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MG MGA - Fuel pump not clicking - no click, no start!

Symptoms - go out for a ride, long enough to reach engine temp. Stop for gas, or something and shut the engine down, would not restart - fuel pump not clicking. Check wires, connections, etc. Could not get the fuel pump to click. Tow it home (bummer). Sits a week, and sometimes would start? Replaced pump, appeared to solve the problem for a couple of years. Again, the symptoms returned. I am in the process of replacing the pump again, this time with solid state electronics. Any thoughts?
Robert Peate

I had a similar problem with mine. A good friend of mine spent a lot of time going through the wiring/connections. My pump would run but the voltage at the pump was too low. We found that the connections at the fuse box were suspect. Restriped the wire and reconnected everything. The pump is working but I am going to install a new wiring harness and solid state fuel pump.

Have you tried jumping the pump directly from the battery when it will not click? If that gets it going then I would suspect your wiring to be the problem. Don't forget to check the pump ground wire as well.

Good luck.

Don
D. R. Carlberg

Sometimes the contacts on the pump points develop a film of corrosion that stops them working well (or working at all). Just remove the cap (can be done with pump in situ) and release the fixing for the small black points plate, slide it out, clean both with a fingernail, reinstall, replace cap and voila.

The real solution is to use the car more..... Then the corrosion doesn't occur.
dominic clancy

Don - Dominic is correct about the film developing on the contacts of the points over time. The pumps depend on the current through the points to burn this film off before it gets thick enough to cause a problem. This is particularly a problem with pumps that sit for extended periods of time without being run, as in cars that are put in hibernation during the winter months. There are several cures for this problem - 1) drive the car year round, 2) clean the points as part of your spring, "get the car ready to drive" ritual, 3) install an all electronic pump. Robert is also right in that ground and power connections must be checked periodically to insure that the pump is operating at full voltage. Don't throw those pumps that you replaced away, they can be restored and converted to solid state such that, like the new, all electronic fuel pumps sold by Burlen Fuel Systems they will not be effected by points filming. Further, you might want to consider a permanently installed back up pump (must be an electronic pump used as the back up). For instructions and some part numbers of pumps to use, see my article at: http://www.mgexperience.net/article/backup-fuel-pump.html
Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Thanks Dave, Dom and Don!! All excellent points (no pun intended). Yes, the replaced pump only needed a good points cleaning. I'm off and running.

Thanks again guys.
Robert Peate

Hi Robert. The stock SU fuel pump with mechanical points was a constant source of misery for me. Despite a few careful rebuilds which lasted only a few years each, my pump left me stranded more times than I care to remember. While your fuel pump may not be the only possible cause of your problems, I would highly recommend changing it out if it has mechanical points. Solid state fuel pumps are EXTREMELY reliable, even after long storage. After installing my solid state pump, I had no fuel pump problems. The Facet brand solid state pump has worked flawlessly for at least 15 years! Hope this helps, GLenn
Glenn

This thread was discussed between 19/05/2007 and 20/05/2007

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