'85 Reliant, No Start, Please Help

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'85 Reliant, No Start, Please Help

Postby dadude1425 » Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:24 pm

I have a 1985 Reliant, 2.2 L TBI that has quit working. It sat up for ten years before I started driving it, and it needed extensive repairs to get running again. Almost 4 weeks ago, I ran it out of gas, because after sitting, my fuel gauge has failed, and it has needed many other parts to keep running so I haven't been able to fix it. I put about 20 bucks in it and the car stopped working about ten miles later. It sputtered and died again as though it had run out of fuel again, even though it has not. It would start long enough for about 3 or 4 power strokes, but would die again right after. I replaced the fuel filter first because I figured it had clogged (and it had). Once I did that, the car started and ran at idle for about 30 seconds and died with the same "out-of-gas" type sputtering. It started back up, so I didn't think much of it and drove it about a mile or two, with it dying about 3 times along the way. One of the times, I tried to rev the engine to force more gas through (probably a mistake), but it wouldn't rev. If I barely pushed on the accelerator, it would rev slightly, but anything past that and it acted as if I wasn't pushing on the gas at all. I got it to the driveway and parked it for the past three weeks, with me slowly replacing parts to try to revive it. I checked the TPS with a multimeter and it checked good. I replaced the fuel pump with no results other than hearing the short hum of the pump when I turn the key on. I replaced the ignition coil after it failed to give a reading on a multimeter and still nothing. It cranks, but will not start. Before this, the car accelerated very sluggishly at times, especially on hills, and had a good deal of trouble getting up to 70 MPH, but ran somewhat dependably otherwise. I checked just now and there is no fuel traveling between the pump and filter, insinuating a lack of power at the pump. The on board diagnostic check does me no good, as the codes it gives are not for the year model of the car (the LM was replaced before the car was mine, but I don't know if it was replaced with a computer for the same year model). I get codes like a 44, which I don't know what it could be on any model, a 42, indicating a problem in the ASD system (I'm not sure how running out of fuel would trip this) and a 26 for a bad engine temp sensor, which my car only has a coolant temp sensor that I'm aware of. I'm running out of ideas myself, so I figured I would ask you guys and gals what you think. If you need any more info, please feel free to ask. I need to stop throwing money out on parts I don't need :/ I love my little Reliant and would love to keep it, if at all possible
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dadude1425
 
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Car Information: 1985 Plymouth Reliant SE, 2 door coupe, 2.2 TBI

Re: '85 Reliant, No Start, Please Help

Postby Pete in NH » Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:44 pm

Hi,

Well, there could be a number of things happening here so lets try to do some troubleshootong is a logical order. The engine needs two things to run- fuel and a spark at the right time to ignite the fuel. The ASD code 42 issue is going to effect fuel delivery and ignition system. Do you have a factory shop manual for the car? It's going to be very difficult to find your way through this issue without one. If your going to keep the car you really need the manual for it. They show up on Ebay. The Automatic Shut Down (ASD) relay is driven by the power module located along side the battery. Your code 42 indicates no power to the ASD, a bad ASD relay or bad wiring connections. One thing to try is to remove the power module connectors and check them for corrosion, clean then and reseat them. as this car has sat for along time. The same thing applies to the logic module inside the car on the passenger side under the kick panel. check the connectors.

You say the fuel filter waas clogged up. Not surprising for a car that sat for so long the fuel tank may be full of rust and crud. The fuel pump depends on the fuel in the tank to cool it, so it's never a good idea to let these cars run completely out of gas. Your new pumps pick up may be clogged up again which is why you were able to go a few miles before the car acted like it ran out of gas again. You may have to drop the tank again, clean it out, check the fuel pump and replace the filter again and then tackle the ASD issue. Go over to allpar.com for a good list of trouble codes and possible fixes. In the end you want to be able to take you multimeter and see power at the fuel pump connection and fuel at the throttle body unit. Again, you really need a shop manual to be able to follow the wiring around and put you multimeter to good use. The code 44 is a battery temperature sensor thing, I wouldn't pay too much attention it it right now. Same for the code 26 coolant sensor, both may be due to dirty connectors.

Good luck, check some things out and keep coming back with questions if you need to. I think many of the issues will be traced back to the car sitting for so long. Don't give up on the car!
Pete in NH
 
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Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:47 pm
Car Information: 1986 Plymouth Reliant SE


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