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We are having our 8th fuel pump put on our 1996 Chevy conversion van today. We would like to know if anyone else had any problems with their fuel pump on 1996 Chevy vans? This is the 3rd mechanic we have had work on this vechile. Is there anyone out there that might know why this keeps happening?  We now have 140000 miles on the van and it runs great otherwise.  

My '97 quit eating fuel pumps after the in tank wire harness was replaced. Dealer had a TSB for this problem.  

what is a tsb  

Technical Service Bullitin that advises the techs about common problems and how to repair them.  

it is said that running a chevy (possibly any make) with low fuel will burn out the fuel pump faster...  

if you get a GM fuel pump then it should be fine becasue for some reason the GM pumps last a heck of alot longer than the ones that parts stores sell  

My son-in-law had the same problem with his 1996 chevy Astro van. Turns out it is not the fuel pump but a couple of other components in the circuit. I am on the road right now but will talk to him a church this weekend and find ouot exactly what he replaced. Whatever it was it fixed the problem of burned out fuel pumps. He replaced 5 before he solved the problem.  

WHAT DID HE REPLACE,I AM ABOUT TO REPLACE #4 OR#5.I DO NOT REMEMBER ANTMORE.  

I AM ABOUT TO REPLACE MY 4TH OR 5TH ONE.I HAVE A 1996 CHEVY ASTRO VAN.WHAT IS GOING ON?  

I DO NOT KNOW WHY THEY KEEP GOING OUT,MY VAN HAS A GOOD ENGINE,RUNS DECENT,BUT AM TIRED OF CRANKING OUT MONEY ON THE SAME PART ALL THE TIME  

Fuel pumps go to an eary demise because of the wireing harness was not replace,the tank was not cleaned good enough and left dirt in the tank,  it was not a quality pump(Carter makes a realy good pump), or the tank was run to low to often.  

i have seen jgate post some good stuff. here is my input. take it to the dealer, have a brand new GM fuel sending unit put in. It is warranty, you buy it once you never buy it again. same for a lot of things like EGR valves a bunch of stuff. sometimes it pays to spend a little more once, im sure that sending unit is going to be $500 for the parts alone. good luck  

WOW 8....ive got a 1996 Chevy g2500....im putting my 6th Fuel Pump in tomorrow...i get 2 years out of them...then they are toast....but i do have 945,000 miles on my van or 1,500,000 million km's.....least i got soem notice thsi time...last few jsut died..one time van satrts perfect next nothing...always happens in december usually before christmas....what can u do....and they aint cheap ...Trez  

Dirt in the tank doesn't do this, there's a very fine sock at the end of the fuel pick up that dirt can't get around easily, which is why most newer vehicles come with no fuel filter. Low fuel level won't kill that many pumps in that short of time, although the fuel does help the pump run a little cooler, which in turn helps with longevity in years not months.

The wiring between the vehicle and the pump has been noted to cause this phantom problem, it causes poor wiring connections or intermittent pump operation, that's what bulletins are for, to advise any good technician.

You know you'd think after that many pumps someone would have looked a little deeper, this is the difference between good shops and bad ones, all shops have to be equipped with updated tech bulletins and updated information.

This is another perfect example of trying to save a buck by shopping prices, the old sayings still stand "You get what you pay for" and "If you think hiring a professional is expensive try hiring one that isn't" God I love those two!!

Good Luck and remember, you may get this fixed by replacing just the wiring harness between the sending unit and the frame.

Whoop  One more thing, on a GM vehicle there's only TWO pumps that will last and Carter isn't one of them. The only one's we ever install is the one from the dealer and the other is a Delphi pump, which is who builds them for GM. Trust me on this or do it all over again.