2000 Silverado Fuel Pump?

[Dozer]

2000 Silverado with a 5.3 and 200,000 miles. All started at the beginging of last summer, if I had the camper in the back and pulling the 4-wheeler and I pushed it real hard I would get a SES light with a PO300 code. In the begining if I drive real nice it wouldnt set a code. Ive never had it set a code when it is empty, only has problems when loaded with the camper or pulling a trailer. Now if I have a trailer hooked on it will set a code within a mile of the driveway. Now its not only a po300 it will also have a po171 and po172 once in a while. Never the 171 without the 174 or vice verse. About a month ago I put Delco plugs and Napa wires, fuel and air filter and a fuel pressure regulator on. All the plugs looked fine, nothing abnormal about any of them.

Bought a fuel pressure gauge and I get 50psi with the key on and engine off, 48psi at an idle, 50psi going down the road 60mph, 55psi going down the road with my boot to the floor from 60mph to 90mph. All of this is without a trailer and without a SES light on.

According to everything I can find all these pressure #s are a little low.

3 years and about 30,000 miles ago I had the fuel pump go out up in the sticks on my way up north, the only pump anybody had on hand was a an Airtex.

What do you guys think? Should I bite the bullet and pull that Airtex and put in a Delphi pump or is there something else I should be looking at?

[Jeremy airjer W]

I would be curious to see what the fuel trims are at. Lean codes both banks could be lack of fuel pressure but I wonder if the MAF sensor is flaking out?

[Dozer]

Another thing I forgot to mention. Lately the fuel gauge has been acting up too, if it gets below 1/4 tank the gauge will go back and forth between 1/4 and empty and the low fuel light comes on and off. I also get a po463 when this happens.

[hondavxr]

Usually the tell tale sign of a Chevy fuel pump going out is the bouncing gas gauge. From my experiences with Chevy fuel pumps, it does not matter if you use the OEM one or aftermarket one. They all will fail the same. For some reason the Chevy fuel systems will [PoorWordUsage] out quick if there is even a little restriction in the fuel system. Change your fuel filters regularly in chevys. Change the fuel fuel once or twice a year or you will be changing fuel pumps often.

[mnviking28]

I worked in auto parts for about 20 years before my current job. I can't say for certain that your problem is caused by the Airtex pump, but I don't have a lot of good things to say about them. We steered customers toward Delphi when at all possible. They just didn't last. While I tend to agree with what Jeremy says about the MAF, the Airtex pump doesn't make me overflow with confidence either.

[Heartman]

Have you changed the fuel filter? Right under the drivers seat, in the gasline. May want to give it a try - those things are notorious for restricting fuel flow resulting in the fuel pumps burning out. Very easy replacement job.

[Dozer]

Have you changed the fuel filter? Right under the drivers seat, in the gasline. May want to give it a try - those things are notorious for restricting fuel flow resulting in the fuel pumps burning out. Very easy replacement job.

Yes, I have. Change it every December.

[Dozer]

Just an update if anybody else has the same problem:

Under the recomendation of a buddy who works on cars as a side job I pulled the Crakshaft position sensor out. The theory is, rust develops between the engine block and the sholder on the sensor, pushing the sensor out of the block. This makes the distance between the crankshaft and the sensor too large and causes misreadings at high rpms.

By the time I got the sensor out I had broken it but there was a fair amount of rust. I removed the rust and replaced the sensor.

Ive driven it about 500 miles since, all either pulling wheelers, hauling a camper or both and havent had a SES light since!

[Scott K]

Good to hear you got it fixed!

[BartmanMN]

Thanks for the follow up Dozer. Could help me down the road.