. Any idea why the no start?

[Railroad]

Put a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve on the fuel rail. If you have pressure there, your injectors are not receiving a signal to pulse.

[Joecobr]

Put a fuel pressure gauge on the schrader valve on the fuel rail. If you have pressure there, your injectors are not receiving a signal to pulse.

I haven’t put a gauge there but I have pressed it and there is no pressure or fuel there.

[Railroad]

Need to go all the way back to the pump and work forward. A new line from the pump to a container, should tell you something. Be careful with gasoline under pressure.

[TheBabyBadger]

Hey Joe! Sorry to hear you're having troubles. So let me clarify. You heard the fuel pump prime, but no fuel. New fuel pump. Does it still prime now? With a new fuel system it may take a fuel "primes" to get fuel up to the injectors. See if you're getting power to the fuel pump out of the relay. Start with fuses and a known good relay for the fuel pump. Could be something simple. Let us know.

[Joecobr]

Yes, I hear the new fuel pump prime but it doesn’t even pump fuel into a bottle before the fuel filter. The fuel pump relay checks out OK and the inertia switch checks out OK as well. Could it be insufficient fuel in the tank? I have about 20 litres or about 5 US gallons in there now.

[Joecobr]

It sure was something simple...and embarrassing! I reversed the wiring to the pump and the engine started. I’ll have to back track to see where the error in the wiring was made. Thanks for the input.