1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT NEW IN 1997 AND I HAVE OWNED IT AND MAINTAINED IT IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER SINCE THEN. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT WHEN THE TRUCK SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED TO MY HOME AND DOING SOME TROUBLE SHOOTING I DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT WORKING. I REMOVED THE GAS TANK AND AFTER REMOVING THE FUEL PUMP DISCOVERED THE GREY WIRE TO THE PUMP HAD THE INSULATION BURNED OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF INCHES. THIS DAMAGE WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE GAS TANK. THE PLUG THAT THE WIRE GOES THROUGH WAS CHARRED AND MELTED AWAY. I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE ASSEMBLY AND DAMAGE AND HAVE NOTIFIED GM OF THE INCIDENT. I AM AMAZED THAT THIS DID NOT RESULT IN AN EXPLOSION OR A FIRE. THE HEAT GENERATED TO MELT THE WIRE AND PLUG IS EXTENSIVE. THE PLUG WAS MELTED TO THE POINT IT EXPOSED IT INTERNAL WIRING. I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST CARS AND TRUCKS HAVE THIS TYPE OF ASSEMBLY INSTALLED. THE ASSEMBLY THAT HOLDS THE FUEL PUMP IS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE THE PHOTOS OR THE ASSEMBLY FOR FAILURE ANALYSIS.

MY 16 YR. OLD SON PURCHASED A 1997 CHEVY K1500/SILVERADO W/ 5.7LITER GAS ENGINE; 160K+ MILES. PREVIOUS OWNER EXPLAINED THE TRUCK WAS ON ITS THIRD FUEL PUMP. SURE ENOUGH, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED ON US ALSO AT 163,000 MILES. FORTUNATELY IT FAILED ONLY 100 FEET FROM HOME AS HE DROVE DOWN OUR RESIDENTIAL STREET. IMAGINE THE HAZARD POTENTIAL HAD IT DIED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOWING AND REPAIRS TOTALED $800. A REMANUFACTURED PUMP (WITH 1 YR WARRANTY) WAS INSTALLED PLUS A NEW FUEL FILTER. THE DYING FUEL PUMP SHED DEBRIS THAT CLOGGED THE FILTER WHICH STARVED THE ENGINE. A GOOGLE SEARCH DETAILS HOW PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH CHEVY FUEL PUMPS IN TRUCKS RANGING FROM 1991S TO 2002S; PERHAPS NEWER IF I SEARCHED LONGER. I CAN ILL AFFORD TO REPLACE A FUEL PUMP LIKE THAT AGAIN. WITH THE HISTORY OF FUEL PUMP FAILURES WELL DOCUMENTED (REF: GOOGLE SEARCH), WHY HASN'T CHEVY ENGINEERED A FIX YEARS AGO?? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START HIS VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND BURNED OFF THE WIRES INSIDE THE GAS TANK. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,462 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,445. UPDATED 06/03/08. *LJ UPDATED 05/30/08

OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS AND 80,000 MILES OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE THE FUEL PUMP HAS DIED ON ME 5 TIMES. ALL 5 TIMES THE PUMP WAS REPLACED WITH AC DELCO PARTS FROM GM. THE LAST TWO TIMES IT WENT OUT I HAD IT REPLACED BY A CHEVY DEALER IN TAMPA. THE SECOND TO THE LAST FAILURE CAUSED A DOMINO EFFECT THAT ENDED UP BEING VERY COSTLY TO ME. FRAGMENTS FROM THE PUMP TRAVELED TO THE FILTER, SOMEHOW MADE IT PAST THE FILTER AND RUINED THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. FRAGMENTS FROM THAT TRAVELED FURTHER ALONG AND DESTROYED THE THROTTLE BODY METERING VALVE AND ALL 8 FUEL INJECTORS. AFTER HAVING ALL THIS WORK DONE, THE LAST FUEL PUMP ONLY WORKED FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE IT WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS TIME IT LUCKILY DID NOT RUIN THE ABOVE MENTIONED ITEMS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE GM PART BEING DEFECTIVE, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH AS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I'VE NEVER LET THE TANK GET BELOW 1/3 FULL BECAUSE I KNOW IT CAN DAMAGE THE PUMP BELOW 1/4 FULL. THE PUMP FAILS WITHOUT WARNING AND HAS CAUSED A DANGER TO MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. *NM

WE ARE CURRENTLY HAVING OUR 4TH FUEL PUMP PLACED IN OUR TRUCK, THIS TIME AFTER IT DIED ON THE INTERSTATE. WE TOWED THE TRUCK HOME AND TRIED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHEN WE GOT UNDER THE HOOD WE DISCOVERED THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE WAS OVERHEATING IT WAS SO HOT MY HUSBAND BURNED HIS FINGER. WE REPLACED IT BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. WE SENT THE TRUCK TO THE SHOP AND WERE TOLD IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AGAIN, THE WIRES ON THE PUMP WERE BURN AND MELTED WHICH WAS CAUSING THE ICM TO OVERHEAT. THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED IN SEPT 01, APRIL 04 THE SECOND PUMPS' FUEL LEVEL SENSING UNIT (A THIN PIECE OF METAL SLIDING ACROSS A SET OF CONDUCTORS) BECAME CORRODED AND GOT STUCK ON EMPTY, AND NOW THE 3RD PUMP HAS BURNT MELTED WIRES. ALL REPAIR WERE AT MY COST. WE REAL LUCK THE THING DIDN'T BLOW UP! BUT TRYING TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE PRAYING TO NOT BE HIT BY THE 70+ MPH TRAFFIC IS TERRIFYING. THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE "COMMON" AMONG GM TRUCK OWNERS, SO WHY HASN'T GM STEPPED UP TO HELP? *JB

THE POWER SUPPLY CONNECTOR TO FUEL PUMP INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AT UPPER END OF PICKUP/FUEL PUMP SUPPORT TUBES BURNED HOT ENOUGH TO SOFTEN THE COPPER CONNECTOR CAUSING IT TO OPEN UP AND SHUT OFF FUEL PUMP CAUSING ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING. APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF WIRE INSULATION WAS MELTED OFF AT THE TOP CONNECTOR END. THIS IS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK SURROUNDED BY FUMES AND FUEL. IF AIR WAS INTRODUCED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXPLOSION. THIS IS THE FACTORY INSTALLED FUEL PUMP AND FUSE DID NOT BLOW EVEN THOUGH THE WIRE WAS EXPOSED AND NEAR METAL COMPONENTS. I'VE OWNED THE TRUCK SINCE NEW. RICHARDSON BROTHERS CHEVROLET IN FLORESVILLE, TEXAS AND OTHER AUTO PART DEALERS INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON AND HAVE SEEN WORSE DAMAGE TO WIRING. THE DEALER WANTED OVER $400.00 FOR THE PARTS WHICH INCLUDE NEW PICKUP TUBES WITH FUEL LEVEL FLOAT AND FUEL PUMP. I'M A QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR FOR AIRCRAFT AND THIS WOULD HAVE GROUNDED THE ENTIRE SERIES OF THAT PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT. (TWA FLIGHT 800).*AK

THE PICKUP'S IDLE WOULD VARY FROM FULL THROTTLE TO BARELY STAY RUNNING WHILE IN PARK. WOULD ALSO GO INTO FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVING, THEN ATTEMPT TO DIE. TOOK TO A MECHANIC, CHANGED THE FULL FILTER, STILL DIDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM; HE PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER FOR ANALYSIS SHOWED IT WAS THE THROTTLE SENSOR, THAT WAS REPLACED AND IT STILL DOES IT.