[92hatchback]

alright so i took my fuel pump relay out to check if its bad. But i have no idea what to look for to see if the relay is bad i have it sitting in front of me. so if anyone could let me know what to look for it would be great. should i just replace it with a new one??

[wraitherx]

when your car is off do you still hear the fuel pump cycling? or when you turn the car to the "on" position do you hear the "whirring" sound of the pump?

if any of these 2 you answered yes then your relay is bad.
for the first question the reason why it would stay on is because the relay acts like an automatic switch, when power is applied to one end of the relay the electromagnet pulls the internal switch over to the position to turn on that accessory. if it is staying on then that means that when power is taken away the electromagnet is still getting energized not switching the internal switch, or the internal switch just stopped working and is stuck in that position

same thing applies for question 2, where this time the electromagnetic switch is not being pulled over to the position to cut the pump on.

easiest way to tell if it is working is to plug it back in, turn the car to the on position, and listen for a "clicking sound". if nothing is hear then it is bad.

[92hatchback]

nope the pump does not prime when the key is in the "on" position. I think it is actually the pump but i wanted to check the relay and the inertia switch before going into surgery on the pump. But it seems like the relay is fine and the intertia switch is not popped or anything..

[wraitherx]

if thats the case then if you have a multi-meter you can check the wires to see if there is power going down that line to the pump before you drop the tank. this way you are certain that it is the pump and not a fuse or something a little more simple.
I ran into the same problem when i had my 89

[92hatchback]

yea im gunna go pick one of those up, figure its good to have anyways.. thanks for the help.

[wraitherx]

no problem

[grnstang]

isnt it normal for the fuel pump to whine for a few seconds when you turn the key on?

[92hatchback]

yeah but mine isnt whining at all. now i have the multimeter. does anyone know what wires to test, kinda dumb when it comes to this electrical. dont know how to use this thing either haha

[wraitherx]

Originally Posted by grnstang isnt it normal for the fuel pump to whine for a few seconds when you turn the key on?

yeah its letting you know that the pump is priming

[wraitherx]

Originally Posted by 92hatchback yeah but mine isnt whining at all. now i have the multimeter. does anyone know what wires to test, kinda dumb when it comes to this electrical. dont know how to use this thing either haha

let me see if i cant pull up something and ill get back to you (if someone else doesnt in the mean time.

[wraitherx]

ive got to go through all my old stuff to see if i cant find the diagrams to send to you. also, it still can be the relay as if its not priming then it could be an indication that the internal mechanism is no longer functioning. have you tried listening for a click, or better yet hold the relay, turn the car on, and you should feel something move inside. just a thought.

try and get another relay to plug in they are only like 5 dollars

[superbean]

should have continuity..
then apply voltage and the other side should have continuity.

[92hatchback]

its fine now. i just said screw it and changed the pump and it works now.. thanks guys.