CW's C5

I filled up with gas and within 10 minutes car stalled. Any recomendations on how to drain fuel?

Thanks!

xlr8nflorida

Buy a bulb siphone and hose, should cost about $8. Get one that has a decent diameter hose or you will be there all day. Prime the siphone and then let it empty into a 5 gallon gas container that is on the ground.

Note: For the siphone to run by itself you will need to prime it and the gas container will need to be lower then the gas tank of the car.

Don't use any type of electric pump as it could cause a fire/explosion.

c4homer

your car has 2 gas tanks. best way to drain all the fuel is to remove sending units. take to dealership or qualified tech to have job done. tanks are plastic and you have to be carefull tightening the bolts for the sending units when you put back together.

terryszr1

I am confused 2 tanks ? by that do you mean the liner and then the steel shell? also i have never experienced a problem removing or putting back the bolts to the sending unit . too me its just not that tough or that sensitive about the bolt tightening . but thats just my humble opinion.

corvette1989bham

Only One Gas Tank...get A Siphon At Autozone

_twisted_

I think he posted in the wrong forum - he is referring to a c5 correct?

xlr8nflorida

How do you know the gas is the culprit? As a safety method, I always use stabil and water remover in all my tanks.

I have no clue what he is referring to but I know my method works as I do it on my ZR-1 every 2 months.

If he is referring to a C5 then I suggest you take it to a professional mechanic as its quite involved.

Always wear safety goggles, keep work area well ventillated and flame/spark free. Cover any removal fittings with shop towels to catch residual fuel.

Pump Operative
Remove LF fuel rail cover
DIS fuel return hose from fuel rail
Attach & clamp a length of flexible fuel hose (clear) to the fuel rail return pipe
Insert open end of fuel hose into an approved container
RUN ENG until it stalls
Reconnect fuel return hose to fuel rail
Continue procedure if the RT fuel tank still contins fuel
Position an approved container under the RT tank fuel sender
Attach a length of flexible fuel hose (clear) to an air operated pump device
Wrap shop towel around the fuel sender fuel feed pipe (jet pump to LF tank) at the RT fuel sender
DIS fuel sender fuel feed pipe (jet pump to LF tank) at the RT tank fuel sender
Remove plastic CON retainer from the fuel sender nipple
Attach & clamp the flexible fuel hose from pump device to the fuel sensor nipple
Drain RT tank until no fuel comes out
DIS pump device from the RT tank fuel sender nipple
Install plastic CON retainer to the fuel sender nipple
Plug or cap the fuel sender nipple and the fuel sender fuel feed pipe

Pump Inoperative
Relieve the fuel SYS pressure:
IGN OFF
DIS NEG BAT
Loosen fuel filler cap
REM LF fuel rail cover
CON J34730-1A F/P gauge to fuel pressure CON wrapping shop towel around fitting
Install bleed hose of gauge into approved container
OPEN gauge valve to bleed SYS pressure
Drain remaing fuel in the gauge into approved container

Raise vehicle
REM both rear wheels
Attach a length of flexible fuel hose (clear) to an air operated pump device
Position an approved container under the LF tank fuel sender
Wrap shop towel around the LF tank fuel feed rear pipe
DIS fuel feed rear pipe at the LF tank fuel sender
Remove plastic CON retainer from the fuel feed pipe nipple
Attach & clamp the flexible fuel hose from pump device to the fuel feed pipe nipple
Drain LF tank until no fuel comes out
DIS pump device from the LF tank fuel feed pipe nipple
Install plastic CON retainer to the fuel feed pipe nipple
Cap the fuel feed pipe nipple and the fuel feed rear pipe
Position an approved container under the RT tank fuel sender
Wrap shop towel around the fuel sender fuel feed pipe (jet pump to LF tank) at the RT fuel sender
DIS fuel sender fuel feed pipe (jet pump to LF tank) at the RT tank fuel sender
Remove plastic CON retainer from the fuel sender nipple
Attach & clamp the flexible fuel hose from pump device to the fuel sensor nipple
Drain RT tank until no fuel comes out
DIS pump device from the RT tank fuel sender nipple
Install plastic CON retainer to the fuel sender nipple
Plug the fuel sender nipple and the fuel sender fuel feed pipe

ittlfly

Damn! Wouldn't it just be easier to buy a new car?

