I bought this car off craigslist. It drove fine for a few days, then the engine light started to come on and it would die. At first I could start it right up, but then I had to wait for a period of time (30 min to 1hour) to get it started again. It seemed to be heat related though the temp gauge did not indicate high temp. When I would open the hood though I could feel heat. No smoking though. Anyway, then came the day a little over 2 weeks ago and the car would not start. There had been no engine light on or anything, it just quit. It acts like it wants to start but won't catch. The family mechanic (a retired gentleman) said that it was probably the fuel pump. He tested it and it showed that the fuel pump had very little pressure. Another mechanic had told me that he thought it was the mass air flow sensor, but the family mechanic said no and that this guy is a rip off. So, he replaced the fuel pump.

I was able to start the car 10 times before it quit on me and started doing the same thing...acting like it wasn't getting gas to start it. My mechanic came in about 40 minutes (I had the hood up in the Safeway parking lot) and he tried to start it and it started. He turned it off and re-started it 3 times. Then I went to Walgreens and came out and it wouldn't start. I called the mechanic to come back...this time it wouldn't start even after an hour and with spraying starting fluid. I had to have it towed home.

The mechanic came yesterday to check it out and removed the fuel pump, tested it (everythign A-ok). He tried to see if the fuel pump would run when the key was turned on. It didn't move. The tester told us that the secondary circuit on fuel pump was a trouble code (543). My mechanic told me that it is probably the modulator which is not getting the injectors to get fuel to the fuel pump. So that is where we are at now...I am at a loss and since I live in an area where there is no public transportation...I am stuck at home. Any ideas or comments are appreciated. I just found this site.