Gentlemen,

Thank you all again for the comments. Work here is getting done. Partial result follows here. I am asking to hear further comments already now, because the result below may change the picture some, while still working on the earlier comments.

My car's fuel system apparently is producing the same amount of pumped fuel with and without fuse 11 - tank pre-pump - in place. Does that indicate a dead tank pre-pump? The car still does not start in either case.

Details: I jumpered relay board slots 31b and 15 - that matches relay pins 30 and 87/2 - with a short piece of heavy wire. The cranking battery was also freshly charged for this. The circuit was closed right away. One did not have to turn the ignition key past the 0 position. The energized fuel system put out about 10 ounces of gasoline in about 5 seconds like this.

Then I repeated that after having pulled fuse 11 - pre-pump in tank - to focus on the main fuel pump activity. Same result, that is, about 10 ounces of gasoline in about 5 seconds came through the fuel line into the test can forward in the engine compartment. This scenario got repeated a couple of times. Every time, there was no difference in fuel line output with or without fuse 11 in-place.

For comparison, I put the relay back in and turned the ignition key to position II and held the key there for about 5 seconds. This repeatedly produced only a couple of ounces of gasoline through the fuel line to the can. But I figure this is because while both switches in the relay initially close when the ignition key is turned to position II, the one switch, I gather that is the main pump switch, opens up again a second or two later. Of course, it has to close again and stay closed if there is ignition or you are cranking, but I have not seen that yet with the relay visible. I saw as much as I did of the fuel pump relay yesterday only after having opened up the center console, including forward, put good light onto the relay board, set up a small mechanic's mirror among the relays and put my strong reading glasses on to watch what the two switches inside the relay did when I was attempting to start the car. Relay cover was off for this. Relay looks like it is working right. Car still doesn't start. Could it be the pump in the gas tank? I will re-read the FAQ on this, too.

Please allow me to add that the pump in the gas tank was probably working recently, because both I and an experienced local independent mechanic, the mechanic of choice for this car for several years now, heard that in-tank running pump as recently as a month or so ago. But a month or so ago is also when the car also got much worse from its having had long cranking to start when warm for months before that.

Should one re-confirm pre-pump failure after a jumpered relay board test?

Thank you.