dan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:43:10 -0400, "Steve W." <csr684NOT@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>> dan@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
>>> It's dark and raining here. My 1999 Suburban K1500 is stuck in a
>>> parking lot a few miles down the road and it will not start. It
>>> cranks just fine and the lights are nice and bright. There is no hint
>>> of the engine firing even a single cylinder. My wife says there was
>>> no hint of any problem. The truck was running fine. She parked it
>>> and when she came back, it cranked but would not start.
>>>
>>> I was having massive EGR problems and put in one of those Klean Screen
>>> units. I have heard that they can clog and make the engine hard to
>>> start. However, we both tried pumping the gas pedal to see if we
>>> could coax the thing to start … and nothing. So I am thinking it may
>>> not be a clogged EGR passage.
>>>
>>> I noticed that I don't smell any gas … at all and the truck has plenty
>>> of fuel in the tank. I figure pumping the gas pedal should flood the
>>> engine ... but I smell nothing. I also noticed the truck is dead
>>> quiet. I could have sworn that the Suburban makes a loud humming
>>> noise as soon as you turn the key. I always though that humming noise
>>> was the fuel pump. If this is the case, then I believe that I that
>>> the fuel pump is not running. Perhaps the fuel pump is dead, or I
>>> have a blown fuse. Perhaps there is some problem with the oil
>>> pressure and the fuel pump has cut off. I'm not sure how to tell … in
>>> the dark … in the rain.
>>>
>>> So does anyone know off hand if I should be able to hear the fuel pump
>>> running if I crank the engine over ?
>>>
>>> I will go back to the truck tonight with the wife and have her crank
>>> the car over and I will check for arcing by the distributor cap and
>>> wires. The cap and rotor are pretty new so I highly doubt this is the
>>> problem.
>>>
>>> I will also bring a meter and check the fuel pump fuse. Any other
>>> suggestions?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Dan
>> The clean screen isn't the problem. Even if the EGR was plugged solid
>> the engine would still run. Crappy once it warmed up but it would still
>> run.
>>
>> Sounds more like the fuel pump died. You should hear it run for about
>> 2-3 seconds then shut off without the engine running. If the FP relay
is
>> bad it won't run with just the key on.
>>
>> First thing to try. Go back to the fuel filler, take it off and listen
>> for the pump when the key is turned ON. No noise = pump not turning.
>>
>> It could be a bad pump or bad connection/wiring going to it.
>>
>> Now you MIGHT be able to get the pump to come on if you give the bottom
>> of the tank a solid whack with something like a chunk of wood or even
>> your hand. Do this with the key ON and see if the pump runs then.
>> If it does DON'T turn off the key, fire up your truck and drive it to
>> either your place so you can drop the tank and change out the pump, OR
>> to a shop if you want them to do it. Be prepared for the pump module to
>> be VERY EXPENSIVE.
>>
>> Oh and pumping the gas on a fuel injected engine is useless. No pump
>> pressure = No fuel to the injector unit. There is also no accelerator
>> pump or any other enrichment system.
>
>
> Thanks Steve, I tried banging on the fuel tank with a rubber mallet. I
> could not get the pump to run. I checked the fuse box and there was a
> relay in there. I removed and re-seated the relay. I could not tell
> if the relay was bad. In any event, it did not start.
>
> I also checked to see if there was any arcing around the distributor
> and coil. No ignition problems.
>
> I have recently read that the fuel level should not go below 1/4 or
> the pump will no longer be submerged in fuel and can overheat. The
> tank was run down very low the day before the pump failed. This could
> have been the final straw for the old pump. I have also read that
> they tend to go around 100k miles. Our truck has 118k miles.
>
> I'm not that surprised that the fuel pump/sending units are expensive.
> This is unfortunate but the sending unit for the fuel gage was long
> gone. It only read properly down to half tank then it went back to
> full again (until the tank was empty). As luck would have it, we
> tended to keep the tank reasonably full since we could never tell how
> low the fuel was. At least if a new pump/sending unit goes in the
> fuel gage will work again. We will have to make sure we don't let the
> level drop below 1/4.
>
> I have actually changed one of these units (twice actually) in other
> vehicles. It's not that hard. You have to siphon most of the fuel
> and then drop the tank. Your just praying that nothing sparks in the
> area. Well, I'm not doing it this time. I had the truck towed to the
> shop. We will see what the guy says.
>
> Thanks,
> Dan
>
It's one of those try it moves. I have had it work a few times. Beats
paying a tow bill.
On the earlier trucks you needed to worry about the fuel level. The
later ones (95 and up) have a different style pump that actually has a
housing around it that holds extra fuel to keep the pump cool. It is
also why you can't replace just the pump on the later units.
--
Steve W.
Near Cooperstown, New York
Life is not like a box of chocolates
it's more like a jar of jalapenos-
what you do today could burn your ass tomorrow!
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