Death, taxes, fuel pump failures

[mattstro2.0]

Hi everyone,
It's been a while. I moved, changed ISPs,forgot my password,etc,etc and had to re-register. Glad to see things are going strong here in spite of whatever it was that got you over here. If it was all those posts about the fuel pumps, well, there are some things you just can't escape ...
2000 Safari no whining noise, no start 164,000 miles. It didn't help that before I got it someone mangled the nuts on the input side of the fuel filter so that didn't get changed for who knows how long. I knew it would kill the pump, but the tank would have to come out to put in a new fuel line anyway so I figured I'd just wait till the pump died and replace everything at once.
Anyway, there's a guy here recommending I replace the Pump with a Carter. From what I've read here anything but Delphi is a bad idea, but doesn't Carter make good parts? Made in USA etc.... And it's not like the Delphis aren't failing.Anybody used a Carter? Assuming that the answer is forget the Carter get the Delphi, I've been looking around and I'm not sure I've got the right part #
25344820? 25344816? MU203? I was looking at getgmparts.com and the prices are so low it makes me wonder if they're for real, and they just go by part # without a model/year cross reference. Does anybody have any experience with them?
Thanks in advance for any input
Matt

[Rileysowner]

Even with their lower prices, the fuel pump module will still be expensive. I started to get excited when I looked at their page, until I scrolled down to the fuel pump modules and saw they were all in the mid to hit $200 rage. Sadly you will need a fuel pump module on a 2000, not simply a fuel pump. I know it sucks. Shortly after I purchased my '97 the fuel pump died, thankfully I had a used car warrently that covered it because with labor it was $1500, cost to me was only $100 deductable. Pretty much paid for the used car warrently with that repair alone.

Anyway, I can't help with part numbers. Hopefully someone (V8famvan?) or someone else can get you the part number you need.

[mattstro2.0]

Thanks for the reply,
Mid to high 200s is awesome compared to the $550 I've been quoted elsewhere
Igot this van with a used car warranty as well. It's expired now, and it never did cover the fuel pump, but it did cover almost all of a rebuilt tranny so I'm not complaining, I guess those warranties can be a good thing
Matt

[Rileysowner]

I thought it was just Canada where they wanted over $500 for a fuel pump module? Now that you mention it, I think it was more like $700 Canadian for the module. No matter what, the price is right from up here in Canada. If my pump goes, those prices would tempt me.

[Kidhauler]

I put a Carter pump in my 89 about 3 years ago and run the tank at low levels and all the things your not supposed to do to a fuel pump and have had no problems at all. If my pump were to die I would throw a carter in again. If it has lived in my van running low on fuel (high gas prices) and so on it seems to be a good part.

[v8famvan]

I do not know what a MU203 fits.
I can tell you the correct ACDelco # for your van (without RPO K35 - Robust fuel) is a MU1375 or a MU1380 (with RPO K35 - Robust fuel). These 2 PN# fit all 2000 - 2003 Astro / Safari vans. These 2 parts are interchangeable.
Also, they are not listed on the http://store.getgmparts.com/ but can be found at the http://www.acdelcocanada.com/cmg/index.html site.

[mattstro2.0]

Thanks,
Yeah, some places list GM #'s like Autozone:25344820
Or Delphi #s like Parts Direct: G0127
Or Delco #s like Auto Parts Giant: MU 1375
and then getgmparts.com will have
G0127,MU203 and 25320538 all on 1 pump listing
But apart from that, what is this Robust Fuel Thing?
It sounds manly.Do I have it already? Or when my van was running , that is...

[v8famvan]

The robust fuel thing, as I have been told by GM Technical Assistance, means that the sender was built to withstand a harsher environment due to conaminants or chemicals/detergents in the fuel.

I'm thinking, #-o , shouldn't they all be built like that?

Then what do I know, I'm no engineer. ](*,)

[trybe13]

But apart from that, what is this Robust Fuel Thing?
It sounds manly.......

That cracked me up when I read it. Thanx for the laugh Matt!!

[mattstro2.0]

Don't thank me, thank GM, they're the ones who came up with that goofy name for it.
But seriously.... Famvan, on the GM site you hyperlinked, MU1375 is listed as not robust and MU1380 is listed as robust. Also on autopartsgiant the same way, but MU1375 is $332 and MU1380 is something like $260.
Somewhere there's got to be an error, and I'm thinking the price wouldn't lie, if MU1375 costs more it should be better in some way, also I'm thinking your info is more solid than the descriptions on a website. I found a new MU1375 on e-bay with a GM warranty for way cheap from a 99.5% positive seller, and I think I might take a chance on it.
Kidhauler, if I had an older van I wouldn't be so neurotic about this, your Carter is outside the tank, right? I wouldn't hesitate if that were the case on mine...
Matt

[mattstro2.0]

Famvan,
I guess I misread your post, the way you have it is the way it is on those sites. But now I really don't understand why the MU1380 is cheaper at autopartsgiant if it designed for a harsher environment. As you say, shouldn't they all be built that way? Maybe it's time for a phone call to AC Delco....

[Astro95]

Shortly after I purchased my '97 the fuel pump died, thankfully I had a used car warrently that covered it because with labor it was $1500, cost to me was only $100 deductable.

Wow! $1500 parts and labor? Is that used car warranty underwritten by an insurance company? By my figures with a labor rate of $70 per hour and a parts cost of $300, that mechanic is writing up 17.1 hours labor to R&R that fuel pump module! Does that seem right to you? Sounds like there's some kind of fraud going on there. I would avoid giving that shop any future business if I was you. I've been in the auto repair business for a number of years and I have seen a lot of that crap going on in my time. I always try to look out for my customers and give them a fair deal. When I see other guys doing that to their customers, it makes my blood boil.

[mattstro2.0]

Talked to a Delco Rep, he said that Robust Fuel was mainly an export option. He checked my Vin # and said I didn't have it [insert violin playing emoticon here]( no, I'm not crying) and that I should get MU1375. I didn't ask how many other parts are involved.
Matt

[Rileysowner]

Shortly after I purchased my '97 the fuel pump died, thankfully I had a used car warrently that covered it because with labor it was $1500, cost to me was only $100 deductable.

Wow! $1500 parts and labor? Is that used car warranty underwritten by an insurance company? By my figures with a labor rate of $70 per hour and a parts cost of $300, that mechanic is writing up 17.1 hours labor to R&R that fuel pump module! Does that seem right to you? Sounds like there's some kind of fraud going on there. I would avoid giving that shop any future business if I was you. I've been in the auto repair business for a number of years and I have seen a lot of that crap going on in my time. I always try to look out for my customers and give them a fair deal. When I see other guys doing that to their customers, it makes my blood boil.

The pump was over $500 up here in Canada, and the floor rates around here are closer to $90/hour (all in the high $80 range). They were shocked at the price of the fuel pump which BTW they ordered from GM. It was a Ford dealership that did the work because I rescued my Safari from a Ford dealer (who would trade in a Safari for a Ford product I don't know. They probably got a freestar of something crappy like that).

[mattstro2.0]

$1500 does seem high even at a dealer in Canada. Somebody posted $1900, I think, but that involved more of a p.i.t.a. than a straight installation. The dealer/mechanic prices I've gotten were all $700-$850....
but of course a $100 deductable is a $100 deductable, sounds like maybe they were soaking the warranty Co.