ICQ>

I started the beast (1985 245 Turbo B21FT, K-jet) as normal yesterday afternoon. A warm day - upper 60's - this is Seattle, Man! Anywho car started fine, turned radio on to AM talk radio, idled for 10 seconds or so, backed out per work instructions. Put her in D and drove maybe 6 feet, hear a loud pop through the radio speakers and car dies!!

So not wanting to be seen in a dead Volvo (everybody at work knows I'm a Volvo junkie by now)I quickly put my mind in hyperdrive - what's wrong?

Loud pop on AM....hmmm electrical....car died suddenly....hemmm electrical alas...check fuses...Ah Hah...main fuel pump fuse blew completely...I mean exploded!! And of course I have many spares (both stainless and old crusty continental style.) Popped in a 16 amp conti style (didn't want to waste my ss fuses - if it imediately blew again!.....but it didn't)

The car started up and runs like a champ!!

This all happened it less than 2-3 minutes, without removing my posterior from the leather to open the hood. While I am thankful/proud of my internet gained troubleshooting ability....and sort of knowing the hassles with that #6 fuse and the fuel pump relay....I still do not know what actually caused the fuse to blow.

Some more useful information.

1) I swapped in all SS fuses first day I got the car. (I still need to go back in and wirebrush/clean the contacts but they look ok - well now the #6 is darkened)

2) By strange coincidence I ordered a new fuel pump relay on Monday, should arrive by Friday!!!

3)On Sunday I was underneath the beast cleaning the sh*t out of the under carraige of the car. (Don't ask - but usually underneath and in the engine bay of my cars are cleaner than the exterior painted surfaces) I sprayed a lot of Simple Green and water around and on the main fuel pump. If this caused a short, why did it wait 'till Tuesday to blow the fuse?

4) When I removed the gas cap to fill the car with petrol for my first time there was a huge vacuum in the fuel tank - more than any car I've owned. (The '81 262C with B28F K jet did not seal the tank like this.) Should this car have a vented gas cap?

Any help would be cool. Should I replace my fuel pump? Or just the relay?

Sorry for being "windy"....sorry....I mean "long"....whoops..for wasting bandwidth...