L300 Fuel Pump

[Cranman]

I'm suspecting my 2002 Saturn L300 fuel pump has died. Just wondering if anyone knows of an universal fuel pump to use instead of paying $250 for a like "oem" fuel pump. Possible ACDelco.

[fdryer]

What makes you suspect it? Posting some background info may help; mileage, fuel filter replaced last, fuel pressure checked recently, and any other symptoms not described yet.

[Cranman]

Oh about 114,000 miles on it. Fuel filter changed last november/december. Haven't got a chance to look at it yet. Girlfriend was driving it when it just died at an intersection. Did some phone troubleshooting and it doesn't cycle in the ON position.

[fdryer]

114k miles isn't a lot for fuel pumps. Phone support might need specific instructions just like what we ask here.

Turn ON the ignition and listen for the faint hum/hiss of the fuel pump running for 2-3 seconds until it shuts off automatically (safety). This can be done as many times as necessary but wait at least 30 seconds between ignition cycling to hear the pump running. Another check for fuel pump operation and pressure would be to open the hood and locate the fuel rail (over the middle part of the engine) where the fuel test valve is capped by a black plastic cap, remove it and depress the valve stem (same as the tire valve) expecting a healthy spray of fuel. You should cover the valve loosely with a rag.

If no fuel pump sounds or fuel sprays out the test valve, look for a blown fuel pump fuse, labeled in the fuse panel.

Be aware that if this isn't a fuel issue then it may be ignition/spark related.

[Cranman]

Ya she already did the check start up in the ON position. Just tested the valve and no healthy spray. Just as I suspected. So has anyone found an universal fuel pump that will work with a L300?

[born again]

According to Rockauto the internal pump is a Bosch #69250 for about $80. You would have to disassemble the cartridge and reassemble it with the new pump.

[BlackHawk]

I have a l200 2003 with 75k miles on it. most is original guy bought it new.it went out on me while driving, trying to find if it's the fuel pump i know i'm not getting fuel to the engine... Engine relay maybe?

[fdryer]

Borrow a fuel pressure gauge from AutoZone, connect it to the fuel test valve (black plastic cap covering test valve over the engine), turn on ignition. You should see pressure between 38-45 psi. Without a pressure gauge, cover the valve with a rag while depressing the valve stem - fuel should spray out to indicate fuel pump operating and creating pressure in the lines. Did you check for blown fuses?

[pierrot]

Originally Posted by BlackHawk

I have a l200 2003 with 75k miles on it. most is original guy bought it new.it went out on me while driving, trying to find if it's the fuel pump i know i'm not getting fuel to the engine... Engine relay maybe?

To check for a possible relay failure you may swap the fuel pump relay with a Daytime Running Light (DRL) relay or a Door Lock relay. Be sure to compare the schematic printed on the relay cases to make sure that they're compatible.

As fdryer pointed out you should look for a possible blown fuse as well. Read your owner's handbook carefully to locate such a fuse, or other possible related fuses, which could contribute to your problem. Fuse locations are the Under Hood Fuse Block (UHFB), Left Instrument Panel Fuse Block (LIPFB), or the Right Instrumet Panel Fuse Block (RIPFB).

If you're lucky then it's either a blown fuse or a relay that's gone bad (and I hope it's one of these two possibilities ). In my case recently, after 19 years and over 300K miles, it was a bad fuel pump. Although I was disappointed that the pump had finally failed it didn't come as a surprise. It'd had a long service life.