Could my fuel pump have died??????

Hey guys my 2000 Alero won't start and am wondering if anybody has had their fuel pump die on your 3.4 V6? Mine has 176,000 miles on it and its the original fuel pump. A couple of months ago it would crank fine but wouldn't start. Changed the fuel filter and that fixed it. The filter had around 25,000 miles on it so thought maybe it had some trash in it and some water and wrote it off after it started and has run fine since. Now all of a sudden with NO warning it is doing the exact same thing. Cranks over fine but won't start. Changed the fuel filter again just in case and NOT! It did start eventually but sputtered and wouldn't stay running. Now it won't even do that. Sound familiar to anybody? If not guess I'll have to tow it to a garage tomorrow. Fuel pumps are like $250 JUST for the pump and I am not setup to drop the tank to replace it but am not real certain that is what it is and what an expensive mistake that would be if it something else. Any ideas/suggestions before I take the hit and tow it to a mechanic? Thanks gents.

Hi, use a gage and check fuel pressure. Around here some of the national brand autostores used to loan out a fuel pressure gage. If fuel pressure checks ok, have a helper crank it, while visually check for spark at the plugs.

Hi, use a gage and check fuel pressure. Around here some of the national brand autostores used to loan out a fuel pressure gage. If fuel pressure checks ok, have a helper crank it, while visually check for spark at the plugs.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was reading an old thread over on aleromod.com and a guy was having the exact same problem and said it wound up being his ignition switch of all things.

BUMP Anybody had a problem like this? :frown:

Definitely check the fuel pressure; should be at least 47psi. And check the fuel pressure regulator, pull off the vacuum hose and if there's gas in/on the vacuum line then the FPR is bad. My fuel pump died and I went thru a lot of testing/replacing other parts before I found it to be the fuel pump.
See:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=960557&highlight=alero+dies (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...ght=alero+dies)


Even though I could hear pump run for a few seconds with KeyOn, it was still bad. i removed the fuel tank and replaced the pump in my driveway, see BNaylor's procedure (sticky at top of this forum):

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=906725 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=906725)

Hope this helps

Definitely check the fuel pressure; should be at least 47psi. And check the fuel pressure regulator, pull off the vacuum hose and if there's gas in/on the vacuum line then the FPR is bad. My fuel pump died and I went thru a lot of testing/replacing other parts before I found it to be the fuel pump.
See:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=960557&highlight=alero+dies (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...ght=alero+dies)


Even though I could hear pump run for a few seconds with KeyOn, it was still bad. i removed the fuel tank and replaced the pump in my driveway, see BNaylor's procedure (sticky at top of this forum):

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=906725 (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=906725)

Hope this helps


Thanks a ton! Don't have a pressure guage so am gonna have it towed to a local garage and probably have the pump replaced if the pressure is low. :uhoh:

Well got it back. It was the fuel pump. $516 later! OUCH!!!! Kinda sorta was expecting it thoguh. Now I can't hear it run when it primes. Just turn the key on and no sound. Not really sure that it making a sound is normal. Wonder if when it started making the sound that it was starting its death march?

On another note, the mechanic said that they are positive that one thing that is contributing the destruction of fuel pumps is the ethanol that stations are putting in gas these days. Said that ethanol is cleaning gunk out of the system and then that gunk that is not disolved is gumming up the pump. Highly recommended putting something like Seafoam or that Lucas gas treatment in it every other month or so to flush out the gummy stuff that ethanol creates when it does what it does inside your fuel system and engine. Will do that for sure! Kinda sorta have all along quite honestly. Maybe that's part of how I got 176,000 miles out of the orginal pump. Hmmm.........

Well thanks guys for all the good info and hope some of this helps others that are looking for ideas as to why their car is doing the infamous "cranks but won't start" problem. Peace!

That's food for thought.... Here in Florida we have govt-mandated 10%-ethanol gasoline. For a while there were two, then one, then no gas stations that sold "pure" gas to the marine/boating community. Seems that moisture in the gas is a big concern for boaters. Protests/letter-to-the-editors etc. led to the re-opening of the station which now can sell pure gas beachside. Additives like Dry-Gas are basically bottles of ethanol, which absorbs the moisture and (in theory) runs it thru your intake to be burned/exhausted. Why would you need to put Dry-Gas in if you're already buying 10% Dry-Gas? Because if your the lucky guy buying the last 10 gallons out of a 10,000 gal tank, it has already absorbed a lot of moisture. Seafoam and others say they are 100% petroleum-based, claim to "encapsulate" moisture and protect your engine thusly.
Bottom line is that moisture in the gas is now a bigger problem than before since we're required to use the gas/ethanol blend.