Fuel pump woes...

[JAG2955]

The fuel pump on my 2002 Avalanche gave up the ghost after about 145K. Sputtered out when I was driving to work and I had to muscle it out of the left hand lane sans power steering and into a parking lot. Luckily wife had just gotten to work and came to pick me up. Did some research on the net, found out that it likely was the fuel pump, and confirmed it with dad. Got a tow and they fixed it today, well ahead of schedule. Eight hundred dollars lighter and the truck runs again. I'm just glad that it didn't crap out last week when we were on the Interstate.

[308Mike]

I know this sounds stupid, but I assume you checked your fuel pump fuse?? If it's blown, and you NEED to get the vehicle moved a short distance, you can try a much higher fuse, but I STRONGLY recommend against it rather than getting towed. After all, you risk damaging many more items than just your fuel pump unless that's the ONLY item of consequence on that circuit.

[HTRN]

Besides the fuse, check the relay - they're another common problem.

Be glad you managed to get it home - I had a fuel pump crap out on me at 10pm on a Saturday, and oh, did I mention that none of the tow truck drivers wanted to do the job because it was "out of their area"?

A word of advice to everybody - don't let your tank go down below 1/4, as the pumps cool themselves by sitting in fuel. When you operate below a 1/4, you expose the pump to air, causing them to overheat, shortening the life of the pump.

[Steamforger]

Mine (also a GM) gave some indication before it failed. It actually got to the point where if I let it prime a bit, it would start. Not doing so would cause an ever-lengthening crank. Got me a replacement as soon as I could ($400 back in '05) and did the job myself at a friends shop.

[Dinochrome]

Why the HELL did they ever decide to put the fuel-pump IN THE TANK??!! I know that the fuel-line needs to be pressurized,
and an engine-driven on-the-block fuel-pump won't suffice, but couldn't the actual motor be outside the tank in easy reach?

The fuel-pump on my "new" '89 Silverado failed two weeks after I bought it. Luckily, my neighbor the master-mechanic offered
to fix it while we were gone to RR-VI. (We had already checked the fuse and the relay on the firewall.) The gas tank was full when
the pump failed, and with no easy way to drain it, he removed the bed to get at the top of the tank. He also refused to let me
pay him for labor; just the price of the pump assembly, ($241.00) I help him out when he's doing concrete or hanging steel siding,
but doing that work on my truck for free was above and beyond the call.

[TheIrishman]

Why the HELL did they ever decide to put the fuel-pump IN THE TANK??!! I know that the fuel-line needs to be pressurized,
and an engine-driven on-the-block fuel-pump won't suffice, but couldn't the actual motor be outside the tank in easy reach?

There's no reason it can't be mounted outside the tank. The pumps(yes plural, one for the motor and another for the N2O system) on my old mustang were both mounted outside of the tank. Certain year Rangers(and possibly F150's I think) had dual pumps, a low pressure/high flow in the tank and a high pressure booster pump on the frame rail.

The main reason they are mounted in the tank is the same reason most auto makers went to front wheel drive and rack and pinion steering. It streamlines assembly and reduces cost.

[Steamforger]

Not removing the bed is significantly more troublesome than actually dropping the tank. You don't even need to remove it entirely, just slide it back a few feet.