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.

 

[iamdub]

+1 to all the above. The fuel pump, especially on a GM product, is just one of those things that should not be cheaped out. If she was selling the truck- sure. But if it's her daily driver and she depends on it to get her to work and wherever else and back home, then it'll pay off to invest in a quality pump. I'm a fan of Delphi.

 

[ScottyBoy]

I replaced my fuel pump back in 2017 with an AC Delco unit from Rockauto. Yes, it took 3 days to arrive, but while waiting on it to arrive, I dropped the fuel tank, cleaned off the top of it and got the lock ring loose and everything. The day FedEx dropped off my new pump around 10am, I had it installed and driving before 3pm. But I just happened to luck out and be off work that day.
I've heard TONS of stories about people buying AutoZone fuel pumps or Advance Auto parts fuel pumps, and they fail again within 6 months or a year. Yeah sure they might be covered under "warranty" but you still have all the hassle of breaking down, possibly having to get towed, then having to drop the fuel tank and pull the pump all over again. Some people have replaced it so many times, they cut an access panel under the rear seat so they don't have to keep dropping the fuel tank. But even with cutting an access panel, you STILL have to deal with breaking down somewhere and possibly being stranded.
To me, it's not worth all the hassle, I just paid the extra hundred bucks for an OEM Delco fuel pump. If my original pump lasted 16 years, hopefully this replacement will last that long as well.

 

[swathdiver]

Hey @Caddylack , if your neighbor is truly hard up and not just being penny wise and pound foolish, I'll chip in $25 for the good pump.

 

[Fless]

Hey @Caddylack , if your neighbor is truly hard up and not just being penny wise and pound foolish, I'll chip in $25 for the good pump.

x2 and we definitely want to see pics.

If you order from RA be sure to use the 5% discount code.

 

[Caddylack]

I suppose I should have been more specific...

This thread is not about choosing between GM/Delco and the cheaper brands. I would agree with all of the posts on that topic.

I'm wondering if there are any pumps listed for other vehicles that would drop in. For example, on Rock Auto, if I switch from 4.8L to 5.3L, the price drops from $84 to $59 for the cheapest. I know you have to be careful on a flex fuel car, but couldn't I use the flex fuel pump on a 4.8? There are just so many LS-powered vehicles, and people use all sorts of pumps for LS swaps.

The problem actually turned out to not be the fuel pump. Fuel pressure was good, and I ended up realizing that my dumb ass forgot to plug the crank sensor back in when I did the starter. Random thought: Rigging the crank sensor to a switch might be a stealthy anti-theft tactic.

I appreciate the generosity towards my neighbor; that's really nice of you guys. She is a single mom, and her son just graduated from a really rough high school where a lot of kids don't graduate. She has worked a steady airport security job forever, but she is paying for the entire household by herself. She doesn't have much left over after bills.

What's really sad is that this woman has been taken advantage of really badly in the past by shady "mechanics"...

She had a problem with her Tahoe running rough and stalling out. She went to a local shop and they told her the throttle body was bad. She paid cash for a brand new GM throttle body + labor, the problem still wasn't fixed, and the shop ignored her. It only took me about 3 or 4 minutes to find the problem. I noticed there was electrical tape on the air intake, so I pulled it off. The bottom of the tube had a massive hole in it, that had just been taped with regular electrical tape. And this shop just sold her a brand new throttle body!!!

I've been doing my best to help her out and teach her what I can. She has been buying parts from Rock Auto and I have been installing them. So far it has been 4 shocks, 2 ignition coils, a starter, an air filter, and a coolant temp sensor. Up next is more coils, sway bar end links, and then pitman & idler arms.

 

[iamdub]

I suppose I should have been more specific...

This thread is not about choosing between GM/Delco and the cheaper brands. I would agree with all of the posts on that topic.

I'm wondering if there are any pumps listed for other vehicles that would drop in. For example, on Rock Auto, if I switch from 4.8L to 5.3L, the price drops from $84 to $59 for the cheapest. I know you have to be careful on a flex fuel car, but couldn't I use the flex fuel pump on a 4.8? There are just so many LS-powered vehicles, and people use all sorts of pumps for LS swaps.

The problem actually turned out to not be the fuel pump. Fuel pressure was good, and I ended up realizing that my dumb ass forgot to plug the crank sensor back in when I did the starter. Random thought: Rigging the crank sensor to a switch might be a stealthy anti-theft tactic.

I appreciate the generosity towards my neighbor; that's really nice of you guys. She is a single mom, and her son just graduated from a really rough high school where a lot of kids don't graduate. She has worked a steady airport security job forever, but she is paying for the entire household by herself. She doesn't have much left over after bills.

What's really sad is that this woman has been taken advantage of really badly in the past by shady "mechanics"...

She had a problem with her Tahoe running rough and stalling out. She went to a local shop and they told her the throttle body was bad. She paid cash for a brand new GM throttle body + labor, the problem still wasn't fixed, and the shop ignored her. It only took me about 3 or 4 minutes to find the problem. I noticed there was electrical tape on the air intake, so I pulled it off. The bottom of the tube had a massive hole in it, that had just been taped with regular electrical tape. And this shop just sold her a brand new throttle body!!!

I've been doing my best to help her out and teach her what I can. She has been buying parts from Rock Auto and I have been installing them. So far it has been 4 shocks, 2 ignition coils, a starter, an air filter, and a coolant temp sensor. Up next is more coils, sway bar end links, and then pitman & idler arms.

I know the FlexFuel pumps are capable of more LPH. I don't know how the FF trucks control this, though. My '08 has a separate controller for the fuel pump- the FPCM (Fuel Pump Control Module). Maybe the FF system modulates the pump speed to reduce or increase the volume in relation to the measured alcohol content? Or maybe it's achieved by a difference in the impeller design. Or both. My thoughts are that, if the FF pump is different and, by default, it puts put more volume that is modulated down, then the non-FF fuel system (namely the regulator) could be overpowered by the excessive volume.

Or, like other parts, they are identical and it's simply a part number availability thing affecting the price. For instance, a commonly failing part for a Tahoe is $***.XX. The exact same part is used on another GM-based brand of vehicle but has a different part number so it goes unnoticed. The "non-Tahoe" vehicle isn't as popular so there are more of its parts available and, therefore, they are priced lower. But, inside the box is the exact same part made to the exact same specifications at the exact same factory as the "Tahoe" part.

 

[Caddylack]

For instance, a commonly failing part for a Tahoe is $***.XX. The exact same part is used on another GM-based brand of vehicle but has a different part number so it goes unnoticed. The "non-Tahoe" vehicle isn't as popular so there are more of its parts available and, therefore, they are priced lower. But, inside the box is the exact same part made to the exact same specifications at the exact same factory as the "Tahoe" part.

Yep.

 

[OR VietVet]

If I remember right, not gonna take the time to go look, I think the line attachments at top of each pump is different as well.

 

[89Suburban]

If I remember right, not gonna take the time to go look, I think the line attachments at top of each pump is different as well.

FF has 2 hose connections, non FF has 1.

 

[Fless]

FF has 2 hose connections, non FF has 1.

^^^ THIS, except that the non-FF pump for this year has THREE fuel lines. FF pump is not interchangeable. The 4.8L fuel pump for that vehicle is the same as the one for the non-FF 5.3L.

Good for you for helping her out, @Caddylack!

EDIT: The non-FF pump uses an O-ring to seal; the FF pump has a much bulkier gasket to mate to the tank, and I think a different lock ring.