Elthesh

About 4 months ago, I had the fuel pump replaced as the old one was dying. The first night after getting it back, the car was driven for over and hour. At about an hour or so, the pump made an intermittent howling noise. We brought it back and they couldn't reproduce it. The car ran fine otherwise, and it didn't happen again for quite a while. After a month or 2 we discovered that the car had to be run for over an hour before the pump started making this loud howling. It seems like the fuel pump is cycling on when it happens, then cycles off and the noise stops. This goes on till the car is turned off for an hour or more.

At the same time that the fuel pump starts howling, the check engine light comes on when stopping at a light, then goes off after taking off again. This is at every light while the pump is making that noise. I was told the codes that came up were for the tps, o2 sensor and the pcm. The tps and o2 were replaced maybe 7-8 months before the old fuel pump died. The car is also sometimes stalling during the day, sometimes when in the morning a couple times, sometimes at a stop light later in the day. The idle also bounces around a bit. Not the steady 550-600 or so in drive that it used to be. It can be normal one minute then bouncing between 650-900 the next. Park is no better, as it just sits at a higher idle and bounced between 700-1000 roughly.

They told me that they can reproduce the noise. This was done at a dealer and they are telling me that GM is not approving a replacement under the lifetime warranty due to noise. This is a very loud howling, not some normal pump noise. Also, you can smell fuel from the rear of the car, but after they checked it, they can't find any fuel leaks back there.

Is this normal? What in the world is causing this noise and how am I to convince them to replace it? It really sounds like those ghostly sounds you hear on tv. Woooooo.... Woooooo... Woooooo... Also, the pump howls whether the gas cap is on or off.

Toehead

LIfetime is lifetime. How does the mode of failure allow them to skimp out?

UNCLE TOM

iTrader: (1)

the G.M. dealership is pulling your crank . hope it feels really good . good luck .

Azrael91966669

sorry to bring up a old topic. but this was my only result for howling fuel pump.

my new "gm ac delco" fuel pump howls like no other when the tank reads anything less then 1/4 it sounds like its running out of gas it only "sounds like its running out or sucking air" no stalling and can keep driveing for 80- 100 more miles noise gets louder and louder as the tanks gets to empty so the gauge is correct .

i also have the strange smell of gas every so often i had the tank pressure tested and it past with flying colors

i notice when ever it howls the battery gauge sags as if the pump is useing more current .

if i slam on the breaks or make a hard corner it makes the howl unless i have more then 1/2 a tank .

it really is the most annoying sound can be heard inside and outside of the car .

my only solution so far is to drive with more then 1/2 a tank .

as far as i can tell i didnt damage anything when i installed the pump ie bend anything

id really like to not have to drop the tank again fuel pump has full pressure and holds , so it is working just a very annoying howl when its below 1/2 tank , gets worse as you get to 1/4 , down right ear spliting as you get to E .

could the sending unit have gone bad pump itself seems fine

Elthesh

It's the garbage pump. Replace it with anything else. Like Walbro, or something from summit. Not the junk from Advance. And not another Delco. The delco design is flawed and noone will own up to that fact.

Azrael91966669

i guess ill be pulling the rear again then i just assumed i did something wrong during the install

Elthesh

No, not likely at all. I've read a few posts about the new delco pumps whining, howling, and making a racket. When you change it, and it doesnt make the noise, PLEASE PLEASE tell me which pump exactly that you used so when I get around to replacing the howling pump they gave me, I get it right.

Azrael91966669

ill most likely use the walbro sadly when i got this pump everyone told me make sure to get a genuine delco for my tpi swap so i did lol

Elthesh

Yep, I normally do get delco, but these pumps... There's something severely wrong with them, and I got this one installed about 2-3 years ago. Seems it hasnt changed. And yes, it is failing. After the howling starts, it has a chance to stall when coming to a light, making a turn, etc. I wish you were in the area, I'd pay you to change mine, lmao.

Azrael91966669

you its funny i got this fuel pump 2-3 years ago installed it and it always howled it was just after i got the car out for the summer i forgot about it and let the tank get down past 1/2 and was comming to a stop and bam howl

i figured id look up the issue

sad thing is pulling the rear was easy it was getting the tank in and out that was a pain really have to man handle it i even drained the tank before hand
it wasnt a job id care to repeat

ie i was hopeing someone would say "oh its an easy fix like a line or something"

Elthesh

I even replaced the fuel vent valve thinking that was causing it. Mine was old and the clips were broken anyway, so it was a good change, but it didn't help. I wish it was just a line, but when you go from a 15 year old pump that ran perfectly, to a brand new one that howls 30-45 minutes after driving out of the dealer, yeah... Problem.

