Not all Chevy Silverado Trucks are created equal...
At 162K miles my 2005 Silverado's fuel delivery system experienced a catastrophic failure resulting in expensive repairs above and beyond what should be a simple replacement of a failed fuel pump.
The problem started one very cold evening in remote Montana when the engine light came on and the truck started running a little rough. I was able to make it home but the truck failed to start the next morning. The truck was towed to my mechanic who diagnosed a fail fuel pump using his scanner and a fuel pressure gauge.
Due to other factors as described below the typical repair bill for a fuel pump replacement tripled in cost due to questionable Chevy/GM system fuel delivery design and use of inferior engine components:
When the fuel pump began to fail...debris from the pump was pushed into the fuel lines and severely clogged all 8 of the fuel injectors. My mechanic replaced the fuel pump with an OEM GM pump and was able to have the injectors professionally cleaned and restored. According to my mechanic (who repairs significant number of Chevy GM trucks) commented this was the most expensive OEM Chevy GM pump he has ever replaced.
After replacing the fuel pump and refurbished injectors the engine light cleared and the truck ran well however the scan codes displayed an increasing “too lean†condition indicating a vacuum leak. My mechanic trouble shot the vacuum leak to a commonly known issue with the warped plastic intake manifold GM uses on the V-8 engines. My mechanic purchased a known, high quality replacement intake manifold which is reinforced with additional ribbing and stronger than the GM OEM part.
We now speculate the following sequence of events:
The lean condition caused by the warped intake manifold caused the computer to increase fuel to the injectors thus causing the fuel pump to work harder than normal and pump at higher pressures and thus contribute to a decrease in life of the original pump.
GM’s closed loop fuel delivery design does not include an inline fuel filter and thus led to catasrophic clogging/failure of the fuel injectors when the stressed fuel pump failed sending pump debris into the fuel lines…
Continued use of a known plastic intake manifold prone to warping and vacuum leak problems in the 5.3L engine causing lean condition with feedback to fuel pump to pump harder…combined with the fuel pump delivery system (with no secondary in line fuel filter) causing clogged injectors pushed a $500-$700 dollar replacement of a fuel pump to nearly $1500…and could have been another $700-800 if the clogged injectors could not be cleaned and restored.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Not all Chevy Silverado Trucks are created equal... At 162K miles my 2005 Silverado's fuel delivery system experienced a catastrophic failure resulting in expensive repairs above and beyond what should be a simple replacement of a failed fuel pump.
The problem started one very cold evening in remote Montana when the engine light came on and the truck started running a little rough. I was able to make it home but the truck failed to start the next morning. The truck was towed to my mechanic who diagnosed a fail fuel pump using his scanner and a fuel pressure gauge.
Due to other factors as described below the typical repair bill for a fuel pump replacement tripled in cost due to questionable Chevy/GM system fuel delivery design and use of inferior engine components:
When the fuel pump began to fail...debris from the pump was pushed into the fuel lines and severely clogged all 8 of the fuel injectors. My mechanic replaced the fuel pump with an OEM GM pump and was able to have the injectors professionally cleaned and restored. According to my mechanic (who repairs significant number of Chevy GM trucks) commented this was the most expensive OEM Chevy GM pump he has ever replaced.
After replacing the fuel pump and refurbished injectors the engine light cleared and the truck ran well however the scan codes displayed an increasing “too lean†condition indicating a vacuum leak. My mechanic trouble shot the vacuum leak to a commonly known issue with the warped plastic intake manifold GM uses on the V-8 engines. My mechanic purchased a known, high quality replacement intake manifold which is reinforced with additional ribbing and stronger than the GM OEM part.
We now speculate the following sequence of events: The lean condition caused by the warped intake manifold caused the computer to increase fuel to the injectors thus causing the fuel pump to work harder than normal and pump at higher pressures and thus contribute to a decrease in life of the original pump. GM’s closed loop fuel delivery design does not include an inline fuel filter and thus led to catasrophic clogging/failure of the fuel injectors when the stressed fuel pump failed sending pump debris into the fuel lines…
Continued use of a known plastic intake manifold prone to warping and vacuum leak problems in the 5.3L engine causing lean condition with feedback to fuel pump to pump harder…combined with the fuel pump delivery system (with no secondary in line fuel filter) causing clogged injectors pushed a $500-$700 dollar replacement of a fuel pump to nearly $1500…and could have been another $700-800 if the clogged injectors could not be cleaned and restored.
- troutcommando, Libby, MT, US