Well I a couple a days ago I was driving a long and all of a sudden, my car bogs downs and dies... start it up, bam, works. The day after that (yesterday) does the same thing, but this time doesn't start back up. So I pop the hood smells like gas, so I think "Oh **** my fuel pump went out." Sure enough it was bad... Now we put a new one and it started up just fine had good pressure, shut it off, started it again. By the 3rd time the pressure started getting sputtery just like it did when it was dying on me, and eventually it died and was no hope of starting.. So we jack up the rear passenger side and played around with and about 30 minutes it started and did for about 6 times, hell actually went out and drove it, came back and shut it off and started again 3 times.. So at this point we were like awesome, it works! Well as I go to leave... does it again... >_< And also whats annoying is my flex pipe is leaking because it has a awesome crack in it, sounds like a damn dragster when she's going.. but anyone have any idea why it would do this?

 

Sound Like a Dragster ..... Probably Because of the Crack in the Flex Pipe .....

 

Only does that when it can start, which it can't..

 

Flex pipe should be covered under the emissions warranty..

Are ya throwing any codes ??

 

Yeah, that's my question, when you get it to start again head somewhere and have the codes pulled. It'll cut down on a ton of guessing.

 

This to me is more suggesting that you are flooding the engine which would mean that the pump is working but you are not burning the fuel. Or you have a fuel leak in the engine bay. If the pump was not working you would not have fuel to smell in the first place.

Like others mentioned above start by getting codes pulled. Could be cam sensors or crank sensor not giving the correct position so you are not firing the plugs at the proper time. Could be many other things too but those are just the first two to pop into my head.

 

X2 . I'm with 07azhhr on this. If you smelled gas under the hood, you've got a problem other than the fuel pump.
Also. What kind of car? Just assuming were talking about an HHR. What year and engine are we talking about? What's the mileage?

 

I have never have had the check engine light come on nor any codes. The fuel pump doesn't always turn on, only when it feels like it. When it does turn on, everything seems to be fine, and runs great. We check the Fuel Pump relay and fuse every time we start it, and it seems to have no issues and tests out fine.. I'm starting to wonder if I have bad wiring. My car was a prior-salvage when I bought it with rear end damage. It's a 2007 HHR LT 2.4L

 

Gas smell in the engine compartment and problematic starting after cars sits for a while......... I'd say you have a leak in the fuel system someplace that prevents the fuel rail to stay pressurized.....maybe even the fuel rail itself. Seems one or two have had the problem. IIRC


And you say you istalled a new fuel pump. Would you explain???? The fuel pump is in the fuel tank. Did you drop the tank to install?

 

So it's a salvage car with prior rear end damage. Sorry, but I'm gonna back out of this diagnosis.
Worked on many a salvage cars back in the day. Too many little,strange,odd,and weird problems seem to crop up on some of them.
But. Good Luck. I hope it is a simple and easy fix.