CW's C5

It was a ZR1 not a C5. Just picked up a 91 with 28k miles. I filled up with gas about 10 miles after getting and drove another 10 miles and it stalled in the middle of 45 in downtown Houston- FUN!.
$500+ and 8 hours later got her fixed. Ended up being the primary fuel pump.

bldavis11

Well don't let the bad experience taint your love for the car. Sorry to hear about the bad news though.

glass slipper

The fuel pump was most likely bad when you picked the car up and was probably one of the reasons the car was being sold. If the coolant temp is below ~176 F, the ECM commands both fuel pumps on. Once the coolant temp exceeds 176 F, the secondary pump is turned off and if the primary pump is bad, the engine will quit. It will restart and run for two seconds but then quit again as the ECM commands both pumps on when starting but if coolant temp is over 176 F, the secondary pump is turned off after two seconds. They may have even put a 160 F thermostat in (or taken it out all together, how long does it take to get to 190 F) to delay the 176 F secondary pump turn off and/or waited until the winter to sell. Once you drove it far/long enough to increase coolant temps enough, you discovered what they were hiding. I'm guessing you didn't take it for a very long test drive before you bought it and they may have even "discouraged" putting miles on it. Sorry to sound so negative, but I've seen so many things like this I just automatically assume the seller knew...it's hard to believe the pump just happened to go out on your first drive.

BTW, if you find yourself in this situation again, there are three things you should know:
1) You can use a fuel pump from a Chevy Suburban (mid '90s model), they're about $80 from Autozone.
2) I had the same thing happen to me on a trip and no fuel pumps were available. I had another 400 miles to go so I bought a few tools and swapped the secondary/primary fuel pumps on the side of the road in about an hour and completed my trip with no problems. (Just don't turn full power on since you don't have both fuel pumps.)
3) You can run a jumper wire from the cigarette lighter to the secondary fuel pump and bypass the secondary fuel pump relay to make the secondary pump run all the time. There's a light green wire running through the cargo compartment (under the carpet/trim) that goes to the secondary fuel pump with a connector in the right hand rear of the cargo compartment that you can plug in to. You'll need to take the 15 amp fuse from the cigarette lighter and replace it with the 10 amp fuse from the "fuel pump 2" slot for proper protection. Don't use the fuse from "fuel pump 1" because the ECM monitors the voltage in the fuel pump circuit off that fuse. You'll have to pull the plug from the cigarette lighter when you stop the engine (since it always has 12V) and put it back in before starting. The jumper is a "cleaner/quicker" way of getting back on the road versus the "swap on the side of the road" method above...they accomplish the same thing though.

One other thing, if you ever have to drain the fuel tank, there's an underhood fuel pump test connector you can run a jumper wire to from the underhood remote 12V battery post. The power still goes through the 10 amp "fuel pump 1" fuse for protection but the engine/ignition needs to be off. When the #1 fuel pump relay isn't energized, power from the jumper wire flows through a normally closed set of contacts in the relay and the primary fuel pump comes on. I'd disconnect the inlet to the fuel filter and put a rubber hose on it leading to an approved container. It should take less than 30 minutes to empty a full tank of gas and you won't have to mess with stuffing a rubber hose through the filler neck. You'll also get more of the bad gas out than siphoning.

Welcome to the Brotherhood and enjoy the beast!

phrogs

unfortunatly you would have spent the same amount or more on shipping only then to find out that the pump was bad, We would then inform you that the fix costs about $50 a pump and to swap out both fuel pumps while you are there.

Also you can buy complete new fuel pump assy on ebay for about $250?
used to be a $1000.00 part


well at least it is on the road again.

CW's C5

Thanks for all the tips! Fortunately I had looked on ZR1.net and read that the fuel pumps fit from a 96 Suburban. Replaced both pumps ($90 apiece from O'Reillys). I don't believe the pumps were out prior to getting, due to the way the car ran even after it had cooled off and we had drained the gas and replaced. It would idle fine, but giving it any gas at all the car was missing and back firing horribly. Car ran great before and had been driven several miles prior to purchase and prior to stalling.
A lot of the cost was from the great towing service from Houston's Safe Clear Program ($175 to even hook up to the car, but we were not in much of a negotiating position), took over 30 minutes for a tow truck to ever even get there and then Houston's Finest showed up and threatened to ticket the tow truck driver because his magnetic flashing lights wouldn't stick to a vette. He couldn't understand why, definitely didn't mind that he couldn't put those on the paint. Pouring 20 gallons of premium away didn't help either, of course properly disposed of!
Sitting in inside lane of I-45 with no shoulder for 30 minutes--priceless. People are so nice in Houston ,most blew their horn and some even gave me the ole #1 sign. Will definitely not forget this day!