My mother owns a 2000 suburban 1500ls. The car will start and then it slowly dies as it idles. I'm assuming its a fuel pump so I tried keeping it going with starter fluid which worked. I checked the pressure valve at the top of the car and pressed it down, gas slowly dripped out. I'm assuming at 60 psi it should just shoot out. Is there anything else I should check before I replace the fuel pump? How hard is it to replace the fuel pump and do I have to drop the fuel tank?

 

I'd measure the fuel pressure with a gauge and have you pulled the codes with a scan tool?

 

Has the Fuel filter been replaced?

 

Yes you have to drop the tank to replace the fuel pump.

You def want to have a fuel psi gauge to watch while engine is running, so you can " see" if the pressure is falling while its running.

If the fuel pump is original its prob the culprit, also the relay or fuel pump connector on the sending unit could be faulty, just things to look for. Also the filter as mentioned is a good place to start.

 

I put a pressure gauge on schrader valve right about the fuel rail and just below the engine cover (which I'm assume is the right one since it dripped gas on me) and I got a reading of 4 psi before starting and 4 psi after starting. The needle barely leaves the resting bar. needless to say, the car obviously no longer starts on its own. I have no pulled a code off the car even though there is a "check engine" light on the car.

I have no idea if the fuel filter has recently been replace but would that actually stop a car from running especially so suddenly?

 

Its a cheap check before considering a fuel pump... When you turn the key over are you hearing the fuel pump whine?

 

Its not a whine, its more of a chunky grunt. It sounds quite similar to Chewbacca. It also is very quiet.

 

If your fuel pump sounds like chewbacca.. Thats no bueno

 

But that would eliminate a power issue IMO

 

So to re-cap... Adding an outside fuel source produces combustion... So you have eliminated the issues with spark, air and compression... Your fuel pump sounds like a fat quiet chewbacca... So you have power to the pump... I would say throw a filter on it... And if it still has the problem... Your probobaly looking at a fuel pump assembly....