Hello,
I have 1999 chevy 4 wheel drive blazer that does not like to start after sitting for more than 12 hours. 240000 miles. I have had the fuel regulator replaced twice and most recently the starter. The symptoms: I turn the key and the car begins to sputter, cough and shake and it contiues shortly after I release the key. I managed to avoid having it towed back to my mechanic twice by once flooding the engine - after about 15 minutes of vigorously pumping the gas pedal through the shakes it started. This last time my husband shook the car while it was convulsing and it started almost immediately. We (including our mechanic) are stumped. Any ideas? Thanks Rose
I know I’ve got fuel pumps on the brain lately, but that sure sounds like a fuel pump not wanting to start. Next time instead of shaking the car, beat on the bottom of the gas tank with a rubber mallet and see if it starts. The pump is an electric pump in the tank, and the shaking may be jarring it enough to get it to run. The thing to do would be to get a fuel pressure tester on it when it won’t start to see if there is fuel pressure or not.
While at the chevrolet dealer in the mid to late 90s fuel pumps were always going bad (Putting out less pressure than required)We used to take the beds off full sized a S pickups to replace them What did you think you were accomplishing by pumping the gas pedal for 15min? I would get a gague on that pump output quickly and even if it read good I would replace it if it was my car. What a poor pump from Chevrolet
Pumping the gas pedal won’t flood the engine. It could be a failing fuel pump or check valve in the pump. To see if a lack of fuel at startup is causing the problem, try a BRIEF blast of starting fluid into the throttle body and then immediately try to start it.
Yeah! I’m thinkin’ the pick-up sock isn’t completely attached to the bottom of the fuel pump.
Tester