Later, I took it to an actual mechanic, supposedly a very good one that "has been in the business for over 30 years". I told him, replace the pump. He says no, that's not it. It's the gas cap. Yeah, that fixed nothing.

Another problem the pump has is after driving a bit, if you are driving along steady, the car has this stumble. Its very slight. He wouldn't even let me take him on a test drive to show him. He says, my mechanic will find the problem and fix it. At first, they claimed there was no problem till I forced them to drive it when it was happening. Then I leave the car there for 4-5 days and rented a car. Did they fix it? No, just replaced the gas cap after I told them TIME AND TIME AGAIN. replace the damned fuel pump! I did make them pay for the rental though after miserably failing to fix the issues. After that I got a 99 Z28 and drive the 91 occasionally, but the problem is still there. I'll take it to a mechanic after I find out which pump you get to fix the problem.

Azrael91966669

you issue sounds far worse then mine
mine dosnt do anything but make the most annoying howl

does yours howl at all times or only once its low on gas ? ie below half a tank

if its howling when its full then something else is diffently wrong like your vent line is clampped down or something ie they may have bent a line when reinstalling the tank

if i hit the brakes hard with under 1/2 mine howls
it the brakes at all with less then 1/4 tank it howls
once it hits 1/8 its howling consistantly

for you try driveing with no gas cap for a day see if it howls if it does its the pump
it dosnt its a line being sqeezed

sadly there can be many differant issues that cause howl

Elthesh

Nope, it only howls when the tank isn't full. definately the same as yours.

ASE doc

Hi Guys, Please allow me to jump in here real quick. The fuel pump makes this noise because of a fault in a winding. Or a defective pump rotor. The winding fault creates oscilations, or sound waves to be emmited from the pump housing. A defective rotor just makes noise. GM wraps their pumps in a foam cover to quiet them down and doesnt consider the noise a failure of the pump.

However, Elthesh, you may very well have a drivability issue due to a bad pump. This cannot be ignored by the installer. You may need to have the issue diagnosed by another shop for documentation, but you should be able to force the installer to replace your pump if its causing your stalling and poor idle issues.

As far as a better replacement pump, Bosch has recently released a new line of dual stage pumps which it claims will perform much better than the OE. And theyre supposed to be quiet too.

BTW, whenever you do install an intank pump, besides being carefull with wiring and hoses, be sure to install the foam cover on the new pump. This helps reduce any noise.

ASE doc

A quick correction. The new pump from Bosch is called the "turbine pump". It uses a tubine instead of vanes. It is not dual stage. I appologize for the bad info.

Elthesh

Last week the car started running rough a few minutes after starting, rough, idling down and stalling. After a few restarts I revved it up a bit and it shut off like a light and will only crank.

Anyway, the point being, I now have a solid reason to send the car to the shop. Regardless of what is causing the no start issue, they will be replacing the defective fuel tank and installing the Bosch pump talked about above. Also a new sender since the other "new" sender that was installed is telling me I'm full at 3/4 on the gauge. Once the pump and other parts arrive, the tank and everything is getting placed in the car, towed over and they will be fixing and replacing a lot of things.

I'll report back on how things turn out.

rusty vango

the problem we all are having is "made in china" its almost impossible to get a quality made fuel pump for our cars,i bought mine at NAPA but as with others,it howls at anything less than half a tank.DO NOT BUY a airtek fuel pump.also dont buy from AZ or advance and forget ac delco its the china thing good luck

1roc89z28

look at my video same problem.

http://youtu.be/aXrdNPdezmg

its done it b4. but not this bad. yes and only driven on a hot day for a while in my case.

Elthesh

Yours is a constant noise. Mine is on and off, but yes, the same basic thing. I think mine is higher pitched too. It really sounds like a steam locomotive. Woooo... Wooooo... Woooooo... Lets hope the Bosch pump solves this issue.

They normally use only AC Delco at this shop which is what she told me when I told her the brand I was giving them. But seeing as it's the lousy Delco pump which is nice and new which is causing this issue, yeah. It's really sad that this issue is so widespread among the replacement pumps and it's considered acceptable by GM, since they were the ones who replaced it in the first place.

