Budget fuel pump option?

[Caddylack]

Hey all...

My neighbor has a 2004 Tahoe 4.8 that suddenly won't start. The engine cranks hard, all electronics seem to have full power, but there is no turnover at all.

I suspect the fuel pump, just based on symptoms. I will check fuel pressure, of course, but, assuming it is the pump:

My neighbor is on a pretty tight budget, and she was a bit shocked at the price of a fuel pump for this car. On the low end, Autozone wants $177, and Rock Auto wants $84. She currently has no way to get to work, so time is a factor.

Are there any cheaper pumps that will work for this car? This is just a daily driver.

Thanks.

 

[MassHoe04]

If GM is not an option, Bosch or Delphi would be best options that are less expensive.
Really, anything other than those three options is a waste of time and money.

I know money is tight, but the fuel pump is not the place you want to go with store brand or Amazon/Ebay generics.

Fuel pump is the heart of the machine. If you go total bargain basement on a fuel pump, you really do run the risk of it failing again in short time and having more down time for another repair, even if it is covered by a "lifetime" replacement warranty from the store.

The short term savings on going with the absolute cheapest to save $200, has hidden costs.
Another repair, with the vehicle off the road for another pump replacement. Lost time from work, having to get family or friends to get you where you need to go... All of that has a cost.

I can totally sympathize on being between a rock and a hard place with money. If there is no option than the absolute lowest priced pump and your only choices are the Autozone or Rock Auto... I guess Autozone might be the better choice under those circumstances. At least with Autozone, you can do an immediate exchange at the counter if the bargain pump fails under warranty.

RA will replace under warranty, but you will have to pay for the replacement first and wait for refund to come. That might not work, if funds are that tight for your friend.

If there is any possible way to scrape up or borrow the extra $200 or so, go with Bosch or Delphi and it will probably be the last pump replacement needed for that truck. NAPA has them in stock at the local store. They offer 10% AAA member discount, if you or a friend has a membership.

Do what you gotta do. That would be totally understandable. Just know the cheaper pump may cost more in time, money and time out of service. That would be the risk of going that route.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yep, who wants to drop tank and do it all over again in a very short time. With cheap generic pumps it happens 80% of the time.

 

[MassHoe04]

Can she risk not being able to get to work if the cheapest pump does go out again? That is the thing to consider here. These things seem to fail after stores have close for the night or late on weekends. Then you have to wait until next day or Monday when the store opens again. Meantime you are off the road for 2 or 3 days... I am guessing she can't afford to really do that more than once.

Do what you can to see if there is anyway to swing a Delphi or Bosch and be done this one time.

 

[Fless]

If your fuel pressure test indicates no pressure, turn the key on and listen for the pump to run for a few seconds. If it doesn't, check/swap the fuel pump relay with another known good one.

Failing that, for a possible temporary solution, use a fist or rubber mallet to bang on the bottom of the tank while someone cranks the engine. Sometimes the pump motor has a spot that won't let the motor turn. The attitude adjustment might just help it kick on; it did for mine to get it home for the permanent fix.

Also, be careful to get the Flex Fuel or non-FF pump, depending on the fuel system. They're different pumps.

EDIT: after looking at pump availability it seems that the 4.8L engine didn't come with the Flex Fuel system, so apparently there's only one pump style available. Carry on.

 

[Doubeleive]

I agree with the above avoid going cheap on the fuel pump if it all possible

 

[wjburken]

Hey all...

My neighbor has a 2004 Tahoe 4.8 that suddenly won't start. The engine cranks hard, all electronics seem to have full power, but there is no turnover at all.

I suspect the fuel pump, just based on symptoms. I will check fuel pressure, of course, but, assuming it is the pump:

My neighbor is on a pretty tight budget, and she was a bit shocked at the price of a fuel pump for this car. On the low end, Autozone wants $177, and Rock Auto wants $84. She currently has no way to get to work, so time is a factor.

Are there any cheaper pumps that will work for this car? This is just a daily driver.

Thanks.

I agree with what the others are saying about not going cheap on this fix.

If it’s that tight of a budget situation, and if you can float it, might offer to let her pay you back for the pump in payments. I’ve done that for friends that I do work for.

The other thing to keep in mind is if you put the cheap pump in and it fails, what are the chances that you’ll be hit up to replace it again so you have to ask yourself how m at times you want to do this job.

 

[Fless]

You could see if the local junkyard/UPull has one, but they might be somewhat rare. And, as others have said, reliability is a serious question. Really, though, it's up to you what risks you want to take.

 

[rockola1971]

If there is something that you never take the cheap route on then it is the fuel pump! Either AC Delco, Delphi or Bosch. The aftermarket brands are too prone to failure in a short period of time. Some are junk right out of the box. Pay now instead of hurting months later when the aftermarket has to be replaced again.

 

[mattbta]

Buy once, cry once.