The black cloud continues to hang over this car! Every time it rains, something electrical shorts and causes the car to have so little power that it cannot be driven. We have replaced tons of parts trying to figure out the problem. Some of the parts are: Fuel pump, O2 sensors (both), New PCM, Crank & Cam sensors......Also cleaned the big "plug-in" connectors under the hood and as well as the big plug in the PCM and then covered them in dielectric grease. The problem still persists every time it rains! When we replaced the fuel pump, there was a noticable noise difference. The old pump was nearly silent and the new Bosch pump is easily heard. The last time it rained the car did the same thing however this time I noticed we could not here the fuel pump? The engine would run but very poorly. No power. Could this be a low voltage thing??? Maybe a wire partially grounding and the water allows it to make a better contact??? Or a ground wire that is not getting a good ground when it's wet:??? So, I am wondering where the wires go from the fuel pump on the pass side? They enter the body under the car however when you remove the back seat I don't see them. If I remove the pass side seat are they in there somewhere. OR is the problem somewhere other than this???

 

You have an exposed wire somewhere if it is intermittent when moisture occurs. Gonna have to trace down the lines very patiently.

 

Well, I kinda figured it was a wire! Any common areas this happens? I've checked the obvious places like the O2 wires. The problem area is likely a somewhat protected area as you can drive the car for a while in the rain before it effects the engine. I'm very curious about how the condition of the wires after the plug in the fuel pump, and particularly how they look beyond where they enter the body. How can I access the wiring harness that goes to the fuel pump. The wire harness enters the body, under the car, on the pass side. How can I check it from the interior? Remove the seats? Remove the carpet?

 

Catbird, this may sound weird, but does your car have the plastic splash shield in place on the engine front (passenger side)? The one that is supposed to shield the belts/alternator/etc.?

I ask because if you do not, that may be the problem. Some folks remove it because it is a pain when they want to work on the car to have to take it off, but without it, when it rains or the road is very wet, or if you drive thru some big puddles, it will splash up and soak the wires, sensors, etc. and cause the problems you mention.

I had to get one from a junkyard and put it on because the person who owned the car before me did just that and complained about the same problems you are.

JAT,

 

Yes, it has all of the original splash guards in place.
Does anyone know about the wiring harness that goes to the fuel pump? How are the wires routed thru the car (from the pump to the pcm)? Can I buy a new wiring harness from the pump to the pcm? I want to fix this problem and sell the car as fast as I can!

 

sell the car before it rains lol

 

The wires from the PCM to the fuel pump go thru the firewall, to the fuse panel, then routed down the right side of the car (inside, under the carpet) in a big bundle of wires to the rear of the car where it exits thru a grommet to the outside of the car (behind the rear seat). and goes to the fuel tank assembly.

Unless you have had some major weirdness happening with the car, the inside wires are probably fine, but it takes a continuity tester to be sure, and that is difficult as the wire lengths and locations make it difficult to do.

While you could quite possibly get a wiring harness, it would be super expensive and a major pain in the *** to replace as it is not modular like the two under the hood that go to the front and rear of the engine.

Most likely your problems are at the connections either at the rear of the car by the fuel tank with the exposed wires or connections, or under the hood where wires can easily rub and do quite often.