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Should I be able to hear my fuel pump?

BCParker

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Illinois
First time I've ever noticed it. when key is turned to run but not to start I hear a sound like an electric drill struggling to drive a screw in. Is this Normal?

edit: 97 4.0 125K 1/2 tank of gas - filter never cleaned that I know of
 
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Odd, for the first time in years I heard mine buzzing yesterday. Usually its just for a few if I only turn the key on the its silent. still dont sound like a GMC truck buzzing all the time.
 
Fairly normal. This was first noticed by AMC in 1987, and a voluntary recall was issued to install a ballast resistor (my 87 doesn't have one.) The ballast was added at assembly in 1988, and is located in the driver's fenderwell toward the front. It's a ceramic block with two wire terminals - about 3.5" long and .5" square.

Running without the ballast won't harm the fuel pump - it was added to address owner noise complaints. I probably won't replace them myself when they fail - just crimp the wires together. You're only really noticing because you didn't have the engine running (and if you have everything built right, you can't hear anything over the engine anyhow! :laugh3: )

I'd not consider it anything to get worried too overmuch about anyhow.

5-90
 
thanks for the quick reply- as long as everything is still running normal I'm not gonna mess with it- I'll just turn the key to start a little faster :laugh3:
 
Just recently replaced the fuel pump (2 times!) in my '93. Loud screaming when hot, then a quick scream and complete shutdown. Had a new Master pump put in, only to have it die two days later. Long story short, took it into stealership to get fixed, they pulled the pump, only to find out the housing had twisted and shifted, causing power leads to short on casing. Melted insulation, exposed wiring on leads, lucky it didn't blow up on my a$$. Looked for a good replacement, only to find every other Master pump in town (NEW!)looked worse than the one that died! Never buy Master parts... ;)
 
Positively BC. I have a '98, the pump spins for a very few seconds to build up pressure for the injectors.

Totally normal.

FWIW, according to the fsm, that crappy little plastic filter is good for 100k, at least. Being anal, I dropped the tank at about 50k to change it, and it was totaly clean, but that's with a steady diet of Mobil fuel, nothing else, and never having dropped the fuel level past 1/2.

Mike
 
mikeny59 said:
FWIW, according to the fsm, that crappy little plastic filter is good for 100k, at least. Being anal, I dropped the tank at about 50k to change it, and it was totaly clean, but that's with a steady diet of Mobil fuel, nothing else, and never having dropped the fuel level past 1/2.

Mike
yeah I'm sure there's probably some crap built up in the tank by now, and the pump may be getting a bit tired, but it starts fast- within about a second of me turning the key unless it's below zero out, so I'm not gonna worry about the little noise I heard.
 
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