Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting help needed car stalled and wont start!

its a 98 contour SE. i was driving in 5th gear in the fast lane on the freeway when i noticed both gauges drop to zero(mph and rpm) so i drop it into 4th and try to pop the clutch the car starts for a second and then dies again. so i coast to the side and try to start it. it cranks but it doesnt turn over or start. i dont have any lights at all on(cel battery etc.) and everything looks ok in the engine bay. so i had it towed to my house. i asked a couple of mechanic friends of mine and they said i might have lost my fuel pump. does anyone have any info or help that they could give to me. also how do i know for sure if it is the fuel pump is there any kind of test i could do at home to find out.
thanks
Luis

i thought that i should add that i just recently replaced the upstream bank 1 o2 censor. i did the job last friday and drove the car the whole weekend without any trouble until today.
thanks again for any help
Luis

is there enough gas in it?

Assuming there's enough gas... You should be able to pull up the backseat and listen to the fullpump to see if it's working when you turn the engine to the "on" position.

Battery connections?
Ground?
Alternator?
Mega-Fuse? - not likely

yes it has enough gas in it. i dont think its the alternator or the battery/battery connections because the car still has full power. the radio and all interior electronics work well. it may be a fuse but im not sure which one to look for. all i have right now is the assumption that its a problem with fuel delivery(dead fuel pump, clogged fuel filter etc.). is there a way for me to test the fuel pump. ive heard that there is a guage that you can hook up to one of the fuel system valves that will tell you if its your fuel pump/ fuel system or not. does anyone know how much a new fuel pump is going to run me?
thanks again all help is greatly appreciated.
Luis

any more help would be greatly appreciated. my car is just dead in the driveway. i need to get it up and running ASAP. thanks again for any help
Luis

Did you some how trip the fuel pump inertia cut off switch in the drivers foot well.
Also Crank position sensors can cause a no start.

thanks for the help chongo. ill check that cut off switch ASAP. i was trtying to find it in the trunk as that is where my wifes car has it. where do i check for the crank position sensor?
thanks again for any info
Luis

Check your main relay. The way it sounds it that one of the big relays busted.