I recently replaced the in tank fuel filter and pump on my 2002 323 Sp20 (hatch) as a general service task (was getting low kms per tank), anyhow the car started and ran mainly fine before I carried out the replacement. To my surprise after the filter and pump install the car no longer starts. The car cranks perfectly fine but fails to turn over at all. I am confident the parts I replaced are suitable as they are almost identical to the parts in there beforehand and all plugs were easy to swap over and put in etc. The new fuel pump does not prime at all when the keys are set to 'on', but I can hear the pump going after I crank the engine for a little while. FYI yes the car has 4 new and working spark plugs and yes there is air. I've identified that there is fuel making it to the fuel rail and coming out the injectors but it fails to make it to the return fuel line past the pressure regulator which leads me to believe I have a fuel pressure problem. I've also replaced the fuel pump relay just as a safekeeping check but the pump still fails to prime. Since this problem, I've managed to have the car started and running for minute intervals by putting fuel in the intake but the concluding result is always the car killing itself. Any ideas on things I may have missed, done wrong, forgotten about or might need to check would be highly appreciated.

 

Re fit your old pump & filter and see what happens.

 

I’ve tried and the car still doesn’t start. The old pump and filter were pretty old.