Help Please. Possible Fuel Pump, Catalytic Converter or something else problem

memphisclouds · November 23, 2020

This past Friday evening I purchased a 1993 Chevrolet Truck S10 Blazer 2WD 4.3L FI OHV 6c. Saturday evening I was driving home when the truck began acting as if it were out of gas but the gauge read a little more than a quarter tank was left. Up until then I had driven approximately 140 miles give or take. As the truck began acting up, there was an immediate highway exit to a truck stop which I coasted into landing 2 feet away from the gas pump. I am quite car ignorant so I'm just thinking I ran it out of gas. I put $20 worth of fuel into her and set back out for home thinking 'well that could've been worse'. As soon as I finished that thought, it got worse. I didnt make it out of the gas station parking lot. It struggled to start and when it did, pressing the gas bogged it down. No power. And then I couldnt keep her cranked. After 2 maybe 3 times of her actually starting, that too stopped. I couldnt get here to crank for the next half hour so. It was now 2 ish in the morning. I got a ride home deciding to try again in the morning. The next morning was pretty much the same thing. She'd get really close to cranking. You could tell she wanted to crank. But was only successful once long enough to get across the street and no further. The seller of the truck said the fuel pump had been changed very recently. There was nothing in the 140 miles prior to this that would make me think something is going out in the truck. Again, I am car ignorant. But there was never any smoke, no engine struggling until this all started, no exhaust pops, nothing for the uneducated motorist to notice. Have I bought a lemon?? Please Help. I have not had a mechanic look at her yet. And a coworker has that thing to hook up to her to see whats wrong, but he didnt have the right connector or something like that to hook it up to my truck.. Maybe tomorrow he will have found the correct connector. Oh, and last night I did change the fuel filter. This morning she started up as if there had never been an issue. And stayed cranked for 2-3 minutes but still bogged down when pressing the gas peddle until she died again. not to restart the remainder of the day. Is it possible I didnt run it out of gas?? Could it be the catalytic converter having an issue that made me feel like I ran out of gas?? Please help..

riverbanks · November 23, 2020

Sounds like low fuel pressure,try cycling the key a few times,before cranking,this Prime's pump for a test

Txngrg87 · November 23, 2020

Unfortunately there isn't really enough information to give a good diagnosis.
The computer on a 93 isn't very sophisticated so don't expect that to answer all your questions.
It is possible that you have low fuel pressure since the fuel filter change helped.

I wouldn't think it was the catalytic converter. That's an emissions component. Unless it's completely clogged it won't negatively affect performance.

You could buy a chiltons/haynes and start buying tools and going through systems and troubleshooting your way to a solution.
If that sounds good to you then go for it, you'll learn alot and the forums are your friend.

The fact that it was fine then suddenly wasn't sounds like a solenoid or electrical issue.

If you absolutely need to drive the thing right now, take it to get worked on somewhere you trust.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

memphisclouds · November 26, 2020

Thanks y'all!! for the feedback,,, I apologize for not giving enough information for a diagnosis. I changed my first fuel pump today.. Couldnt be more proud. She seems to be back to normal.. Changed Fuel Filter and Pump. Both firsts for me. I paid for and downloaded a repair manual, as I really like your idea, txngrg87. I like learning. And fixing it myself. Too bad I didnt like learning as a younger man.. Anyway, Thanks y'all! She's doin much better today.

Paul

memphisclouds · December 3, 2020

Well.. I got too excited too quickly. She is down again. Monday when driving the 30 minute trip to work, She died on me 4-5 times. I push the gas pedal only for the truck to bog down and almost die. i pump the gas pedal and flutter the gas pedal and sometimes it would stay cranked and sometimes it wouldnt. Sometimes i would hold the pedal to the floor and at the last second it would find the power all of a sudden. I believe I have bought a lemon. Everything I read says this is a popular problem with no real solution. People have changed fuel filter and fuel pumps like i did. Theyve changed all the plugs and plug wires. Changed distributor and/or distributor cap. Cut out the catalytic converter, changed pcv valve. Changed EGR Valve. Changed spider fuel injection thing. Some things temporarily worked but i cant find a permanant fix for my symptoms. Won't crank at the moment. turns over (i think) but wont start. Wont stay cranked if it cranks. No power when gas pedal pressed. changed fuel filter and fuel pump for it to seemed fixed for just 3 days. And I read hooking it up to a computer reader thing may not dignose my problem correctly. I have no idea what to do next.. i have missed work because of it. I'm in trouble.. I have to find a way to get this truck running and keep it running. please help