Fuel Pump

[tatum3217]

I think the fuel pump died on my 97 Blazer today. It's always hesitated when you start it but if you waited a minute after turning the switch to aux it would start right up. (i always heard a noise like something was opening) Well today it won't start and i am not hearing that 'opening' sound. It wants to start but just sounds like it isn't getting any gas.
Does it sound like it's the fuel pump? If so, how hard is it to change?

[old_master]

It does in fact sound like a faulty fuel pump. It would be best to check the fuel pressure and electrical circuits before replacing the pump. The fuel tank must be removed to replace the pump. If this is your first time, figure on about 3 to 4 hours work. Fuel pumps are available from $150.00 to $500.00 USD depending on quality.

[BlazinMlew]

Originally Posted by tatum3217

I think the fuel pump died on my 97 Blazer today. It's always hesitated when you start it but if you waited a minute after turning the switch to aux it would start right up. (i always heard a noise like something was opening) Well today it won't start and i am not hearing that 'opening' sound. It wants to start but just sounds like it isn't getting any gas.
Does it sound like it's the fuel pump? If so, how hard is it to change?

Just got mine replaced from the dealer. Came with lifetime warr. on parts and labor. But it did set me back $930. Could've done it myself for much cheaper but I needed it done soon and I didn't have the garage space. So it's up to you how to go about it actually, if you do decide to do it yourself check out www.getgmparts.com they have some good prices or www.rockauto.com

[BlazerLT]

Remember, it could be the ignition switch on the 1997.

Test the fuel pump with the red 12 volt wire in the engine bay to see if it will prime.

[XPC2004]

1hr and a half to do the pump change over. 3-4hrs is the book time that mechanics go by (shops). 1.5hrs @ 59bucks and hour and a $140cdn pump. $5 filter sock thingy. Voila... $230cdn. that's what... 93 cents american? (under $200 usd) Where does the $900usd come in? Even at the Dealer (who charges $98 hr) it would have cost me only $600 and change to get it done. Might be worth a trip north to same even a few hunded bucks. (even if I got the sending unit done, it would only be about $120 more)

Seriously... how can we complain about high gas prices when we get taken for a ride at shops? Ah well.. just ranting... blown away by the price differences all over North America.

my 2 cents... thanks...

Xpc

[Jeremy Fitch]

My pump cost near 300 USD, but came with the filter sock and new wiring harness.

[dmbrisket 51]

Originally Posted by XPC2004

Seriously... how can we complain about high gas prices when we get taken for a ride at shops? Ah well.. just ranting... blown away by the price differences all over North America.

my 2 cents... thanks...

Xpc

ok, sorry to nag, but this is where i have to step in and draw a line, how do you figgure you get taken for a ride at shops? because we as technitions want money to do the work? because we need money to pay for our state licences, the shop needs money for insurence, lights, heat (up north), equipment and very expencive specialty tools and regular wrenches/ratchets (both are far from cheep, craftsmen doesn't cut it for us, they wear out to quick, snap on or mac), or because every time we touch your vehical it just became our baby and we have to guarentee it with our liability and licencing??? it cost money to turn the key in the door and open the shop, cost somewhere in the ball park of of 500 bucks, not including wages, lighting or heating, it is not cheep to have a business, its not cheep to run one either, the parts that break are not cheep, and they are by no means a peach to get to 90% of the time, the QUALITY parts stores are the real vultures, you can go get a part cheeper at autozone, but but get a quality part try napa, or the dealer...

