2001 5.3l Tahoe Won't Start Up..... Help!?

Slayer33 · December 2, 2009

I have a 2001 Chev Tahoe LS. 5.3L V8 4x4 (120,000 miles). Over the past 3 years maybe 3-4 times I have run into a problem where the car just wont start. There's tons of cranking power but it just never fires. The past few times this has occured, I have tried a few times, cycling the key on and off to ensure the fuel pump is working. I can hear it going but it just never fires up. After a few tries it just starts and i'm fine for a few more months til it happens again.

All other times it just fires up right away. Hot or could outside doesn't make a difference.

Last night tho, it finally decided to not start for me and I tried so many times in the span of an hour and a half that i killed the battery.

I had the truck towed to my house.. there's 1/3 of a tank left of gas (so the guage says). The tow truck driver opened the gas tank and asked me to turn the key to the on position.. he said it sounded like I was out of gas. The pump was making a gurgling sound like a straw at the bottom of an empty glass.

I shouldn't be out of gas tho, 230 miles so far on this tank sounds about right with 1/3 left. I had the fuel pump/filter replaced about 2 years ago (8,000 miles ago). I had the tahoe tuned up, fuel pressure checked etc and everything seemed good on Oct.30/09.

The security light doesn't light up like some have described due to "aftermarket" remote starters and alarms.

I don't know what is wrong.. or where to start. Can anyone chime in with any ideas? I'm gonna fill it up with 4 gallons of fuel when i get home and try to see if that is the problem, but I don't see that being the problem..

just noticed the "ask a GM technician" section of this forum. I will post this there as well. Sorry for being a noob!

rodram · December 2, 2009

If it will crank but not fire then you have one of two problems... either no fuel to the spark plugs or no spark to the spark plugs... how it might run after it starts is a totally different issue... so you need to sort out whether the problem is no spark or no fuel...

... for spark - start by pulling a spark plug, reconnect it to the wire, set it to touch the block somewhere, and crank the engine while having someone observe for a spark at the plug

... for fuel - have the fuel pressure checked again... checking while cranking, and check for fuel drop with the key off ... the Vortec engines need high pressure continuously at all stages of operation to work properly ... not sure of the 5.3L, but the earlier Vortecs (like the 5.7L) needed 61-66 psi fuel pressure for the injectors to work properly... you may have a fuel pump problem (yes, fuel pumps can fail again quickly) - and the pump may appear to be working but not providing sufficient pressure, or you may have a faulty fuel pressure regulator (much cheaper and easier to replace...) - these can bypass and leak internally so that pressure does not build up properly.

... if the spark checks out OK ... it might be a reasonable try to replace the fuel pressure regulator ... these can crap out on a 5.3L ... ((I don't know exactly how to do that as my experience is with a 5.7Vortec - but some simple guidance from someone else or a repair manual should help you out....))

Slayer33 · December 3, 2009

So after doing a plethora of checks etc.. I put in 4 gal of fuel and the car started right up! wtf?

I know the car wasn't out of gas, I drove it to the station and put in another 15 gallons of fuel so the gauge was pretty accurate.

I have a feeling the fuel pump feed line is clogged at the bottom.. and it will only pick up fuel if it is above the lower assembly part.. am i close to getting it right?