2001 LW300 - Backseat and fuel pump question

[Red97sc2]

Been a while since I've been on here..but Saturns are still in the family.

My father in-law has an 01 LW300. I have searched on here for a back seat question I have but apparently no one has had any need to remove one.

How does one remove the bottom portion of the back seat?

Why we were wanting to do this is: Is there an access panel on the floor for the fuel pump or do we have to drop the exhaust and tank to get to it?

He's been having some issues with the car not wanting to start, hard starting, etc... He had the pressure tested and it was rated at approx. 40 psi. We already changed the fuel filter which helped the car to start a little easier but after sitting it does still have the hard start problem.

So, in a nut shell: Is there an access panel for the fuel pump under the back seat and if so, how does one remove the bottom portion of the seat.

Thank You!

[rb6667]

Originally Posted by Red97sc2

Been a while since I've been on here..but Saturns are still in the family.

My father in-law has an 01 LW300. I have searched on here for a back seat question I have but apparently no one has had any need to remove one.

How does one remove the bottom portion of the back seat?

Why we were wanting to do this is: Is there an access panel on the floor for the fuel pump or do we have to drop the exhaust and tank to get to it?

He's been having some issues with the car not wanting to start, hard starting, etc... He had the pressure tested and it was rated at approx. 40 psi. We already changed the fuel filter which helped the car to start a little easier but after sitting it does still have the hard start problem.

So, in a nut shell: Is there an access panel for the fuel pump under the back seat and if so, how does one remove the bottom portion of the seat.

Thank You!

^^^ There is no pump access panel under the rear seat. To remove the lower cushion, push hard on the cushion towards the rear of the wagon. Have to push hard on that cushion to release the clips that hold it down.

Going back to the fuel pump, the best option for replacement is to drop the exhaust and then the tank. Some have cut an access hole in the floor for pump access. This is not a good idea. Very risky to do this.

[fdryer]

I don't have an '01 but do have an '03 L300. I have two small black nylon straps protruding about an inch from the bottom of my rear bench seat. These pull straps release latches to allow seat removal. The straps are almost invisible against a black cloth seat and black rugs.

As others state, no fuel tank access hole under the rear seat. Drop the tank if necessary but before presuming a pump or wiring issue, borrow a fuel pressure gauge from Autozone or Advance Auto.

Connect the f/p gauge to the fuel test valve located on the fuel rail over the engine. A black plastic cap covers the test valve (resembling a tire valve). Once connected turn on ignition - you should see fuel pressure immediately. Fuel lines are small diameter to allow instantaneous pressure buildup. If you see pressures immediately, this serves as a general indication of pump operation. The fuel pump cycles on for two seconds at ignition on time without starting up. If the engine computer doesn't detect engine running, the timer runs out and pump shuts off with residual pressure close to initial turn on pressure. Bleed off pressure (in 5 minutes or so) should be minimal to indicate check valve and injectors aren't leaking.

1-how many miles on this car?

2-replaced spark plugs every 100k miles?

3-are there any error codes indicating misfires (P0300-P0306)?

4-was the throttle assembly ever cleaned.

5-air filter replaced?

6-any mods done?

[Red97sc2]

Originally Posted by fdryer

1-how many miles on this car? approx 74k miles

2-replaced spark plugs every 100k miles?Not yet

3-are there any error codes indicating misfires (P0300-P0306)?No CEL or codes

4-was the throttle assembly ever cleaned.Unknown

5-air filter replaced?Not yet

6-any mods done?No mods

Above are the answers to your questions. Sorry I missed this.

He did have the FP read at a shop and it was around 40 - 44. I believe what a normal pressure is supposed to be is 55.

So that's where we stand with this problem. The other issue (blower motor/fan not working) is in another post coming up soon.

Thanks, Paul

[fdryer]

Saturn service manual specs for fuel pump pressure; The fuel system pressure minimum is 269 kPa (39 psi). The maximum is 338 kPa (49 psi). This makes your observed pressure well within specs. With little lower mileage than expected, this hard starting issue may be spark or injector related. Other than removing spark plugs and examining them or replacing them (a real chore) maybe a bottle of injector cleaner in a half tank might help to clean any injector deposits. A more expensive injector cleaning to see if cleaning does as expected sooner would be a pressurized can of injector cleaner fed directly into the fuel test valve with the engine running. No guarantees if injectors or spark are the problem without examining plugs.

If I'm not mistaken, air filters should be replaced either every 25k or 50k miles. Remove and examine air filter.

If this car is used mostly for local trips under 15 miles, the engine may never get up to operating temperatures and create excessive carbon buildup in cylinders. Normal everyday driving, stuck in traffic or highway speeds allows operating temps and hot engines to burn off and expel carbon from building up in cylinders and spark plugs. Plugs can foul from carbon deposits and create hard starting issues. The simple cure for short trips is a long one, maybe once a week - driving for longer than 30 minutes.

[Red97sc2]

I should add that this car does get some highway driving but it's mostly towed behind a motor home to Florida. Once there it's driven around and sees highway driving, so it doesn't sit or get driven at slow speeds all the time.

When it's back home it use to be the main car being driven but they have since acquired a second vehicle so the driving mileage is down some on it.

[Red97sc2]

Sorry for the delay but like I said, I'm about 1.5 hours away from the Saturn and my father in-law only does what he can during the day..

UPDATE - He replaced the fuel pump with no change in the operation of the vehicle which is as follows:

Hard to start, rough idle at a stop (stop light or in traffic), once moving the car does even out some. No CEL.

So, consulting with my son (going to UTI in the Fall) and my own experience with fuel injector issues we're thinking one or more injectors may be not working at 100%.

WHICH, doesn't make any sense in the fact that on a 2003 Grand Marque, when 1 injector went bad the CEL came on. Is there a difference between GM and Ford/Mercury computers?

Otherwise, are we on the right track with the injectors or are we missing something else. (fuel pump and filter have been replaced with GM specific new parts)

Thanks all again!