Generally the car is well maintained with 130K miles clean. It's a daily driver at this point. Never had any problems to speak of. Replaced the spark plug coils about 20K ago.

The car was running fine no hiccups not sluggish nothing. I drove to a friends house (1 hour away freeway) stopped for 15 minutes to chat and then when I went to start the car again it wouldn't start. It would idle a little bit hesitatingly then quit... If I put any gas into it (pump the gas pedal) it would die. Then finally it quit altogether.
I took off the air cleaner and sprayed a little ether/starting fluid into the intake and it turns right over so I'm getting air and spark but no gas.
I disconnected the lines at the fuel filter by the drivers side wheel well and a little gas ran out but when turning the engine on no gas run's out. So I'm figuring that with no gas coming out of the fuel lines when trying to crank the engine that my fuel pump is not working for some reason.... So I checked the fuse in the trunk and the 30 amp fuse is fine and checking the voltage at the fuse I get 12 volts. If I leave it sit for a little while it will try to start again... run for a little bit weakly and then die again only to crank dry.
So... now comes the question.... WHERE IS THE FUEL PUMP???
I hope I don't have to remove the gas tank... Second is there anything that it could be besides the pump? (the fuel pump shut off is under the dash on the driver's side right? though I don't know why it would be off...)
Any help would be wonderful. (and no it's not out of gas... lol)

 

Steve,

First, check the fuel pump relay in the trunk. It is in the row ahead of the fuses, second one from the right, with the green socket (green for GO). The one next to it on the far right is the high brake light relay, with the red socket (for STOP). You could swap them and it's easy to see if the brake light is working.

The fuel pump cutoff (inertia switch) is under the dash on the right side as you say. It has a button that will pop up (or out) if it is tripped. It should not be tripped, but check it anyway!

Lastly, the fuel pump is inside the fuel tank. Officially, the procedure to replace it calls for removal of the fuel tank, not an easy task from what I've heard. However, there is a documented method on here (search around) that allows access to the top of the tank through the rear shelf, inside the car.

I presently have a new fuel pump for my 96 VDP, waiting to be installed. But I have yet to verify that the fuel pump is or is not getting power during the intermittent failure mode. If it were easier to change, I would have done it already! Good luck to you, let us know if that does the trick.

 

Ok as it turns out it was the relay. The contacts were burned and it was intermittent. It would click like it was working but no contact was being made. This made it seem as if the relay was working when it wasn't.
Thanks so much for the help!!!
Steve

 

And as you might have seen, my resolved fuel problem was caused by the fuel pump relay's relay, in the RH heelboard fusebox!! That intermittent relay caused loss of power to most of the items in that trunk box....... Happy motoring!