[dmbrisket 51]

o, btw, quality pumps are, pump, sender, wiring, and possibly a tank ring all in one, most tanks rings are re useable, so some ac delco (most) dont get them in the box

[XPC2004]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

ok, sorry to nag, but this is where i have to step in and draw a line, how do you figgure you get taken for a ride at shops? because we as technitions want money to do the work? because we need money to pay for our state licences, the shop needs money for insurence, lights, heat (up north), equipment and very expencive specialty tools and regular wrenches/ratchets (both are far from cheep, craftsmen doesn't cut it for us, they wear out to quick, snap on or mac), or because every time we touch your vehical it just became our baby and we have to guarentee it with our liability and licencing??? it cost money to turn the key in the door and open the shop, cost somewhere in the ball park of of 500 bucks, not including wages, lighting or heating, it is not cheep to have a business, its not cheep to run one either, the parts that break are not cheep, and they are by no means a peach to get to 90% of the time, the QUALITY parts stores are the real vultures, you can go get a part cheeper at autozone, but but get a quality part try napa, or the dealer...

I agree with you, (I'm North of the US), and I always respect your posts and comments and your knowledge, there is you and onlya few others I take what you say to heed. (Give me a '78 Firebird and I can rip that thing apart and put it together with a blind fold on... if I do that to my Blazer, it will end up looking like an Element or a For2)

Ah, but you also have to look at it from our side (or mine). Yes, there are mechanics out there who do a good job and fair pricing (I found one finally after 20yrs of searching), you didn't get my point, as to there are many shops out there who are money grubbing let's get them in and out as fast as possible joints.

I get quality parts.(I buy own parts from the parts stores, I understand the markups everyone has to do to make a buck, and shops always get the bum deal on that end) You don't see the point. Until now , every shop I took my vehicle in to get repairs done has damaged my Blazer, or other cars.

A quick overview of posts I've done:
Midas, took in to get battery checked aand brakes checked, call from midas, battery done, great, umm, but, there is another problem, hmm, okay, what... we took it for atest drive and the hd flew up, smashed the windshield, crushed the rof, mangled the hood and front end... great.
Got that done, then they broke the mirror off.
Prior to that, Midas had my Lancer, $2500 in repairs, took it home, engine barfed all it's fluids all over the drievway and then some, Midas said it wasn't under warranty and I had to pay the $2500 again. I said Buick you and yeah, I won't go there.
It goes on and on and on and on.
I have the tools (not the nice expensive ones that cost $10,000+), I do the jobs I can do. I know all the mechanics in my area too, they have the same tools, one shop charges $75 an hour, on $85, one $98... they all quote the same book, do the same job with the same parts, none of them are faster than another, they are all certified, there is no difference in quality. or speed. Until I found one shop. they charge per minute, .99 a minute, I laughed, scepticle, until I checked them out, they shop manager is a friend of a friend, one of the mechanics did their co-op for highschool with me, they all love cars (as do all mechanics), they have all the same quality tools that the other shops have, yet they can charge only $59 an hour, they have the same liscences , the same training, their parts from the same source, yet cheaper and I got my Blazer back working better than before, wth things fixed on it and still working, plus they Detail all the vehicles they repair for free.. I mean , inside, outside, wax, steam clean the interior, etc. etc.(heck they now have a laser alignment thingy to do I don't know what, but it's cool looking)

Like I said, I can't undersand how there is such a range of pricing for the same jobs, yes I understand some shops pay their mechanics more (that's their fault) It's the ones that rip you off that spoil it for the rest.
The same in every industry. Take mine, I do graphic design for television shows, create intros, lower thirds, the look and texture of special events all over ontario (been doing this now for over 22 yrs). I don't see how one company can charge $25,000 for somthing that would take me about two days to do, they take over three weeks and still don't do it right. (oh boy I can go on and on on this too)

I knew there would be at least one person, if not more responding to what I posted, but hey, such is life. I am just stating facts about what we as consumers face everyday. I pity the ones that don't know crap about their vehicles and get taken every day. It's a matter of consumers asking, calling around and finding the best service for the best price, the guys they trust, etc. In Canada it seems like everyoen is out to maek a buck, do a quick patch, and out the door, it works now, all our company vehicles had the same problems with different shops, we now have our own garage that fixes our vehicles.

