First, can you start the car by spraying starter fluid into the intake (under the air filter?) while cranking? If so, you have a problem getting fuel to the engine. It could be: 1. The fuel pump. Take the cover out of the wheel well and listen for it while someone tries to start the car. If it sounds like it's working, then it might be the accumulator. It could also be broken fuel lines into or out of the pump. 2. No sound from fuel pump. Take of the rubber cover over the pump. Are the wires rusted at the connection? (oddly, the water drain for the windshield pours right onto this thing). If so, can you repair the wires? Check for 12v with a meter. Could be bad fuel pump. 3. Emergency cut off switch, located behind the carpet near the clutch pedal. Black box with on/off pin. Designed to shut the fuel pump off if you get hard enough to through the magnetic switch. These fail pretty frequently (hey, they're old). You can try jumping it, but use similar guage wire, I found that trying to jump it with a thin wire once and it didn't work, but a heavy guage wire did. PS: to work on it, you'll need to unscrew it, keep the pin out, and then jump the wires (I can't remember the color combo, so use a meter to check for 12v) 4. Idle control unit located where the fuses are. You can jump this, but frankly I can't remember how. It's easiest to eliminate this by putting yours in another delorean (if you have one handy) and see if it has the same effect. Good luck - I replaced my fuel pump once, and it's not hard, but the hoses are old and not always easy to find. schaefer@xxxx on 01/13/2000 10:25:54 AM Please respond to dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx@Internet To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxx@Internet cc: Subject: [DML] Fuel Pump Question/problem Hi, my 81 suffered from the no-hot-start problem since I received the car about 4 months ago, other symptoms included: struggling when gas was pushed down all the way before the car had ran for about 10 minutes, and a long cranking was required to start the car, sometime it would take up to 30 seconds. Now the car doesn't start at all (it tries, but doesn't start) I thought it might be the accumulator, but now it seems that no fuel reaches the engine at all. I don't remember 100% if the fuel pump made a sound when the car was first turned on, but now it doesn't for sure, there is no sound from up front at all. I already checked all fuses (i heard that one controls the fuel pump right?) and they are fine. So, it sounds to me like the pump went bad, is this the correct assumption? I guess my real question is, do all of the symptoms I listed above match those of a fuel pump that is going bad? Or is this some kind of major problem? Thanks a lot for taking the time to help me, Michael Schaefer ------------_________\/________--------------- 1981 Red DeLorean DMC-12 #1118 28k Miles, 5-speed, Black Leather, Heaven. "Be careful what you say, Be very careful what you don't say..." -----------__________/\________--------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Before posting messages or replies, see the posting policy rules at: www.dmcnews.com/Admin/rules.html To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderator@xxxx ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar! -- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=dmcnews&m=1 ******************************************************************************* Note: The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you. Ernst & Young LLP *******************************************************************************