Sometimes the fuel pump won't kick on and the check engine light comes on. He has to turn the key back and forth a few times before it will pump kicks on. Do these cars have fuel pump relays?

Anyone have this problem before? Its a 350 tune port

 

Yes, they do have fuel pump relays.

If the check engine light is on, take a trusty paperclip and jam one end into the "A" terminal, the other into the "B" terminal on the ALDL port. Those are on the top row, the farthest 2 on the right hand side. (The ALDL is inside the car. If you peer under the steering column, by the knee bolster, you will see a port, that looks like it should connect to something. That's the ALDL). Turn the key to the "on" position, without starting the car. You will see code "12" flash 3 times, the SES light itself will blink. blink *pause* blink blink represents code 12. That itself means you are entering diagnostic mode. Any code blinked thereafter is a trouble code. Make note of it. Once you get the code, go <A HREF="http://www.gmtips.com/3rd-degree/dox/tips/ecm/codes/code-01.htm">HERE</A> and cross reference. This gives you an iidea of where to start looking. Keep in mind, the SES DOES illuminate for a few seconds as a test when you first turn the car on, so make sure that what you are seeing is not that test mode.

Since the pump does eventually run, just after a few turns, I would suspect the relay or its wiring is at fault.

The fuel pump relay itself is under the hood, on the firewall, by the brake booster. You should see a strip of 3 or so relays. I'm not certain, but I want to say the middle one is the fuel pump relay.

 

excellent info!! I'll tell him about it, thanks