Help! Fuel Pump Nitemare - 97 Astro

lawwels · January 7, 2009

What started out to be an intermitent starting issue developed into what i thought was a dead fuel pump. About 3 months ago i tried to start the van and i never heard the fuel pump prime so obviously it would not start. My wife and I did some shopping and when we returned several hours later it started without any issues. Four weeks ago it broke down (pump shut off) on my way home from work. Again the fuel pump was not turning on so i figured the pump was dead. I ordered a new pump and changed the filter and though the fuel pressure took two or three attempts to get the fuel pressure up tp 60 lbs it finally started. I drove this thing about one hour and again the pump stopped working. After a costly tow home i again had to drop the tank. I ran a constant to the pump and learned the pump did infact fail. I then checked my old pump (the one i thought was dead) ran a constant to the pump and it works. I put the pump back in the tank and it primes to 60 lbs and runs.................how can this be? I replaced the fuses and relays and even checked to make sure i was getting a signal to the pump (during the second pump failure). Could this be some sort of electrical issue? I have got to be missing something simple here................im going to regretfully spend the $300 and get an entire fuel pump unit to put in the tank unless someone has some clues as to how to cure my ride.

pennzoil29 · January 7, 2009

Welcome aboard Your problem sounds electrical to me, but then again, I'm no tech.

DofD · January 7, 2009

Hi there and welcome to GM Trucks! I would check the wiring to the pump for any shorts or corrosion that would be affecting the power to the pump.

lawwels · January 10, 2009

Hi there and welcome to GM Trucks! I would check the wiring to the pump for any shorts or corrosion that would be affecting the power to the pump.

i narrowed the problem to the relay. The relay is getting power (constant) but there is no trigger to send a signal to the pump. any ideas? keelp in mind it ha a new relay ,fuses,pump and wiring harness

superjim · January 10, 2009

i narrowed the problem to the relay. The relay is getting power (constant) but there is no trigger to send a signal to the pump. any ideas? keelp in mind it ha a new relay ,fuses,pump and wiring harness

Check for loose or broken wires going to the oil pressure switch.

Make sure none of them have touched the exhaust and shorted out.

If it loses oil pressure, (or thinks it has) I think it will cut off the fuel pump.