Ah well, this can go on and on between the both of us too, I agree with you totally, I just have my views and I am not afraid to voice them.
Heck, my best bud from High school is Shop manager for the topChevy Dealer here in our Town, and He still wanted to charge me 4hrs book time at $98 an hour, his reason why... we do it faster and better than every one else... okay, this is a friend for many years telling me this... okay... yeah... that's why I got it done in 1.5hrs at $59 an hour.... yeah... nuff said.

Xpc... hey, is this off topic...

[BlazinMlew]

Originally Posted by XPC2004

1hr and a half to do the pump change over. 3-4hrs is the book time that mechanics go by (shops). 1.5hrs @ 59bucks and hour and a $140cdn pump. $5 filter sock thingy. Voila... $230cdn. that's what... 93 cents american? (under $200 usd) Where does the $900usd come in? Even at the Dealer (who charges $98 hr) it would have cost me only $600 and change to get it done. Might be worth a trip north to same even a few hunded bucks. (even if I got the sending unit done, it would only be about $120 more)

Seriously... how can we complain about high gas prices when we get taken for a ride at shops? Ah well.. just ranting... blown away by the price differences all over North America.

my 2 cents... thanks...

Xpc

well since you asked I will give you the rundown.

Fuel pump ~~ Part # 25344816 ~~ price $579.78
Labor cost ~~ no part # ~~ price $211.20
Tow cost ~~ no part # ~~ price $ 88.80
Environmental Service fee ~~ price $ 9.90
Total Tax ~~ price $ 37.69
------------------------------------------------
Total cost out the door ~~ price $927.37

So to answer your question That is where I came up with the $900usd
But the work has lifetime parts and labor warr. like I said. Where as if I would have done it myself woth a cheaper pump and screwed something up (it has been know to happen) I would have ended up doing it all over again.

Hope that clarifies it enough for you.

[mike2004tct]

Originally Posted by XPC2004

I agree with you, (I'm North of the US), ..

The prices listed are for a '97 Blazer, which has a captive container holding the pump and 2 SOCKs on the assembly. This is not the same (cheaper) assembly used in '96s and earlier Blazers.
The cheapest this pump can be had for is around $300.00 dollars. A Delco from the dealer is $450.00, the same pump at Autozone is $350.00.

Labor rates range from $60.00 at a private shop to in excess of $100.00 at a dealer. So as Blazinmlew pointed out, all of these costs are reasonable.
Everybody has a different comfort zone, and replacing the pump isn't a task for the inexperienced.

I replaced my '97 pump myself, in a 2 hour period, for the pump cost of #328.00 from Napa (A Carter pump).

[tatum3217]

So I don't know if it's the fuel pump or not - i had it towed home yesterday. My husband crawled under it and said it sounded like a lot of pressure in the tank so he took off the cap and replaced it but it still wouldn't start. a few minutes later i tried again and it started. i shut it off and re-started it several times and it seems ok. now we are being told it might be the fuel filter but we don't know. what's the best way to diagnose this problem?

[BlazinMlew]

Originally Posted by tatum3217

So I don't know if it's the fuel pump or not - i had it towed home yesterday. My husband crawled under it and said it sounded like a lot of pressure in the tank so he took off the cap and replaced it but it still wouldn't start. a few minutes later i tried again and it started. i shut it off and re-started it several times and it seems ok. now we are being told it might be the fuel filter but we don't know. what's the best way to diagnose this problem?

could still be the pump. It just might be an intermitant problem, or a bad connection. Either way you dont want to risk not fixing the problem just because it seems to have went away (trust me I learned from experience) Your best bet is to have a TRUSTED mechanic or the dealer look at it A.S.A.P.

[BlazerLT]

I would still replace the ignition switch.

Remember guys, it is a 1997 and several people have found the switch to become defective and not send the prime signal to the pump.

[dmbrisket 51]

it is very possible to be the ignition switch on a 97