elliusoopius

Hello!
I have a currently not working astro, and I think it might be the fuel pump.

When it first started acting weird, it wouldn't want to start without spraying starting fluid into the intake, so we changed the spark plugs and cleaned the air filter and replaced the fuel filter and checked all the wires from the spark plug and checked out the distributer cap and stuff. None of that stuff worked, and it started getting worse. I live on top of a big hill, and when I went to drive it home, it lost power going up the hill until it stopped moving, and it was acting like it wasn't getting any fuel. So eventually I got it home, then next time I went to start it, I put some carburator cleaner in it, to see if it would help, and then drove it around a while. The next time I went to start it, it wouldn't start at all, no matter what I did. When I go to start it, it'll turn over, but as soon as the starting fluid burns up, it just dies.

So I listened to the fuel pump, and when you turn the key it comes on and makes this really weird sound. It's like, heavy rain falling on a tin roof. Sort of a sputtery pattering. I know fuel pumps are supposed to make some noise, but it really doesn't sound healthy.

So I've heard about some of the things you can do to tell whether your pump is messed up and to check the relay and stuff, but I want to know if the sound is an indicator that I can skip all that stuff and just assume its the fuel pump that's messed up. Also, do you think it's just clogged and I can like, clean it out or something, instead of replacing it?

I can't afford to have anyone work on it at the moment, so I'm going to fix it myself if at all possible. I really need to get it running for winter, 'cause I have to drive it through snow to get to my job and it's the only vehicle I have that is snow worthy.
I would really appreciate any ideas on this!
Thanks!

elliusoopius

It's a '94.

elliusoopius

Thanks for the help man! It seems kinda complicated, but I will follow your advice!