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It would greatly help to know make, model, and year, but in general you check fuel pump pressure with a gauge, and if the pump is electric, it always has a relay so there is the ability to have a safety cut out. Some vehicles use lack of oil pressure to cut out the pump relay, but most use the alternator output. Fuel injection usually has from 20 to 40 psi fuel pressure, and carb systems from 3 to 10 psi.
You hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the test port on the engine's fuel rail, and see if the pressure is correct with what is specified for the car. If the pressure is correct, the pump and filter are good, doing what they are supposed to do. Some stores loan or rent fuel pressure gauges. Multiport fuel injection systems usually have high pressure requirements-about 40-50 psi. Check the specs for your car. Usually, the specs call for a pressure with just key on, no start, and a second pressure (maybe 3-10 psi lower) with the engine running.
When it dies, can you immediately restart it, or do you have to wait a bit? Probably fuel or spark related, Any trouble codes present?
Have fuel pressure tested when no start. Or, if you have no access to pressure test, try removing air intake hose at front of throttlebody and give a good spray of quickstart, or WD-40 with throttle plate open, then try starting. If it fires up momentarily then dies, I'd be looking real close at fuel pump, or at the least fuel filter. The fuel pressure test will confirm.
pressure loss is either a bad fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail where the injectors are, or a bad check valve in the fuel pump in the tank. usually the latter.
A quick test is to turn the key to on and measure pressure. Should be 40 psi. Pump will hum for 5 seconds and shut off if engine is not running. (Safety step).
Pressure should drop very little for 5 minutes.
You can cycle the key off for 15 seconds or until you hear the relay click off. Then turn key back on to start pump for 5 seconds again to build pressure. This will help get it started for the day as it builds pressure that bled down over night.
fans coming on is a system check. first have the computer scanned to make sure no codes are set causing this. have fuel pressure checked. check the relay for the pump. not seen many fuel pumps go and stop intermittently usually they freeze and may start once or twice but just die and dont come back. with a pressure gauge connected see if the problem will occur again while the gauge is connected and loss of fuel pressure falls off. hope this helps
It sounds like a weak fuel pump. You would need to have a pressure gauge to hook up to the exit end of the fuel pump to test the pressure. A call to a tech at a local dealer could give you what the proper pressure should be. I'm thinking it should be 35-40 lbs. If the pump is weak it may have enough gas to get started, but as it runs, the pressure bleeds off, so it doesn't send enough fuel to the engine causing it to die. If you push the accelerator, basically the same thing happens, it tries to jump up the pressure and can't keep up. If you don't have the proper tools or gauge to do this, it should be examined by a mechanic.
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