A warning about fuel pumps and parts stores

WHen I got my riv back in May it barely walked let alone ran. One of the first things needed was a brand new fuel pump. There was just not enough pressure to keep the thing idling for more than a few seconds it seemed. So I went down to the locak parts store and go a fuel pump. It wasn't my first brand choice but my old car was dying fast and I needed something now. I got an Airtex brand pump. It worked, my car got correct pressures and I was off. Now this past week, my car started screaming at me in traffic. No SES light or anything but i heard what could only be described as a whine from the trunk. At first I thought i was something to do with the EGR valve I just replaced but when I stepped out of the car I noticed two things. 1) It was originating form the trunk. 2) You could hear it form the outside. This meant only one thing to me - fuel pump. Thursday night my dad was able to remove it and i took it back to a different store of the same chain I got the pump from only to learn something They gave me the N/A engine pump, not the S/C.

With the correct pump in, the following problems have gone away that I was going through everything trying to fix
-Long crank time to start is gone
-Idle is a bit smoother
-Passing at speeds is much improved
-Increased engine smoothness

So just a fair warning to everyone else on the board, I didn't see anyone else with my long crank time issue but if you have one, double check the fuel pump.

And for the record, the supercharged engine can eat a non supercharged pump in less than 5k miles.

nice info.I think ive experienced this too

themanwithsauce wrote:

WHen I got my riv back in May it barely walked let alone ran. One of the first things needed was a brand new fuel pump. There was just not enough pressure to keep the thing idling for more than a few seconds it seemed. So I went down to the locak parts store and go a fuel pump. It wasn't my first brand choice but my old car was dying fast and I needed something now. I got an Airtex brand pump. It worked, my car got correct pressures and I was off. Now this past week, my car started screaming at me in traffic. No SES light or anything but i heard what could only be described as a whine from the trunk. At first I thought i was something to do with the EGR valve I just replaced but when I stepped out of the car I noticed two things. 1) It was originating form the trunk. 2) You could hear it form the outside. This meant only one thing to me - fuel pump. Thursday night my dad was able to remove it and i took it back to a different store of the same chain I got the pump from only to learn something They gave me the N/A engine pump, not the S/C.

With the correct pump in, the following problems have gone away that I was going through everything trying to fix
-Long crank time to start is gone
-Idle is a bit smoother
-Passing at speeds is much improved
-Increased engine smoothness

So just a fair warning to everyone else on the board, I didn't see anyone else with my long crank time issue but if you have one, double check the fuel pump.

And for the record, the supercharged engine can eat a non supercharged pump in less than 5k miles.

Very glad you caught that, I'd not have figured it out without being there, and thanks for posting follow-up.

Albertj

Definitely something to double check at the store when you have a model year with the optional SC.

^^^Agree, and also don't trust the local parts counter help on anything extremely important. Double check their advice against another source. I learned this lesson once when I bought a starter for an '80s Chevy. I brought the unit back because it wouldn't bolt up - the guy said I was wrong! It turned out he was reading the numbers wrong. Even the better stores like NAPA aren't always on top of things. NAPA once tried to sell me a brake rotor for my '70 Olds that I knew wouldn't fit. Over a year ago, an AutoZone clerk told me that AL104 copper spark plugs were being discontinued.

Usually, the online parts resources are pretty reliable. Check RockAuto for reference. If it matches what your local parts counter says, it's very likely you have the right item. Also, the dealership is a great place to learn what's what. They use your VIN to make sure everything matches up.

I was a parts guy "back in the day", now I'm a mechanic....I'm absolutely amazed at the # of parts guys who think they're mechanics. I think it's hilarious when they try to give me "advice" when I go buy parts. 75% of the time, they're horribly wrong....

Most of it is just sheer mis-information on the stores' end. The "training" the parts people receive is very vague and inaccurate.

Well not all of us Abaddon. I was a mechanic for many years before becoming a parts guy. It just became to hard on my old body. But I think the best parts people have been on both sides in their life at some point. I still keep my ASE certs. current for some unknown reason.

I meant no disrespect....There are VERY good parts guys out there. But, like mechanics, for every good one, there's 50 bad ones.

I really salute the guys like Patrick, who actually know a thing or two. I've become loyal to certain local stores who hire people like this. I'll even wait in line to talk with a representative who's proven themsef in the past. Imo, every parts store should have one or two of them to run the show. Unfortunately, I notice the person in charge is often the one who knows the most languages.

JEGS is an exception. They are headquartered nearby, so we have a few stores in the area - high prices, and limited hours, but man do those guys know their stuff. Sometimes I go by there on Saturday morning just to see what cars are parked in the lot.

I've worked in parts retail for a bit and as a tech very briefly. Retail and service are two different universes. Thing is there's a ton of parts customers that shouldn't be walking into the store for parts because they really don't know what to buy or not to buy because they don't know what they're doing. Some think they do and some know they don't. Those people are looking for a confident, knowledgable guy to answer their questions and make them feel better about what they are doing. If a bunch of service people worked a parts store without retail training, they would scare all the customers away to take their cars to a shop and the store would close. It's kind of a paradox. Like AA said, the best thing is to just find your guy in the store and stick with them.

I've also noticed if you stick with the same guy(s), get to know them on first name basis, your guys will appreciate the respect you give them, they remember you when you enter the store, say "hi", and even give you some privileges as a customer. Not kidding, if 'my people' are working their shift at the local AutoZone, you might see me walking behind the counter to show them what I need from the aisles.

You guys really understand how this parts business works. We take care of our cherished, good paying clients a little better ( sometimes lots) than the average walk-in. This is not to say they are unimportant, just the opposite. We try to educate and encourage diagnosis instead of throwing parts at it in an expensive attempt to fix the problem. Sadly, some truly believe what I call driver diagnosis and never take the advice. I love customers that have the needed information and know what they need or have paid to have it looked at and then purchase the parts needed. And thank you AA, I have 38 years in parts and wrenching but I learn something everyday. Coming from 15 years in the heavy truck/trailer parts job to this NAPA job is challenging but a lot of fun.

No reason to pay that huge price anyways. My $250 airtex pump lasted 10k miles or less.

There is a guy who sells $55 pumps on ebay that in my experience, have been very reliable. You do have to change the harness (and I swapped floats) but otherwise this thing has by far outlasted the costly Airtex pump.