HiPerf_Chevyman

HAHA Mines doing it now. same thing. My fuel lines are so freaking hot too so i dont know if the heat is from the pump or a combination of the hot air I just moved to NC from maine and i dont have a place to work on my car so this oughta be FUN. I can drive it with NO drivability issues for good hour then the gas (in my mind) gets hot and starts to vaporize in the lines and creates a ton of bubbles by the intake of the pump... But I did have it stall on me at a light and i had 1/2tank. got it started right away(seemed like forever) but i whipped it into a gas station filled it up, and drove home (20ish min) and it didnt make a peep. so I guess having that fresh cool gas helped keep from vaporizing...

Im just unsure if its from the underhood heat or the fuel pump heating the fuel......

madmike99

Hey there guys so I know this is a Chevy website but I am having similar problems to what you are having. My car is a 1997 Ford Thunderbird I have been having the similar problem for about three years since I've bought the car but it only happens during the summer and in any other season the car runs fine. I can drive the car at night but during the day if I drive the car for 45 minutes or longer the car will hesitate and eventually stall out then I will have to let the car sit for an hour or more before it will start up during this time the cars is not starting and the fuel pump makes a noise like Wooooo.... I have been looking on the Internet trying to find people that are having the similar problem and you guys are the only ones that I have found my problems are similar in many ways as when I get to a stoplight the car will bogged down and even if I press the gas pedal the Idle will go hold down instead of up and eventually the car will shut off but if I am lucky enough to make into a gas station and put gasoline in the tank the car will then drive anywhere from 10 to 30 miles Depending on how much gas I added. I replaced the fuel pump back in December so roughly 8 months ago the car drove fine all the way till the summer now that it has got really hot outside. If any of u guys figure out how to fix the problem or if the new fuel pump u are getting put in works and fixes the problem will u let me know the brand and type of fuel pump it is and if u could possible check for me if they make that type of fuel pump for my 1997 ford tbird 4.6 V8 I would greatly apreciate it thank you very much

Zig

So many fuel pump issues!

Madmike - Believe it or not, the fuel pump in your Ford is very much like the fuel pumps we have. Different top and bottom ends, but the pump and motor are the similar if not the same.

Camaro guys - If you have fuel smell coming from the rear of the car with no leaks to be found, your smell is probably coming from the tank vent which is just forward of the tank (white and round and mounted next to all the fuel hoses). If it is venting, the tank pressure control valve which is located by your charcoal canister is not opening and allowing fuel vapors to enter the charcoal canister. Your rollover protection valve whcih is part of the sending unit may be rusted shut also. When you have it out while changing the pump, turn it updside down a couple times and you should hear the valve open and close. I had similar issues with stalling when hot, boiling fuel in the tank, fuel smell from the rear and loud pumps (3 of them including a Walbro). Replaced the sending unit, Tank Pressure Control Valve, fuel filter, charcoal canister (with solenoid) and fuel pump (Racetronix with Hotwire kit) and all my problems have gone away. The only thing I get now is a fuel smell coming from the outlet of the charcoal canister after it idles for extended periods of time. I believe this is being caused by the increased rate of fuel evaporation due to new fuel formulas. Once I start driving, the purge solenoid opens and allows the canister fuel vapors to enter the throttle body, the smell goes away and doesn't come back until I idle for a while again.

I was heitant to believe the Evap Emission Control System could cause problems like these, but I do now.

brando54009

too bad the mine isnt because if size lol. i had this happen in my car, BAM one day just wouldn't start, tried everything then i replaced the pump with a walbro i had sittin around and no more problems

Elthesh

Well, after endless procrastinating, it's finally done. The new tank, pump and sensor are in. The idiots at the dealership, when changing the pump originally, punctured the top of the fuel tank closer to the passenger side. It honestly looks like the end of a screwdriver was jammed into the tank or a knife. That was the source of the endless stench of fuel. The new Bosch pump does not make the howling noise. the new sensor works flawlessly and shows the correct fuel level on the gauge once again.

It also appears that the original fuel neck was a bit loose, and likely leaking a bit at the neck to tank connection. The new tank went in with zero problems. Fit like a charm.

The shop also fixed a number of other issues. Some I didn't even know about till it was on the lift. New tie rod, fixed a wire that fixed the AC, installed the rear braided brake hose I had, complete brake flush, new starter since the old decided to die for some reason and a new ignition module since that wound up being the cause of me sending it in for repair in the first place.

cuzznbrucie

I wish I could help. I have an 86 IROC that just had a new pump and sending unit installed. It was OK for a few miles but tonight when i throttled it hard it cut out completely like it ran out of gas. The pump is noisy too. Any ideas from any one on this?