Hello! My name is Priscilla and I am struggling to figure out what to do with my car.

I currently have a R50 2005 mini Cooper hatchback base. My fuel pump and fuel filter housing went out so I recently changed it. My car worked for about a week then broke down when I got to work. There was no fuel in the engine. Today I was pulling out the pump and housing everything is connected I have a full tank of gas and it still won’t start but this time I have a little bit of fuel in the engine.

Are there any suggestions on figuring out if I’m actually get fuel to the engine or if there’s a plug in the line? Thoughts?

thank you

 

Hello,

First things first, ensure all the gaskets are in good condition (not torn/cracked) and properly seated for the fuel pump and fuel filter housing. If any of those is not, pressure cannot build up in the fuel system.

A first test you can do is try to start the car with a bit of starter fluid. If it does start that way, that confirms it's a fuel delivery issue. A more advanced test is to connect a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel rail to see if the pressure is in the expect range.

 

+1 most of the time its the top gasket on the fuel filter or pump.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hange-mcs.html

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https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...el-filter.html

 

Normally if the oil filter housing top is not fully seated a Mini won't start at all. The fact that yours worked for a week then stopped is odd. The filter housing top is difficult to fully seat -- you think it is when it's not. It took me three tries to get mine correct. It might be possible that it worked temporarily then loosened somehow. Follow ECS' advice above and make sure that it's fully turned and seated. Try a bit of silicone grease (not petroleum-based) on the rubber o-ring seal. You can find the silicone grease in the plumbing department at Home Depot, Lowe's Ace Hardware, etc. Any air leak will prevent your Mini from starting. Good luck.