If you spray starting fluid into the air box while your friend cranks it over and once it starts keep giving it the starting fluid, how long will it run?
Until you are out of fluid?
Or does it still quit after a few seconds?

 

i dont think the strainer is clogged, it looked clean when i took it out and i was careful with it. im going to try to reverse the wires just to rule that out, and i have a whole oem pump assembly on the way to test, and if that still doesnt get it, then off comes the intake to get to that damn shrader valve. (seriously, couldnt they have put that somewhere just a little bit more accessible?)
what about a fuse in the dash under the steering wheel? could there be something there?

 

wont have an op to try the starting fluid continuously until this weekend. y? are you thinking maybe the injectors are clogged?

 

Here's the wiring diagram from the RAVE. Fuse 10 under hood box is involved. ECM supplies a ground to turn on the relay. You can remove relay and short the pins in the base for pin 30 and 87 and that will make pump run all the time for diagnostic purposes.

The ECM powers up the main relay, if inertia switch is reset. Inertia switch is there to do things like shut off engine in a crash, shut down fuel pump, so you don't become toasted, and unlock all doors, so someone can drag you out and start CPR. You can bypass inertia for testing, but you are a dang fool to drive it that way. Main relay powers up sensors, enables fuel pump relay to also obey ECM control.

Cranking (turning over starter) is controlled by BCU, a separate issue (tied in with alarms, immobilizer, etc.).

BTW, starting fluid constantly puts a lot more heat on the valves than you might want. You have proved you got spark. Or you can pull off a plug lead and have SWMBO hold it tightly....

 

dumb question but could i have triggered the imobilizer?

 

That prevents cranking relay from engaging via BCU.

 

No I am wondering if you have more than one problem, like a bad crank sensor.
If the truck will run for awhile on the starting fluid then it is def fuel related.
But if it only runs for the same few seconds then it may be a bad crank position sensor, which is a 100% guaranteed to fail item on a DII, and when it fails it not only kills spark it also kills the fuel pump.
No signal from the crank sensor and no fuel pump.
Just because it runs for a few sec at start up would not 100% rule out the crank sensor is my thinking.
I am still leaning towards a fuel pump problem, but we need to rule things out.

And yes, you could have tripped the inertia switch, it is the black button on the fire wall, press it and then try and start the truck.
You are going to kick yourself if that is it and I am going to kick myself for not mentioning it first.

 

i replaced the cps just a few weeks back and the inertia switch has been pressed several dozen xs for good measure.
checked the fuses in the dash and couldnt find anything blown.
picking up new fuel pump assembly today or tomorrow. last try before getting into intake removal or even worse... taking it to a shop!

 

On the schrader valve in the hard to get to place - wonder if one of those adapters you screw into a tire valve to extend it for different wheel covers might work...

 

i wish i could even see it to find out. it is burried under and behind the plenum facing the firewall. damn you engineers!