Running out of gas is the most common cause...in-tank fuel pumps need fuel to help cool them during operation. You could be getting defective pumps, the strainer may be allowing debris to get sucked up or may have a wiring issue causing too much voltage or poor ground also.How can you tell a fuel pump is going bad on a 97 Astro van? What can be done to prevent them? Change 2 so far
The pump will start to intermittently fail. You won't hear the humming noise of the pump priming when you turn the key on.
Best way to keep this from happening is to never let the fuel get below 1/4 tank. The fuel is the only thing that cools the pump so if you run it on empty all the time-the pump overheats and wears out quicker.
Sometimes you can temprarily get them working again by banging on the tank with a piece of wood (fairly heavy like a 2x4). The mechanical shock is usually enough to get the pump going if you get stranded.How can you tell a fuel pump is going bad on a 97 Astro van? What can be done to prevent them? Change 2 so far
You'll know soon enough when it acts like it ran out of gas and won't start again even though it may have a full tank. That's a 'fun' job too! Swapping the fuel pump... it's inside the gas tank.How can you tell a fuel pump is going bad on a 97 Astro van? What can be done to prevent them? Change 2 so far
The two most common causes of fuel pump failure are dirty fuel and running out of fuel.
Dirty fuel plugs up the inlet screen.
I have sometimes just cut the screen and driven the car for another year.How can you tell a fuel pump is going bad on a 97 Astro van? What can be done to prevent them? Change 2 so far
how about changing to a different brand of fuel pumpHow can you tell a fuel pump is going bad on a 97 Astro van? What can be done to prevent them? Change 2 so far
running it out of gas and not changing the fuel filter is the worst thing you can do to a pump. also make sure the connector that plugs into the pump isn't melted. i would buy a gm pump. i have replaced very few of these. aftermarket ones just don't seem to last
