Fuel Pump problem

[fredhouse]

2003 chevy suburban 4wd 5.3 124830 miles

I let my truck sit without starting for 4 days go out in the morning yesterday and would not start.It did turn over but was not getting fuel.So i go get a fuel pump and call aaa to take to a friends to replace and driver bangs on the tank and starts right up.My question is could this be a freek thing or is this the the beginning of the end for the pump. before yesterday this has never happened.Is there anything else i should check before changing the pump, tomorrow i will change the fuel filter.Thank you for all your help.

 

[Mounce]

Could very well be a dying fuel pump. No other reason that it wouldn't work unless somehow it got clogged and banging on the tank dislodged whatever was hindering it.

Has it acted fine since then?

If you decode to change the pump, inspect the tank for debris while you're in there.

 

[fredhouse]

It runs fine since i got it started,i drove it 15 miles and turned it on and off about 30 times,

 

[Mounce]

Might go out in the morning and have the same issue. No way of knowing how it's gonna act.

 

[kickass audio]

I would strongly advise on replacing that fuel pump. Your pump is on its way out and it can leave you stranded with it like it is. I watched this video not too long ago about the same problem and its basically a partially burned out contact between the brush and rotor on the pump and banging it gets it to move past the stuck part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljjJ5b_3zNQ

 

[Knucklehead]

Had a similar problem on my 01 burban. Left my ol lady stranded one day. Towed it home. And it started the day after. Then Ran fine for about 3 days. Then left me stranded 2x Towed it home and changed the fuel pump the next day. Got it all buttoned up and still cranked but didn't start. I was clueless. Started reading on the interwebz....

Turned out to be a bad relay under the hood. Swapped it out and started right up and ran fine for 2 years until I sold it.

Just to make sure I swapped the bad relay with a good one 5x and every time I put the bad one in.... Wouldn't start...just crank. Put the good one in. Started right up. Kept swapping just to make sure.

It was labeled eng1 on my box I'm pretty sure.

I always start with relays and fuses first. My pops had a bad problem on his 06 with a few of his relays messing up. His 06 only has 30k miles on it. Dealer was saying tinkered a new comp.

Opened the fuse box and relays were getting really hot. Not warm. But hit to the touch. Cleaned each relay and sprayed the underside and pulled all fuses to let it soak in ontop with wd40 and all connections. And everything cleared up perfectly. All lights started working. And a few other things.

 

[fredhouse]

truck started right up this morning i did check the relay and was good then i replaced the fuel filter, Im just going to go ahead and change the pump since i already have it,

 

[kickass audio]

If you want to check the relay, get a DMM and test the resistance on it when its closed (energized) it should be 0. It more often than not is a bad pump though, not saying a relay couldn't be your problem but banging on the tank to get it to start is 100% the pump doing it. Hitting the tank will not do crap to the relay under the hood.