Diagnostics 101 Alabama style
So I loaded the male Anatolian Shepard ( 180 lbs ) up in the 99 GMC Suburban last Friday for a trip to the vet ( about 3 miles away ). All was well until I tried to start it at the vet office to come home. Nada, Nothing, ZIP : engine spins OK but no start. Had the wife with me, caught a ride back home to get the car, came back and delivered her back home. Then called a friend of a friend that has a tow truck to go get it and drag it home, but he thought it a better idea to just go have a look first ( he's a local mechanic ). He pours some gas in the TB ( yes a GM throttle body 350 engine ) and she fires up and runs long enough to get it back home. He does some quick stuff and declares that I have a bad temp sender.
( no charge, BTW ).
Later that day, my step son is over and he has a ODB1 test setup, we hook it up and see that the temp sender is OK, the TPS is OK, but it won't start. He put his ear to the fuel filler and then tells me he has found the problem.
The fuel pump is screaming !!!
IT"S OUT OF GAS !!! ( The fuel gauge shows 1/2 a tank ).
I dump 3 gallons in it and it's purring like a kitten again.