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Fuel pump access door


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Hey guys, new to the board, and I've got a problem. 1995 Seville STS, I think the fuel pump died on me yesterday. I've got a no start condition. I've checked the fuel pressure at the fuel rail, it stays at zero. I've taken the fuel filter out and turned the key on, no fuel pours out of the supply line. I've checked the fuse and I swapped the horn relay with the fuel pump relay, no effect. I assume it has to be the fuel pump. My question is: Has anyone ever customized an opening in the trunk to get access to the fuel sending unit? I also own a Trans Am, and have seen someone cut an access into the trunk pan and, when the job is done, seal it up with a piece of sheet metal and some RTV. They had recorded all the dimensions and size to cut, making it very easy for others to follow suit. I was wondering if anyone had done this on a Caddy STS, and if so, do they have dimensions for a template? I really don't want to have to drop that tank, and any time spent researching an alternative, or experimenting myself, sounds like it's worth it. Thanks in advance.

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Everytime I had a fuel pump go out was when I had a full tank. Thats when it is the worst. Tanking the tank out isn't really that bad. I have done this with and with out a lift and one of the times without the lift I had to do it in the street at night and the only jack I had was the one that comes with the car. Still it wasn't too bad. I personally would want to cut any metal around a gas tank unless you did it with an air hammer. I don't know if its just me but I don't like sparks flying around a fuel tank. Also I would want to cut my caddy apart like that. I would think that cutting a hole in the trunk would be more of a pain than dropping the tank since you will have to fight getting the fuel lines disconnected and trying to get the pull the whole unit through the whole. If you have never done a fuel pump before its really not that bad and once you have dropped one and replaced the pump the next time you have to do this task it shouldn't take you no time. I would just drop the tank. Cutting a hole in the trunk,... my opinion your just going to run into trouble.

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Dropping the tank is really not that bad of a job - seriously.

I had to repair the fuel lines on my '86 Park Avenue last year and had to drop the tank to gain access to the fittings. I carried a 2 gallon can of gas in the trunk (in case I ran too low) and drove the car to run the level as low as I could.

I dropped the tank, replaced the sending unit lines and had everything back together in about two hours. I probably could have finished sooner but my neighbor stopped by and we had a couple of beers.....

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Howyadoin,

It's not that bad... If you drain the tank it's not heavy (plastic), just a little fiddly getting the holddown ring threading properly when you install the new one. My mechanic removed the exhaust shield along with the tank straps, not sure if that's mandatory or he just wanted some elbow room.

Besides, I'd rather not take out the back seat to use an access panel, seat removal is not a lot of fun on a SLS...

-Rav

-Mark P.

Salem, MA

IPB Image

"Refined Sugar" - '96 SLS, 175K

"...the Caddy is dedicated to relentlessly -- and comfortably -- converting time into distance." -J.J. Gertler

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"Those pesky automotive engineers at GM stay awake at night thinking of ways to make the car harder to service....LOL......NOT."

Bill,

That brings to mind a question I have long wondered about. While I am sure your statement is true, I am also sure we have all (you excluded) at sometime cursed some unknown engineer while trying to access the inaccessable with bruised and bloodied knuckles. I understand that sometimes there is just no other way. My question is when things are designed is any thought given to the poor guy (professional or shade tree) who has to service it later in it's completed state ie: engine in car rather than on an engine stand?

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Its really not that hard of a job. Plastic tank, 3 bolts, some fuel lines, and whola...

It is a bit hard getting the fuel fill pipe rubber hoses reconnected.

Its best to try to pump out a full tank. Under a 1/4 tank the job is much easier.

It should be noted....I think Hondas DO have a access panel under the back seat.

But, what happens if a crappy mechanic 'forgets' to reinstall the panel? You would have a big hole in your car under the back seat. Not good. If the possibility of that happening is there. Somebody, somewhere, is going to leave it out.

By far....the easist GM fuel pump to change...the C4 Chevy Corvette. Maybe 15 minutes. Done from outside of the car at the fuel fill panel.

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Thanks for all the replies, guys. It was not my intention to invite everyone to begin blaming GM engineers, I was just looking for all options before I began tackling the tank drop. After I posted my first message, I did look under the car closer and measure from inside the trunk and under the car. I did not realize how far in the middle of the car that tank is. I do have a full tank of gas, and a no start condition, so I've got to get my Trans Am out of my garage, push in the Caddy, put it up on jack stands and proceed to get dirty. I'm going to have to buy a few 5 gallon gas cans, and start siphoning the tank. I'll update you guys when I make some progress. I've got three cars, so I always have time to take on repair projects. And I agree with bbobynski, at 208,000 miles, a fuel pump replacement is not exactly a reason to start bashing GM design.

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I thought this topic , would never come up, now that it is , I believe that we all could learn something from OUR EURO. AND JAPANESE CAR COMPANY'S . First every car i have owned from europe or japan , had a access panel for the fuel pump . TOTAL time to change pump , about 15 minutes. NOW

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<_< Probably what happens when a car gets designed is that the artistic designer says there it is, then tells the engineers to make it fit in this package. So if a part is in a strange place, it is usually due to the original designer who would not add an inch here or there to allow it to be where it is supposed to be. Right? LOL ;)
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My 2001 Seville has an access hatch in the trunk, under the rear package shelf.

page 6-1009 of 2001 service manual

post-3-1083635295.jpg

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Hatch...........Where do you live ? My 96 Deville had a pump die during

the winter of ALL times ! Garage tech dropped the tank and found a

broken wire from salt corrosion !..................geo

93 DeVille-13 Chevy Impala

72 GTO - 77 Triumph Bonneville

84 Z-28

Syracuse NY

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  • 12 years later...
On 5/2/2004 at 9:37 PM, Ranger said:

"Those pesky automotive engineers at GM stay awake at night thinking of ways to make the car harder to service....LOL......NOT."

Bill,

That brings to mind a question I have long wondered about. While I am sure your statement is true, I am also sure we have all (you excluded) at sometime cursed some unknown engineer while trying to access the inaccessable with bruised and bloodied knuckles. I understand that sometimes there is just no other way. My question is when things are designed is any thought given to the poor guy (professional or shade tree) who has to service it later in it's completed state ie: engine in car rather than on an engine stand?

Ranger,

Unfortunately, not just cars but also almost anything can be poorly designed/conceived. Sometimes you take a shower and wonder if teh guy who designed the shower head EVER actually used it!! The same may apply to toilets, faucets, computers, you name it. People also have that unhealthy itch to modernize good old stuff (and make it unbearable). 

 

As for GM, the most annoying thing is that they often know about problems and do nothing about it. 

The saddest thing in life is wasted talent

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Most of the time, it is not the engineers but the management that forces a particular decision/direction that can result in something being hard to service.  In the case of the fuel pump access door that was not present on the earlier cars.  I will bet that one was proposed but cut to reduce costs.  The risk of a fuel pump failure is low enough that it did not warrant the extra cost of the tooling to incorporate an access panel.  The 2000+ Devilles defy that logic but you get the point.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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21 hours ago, adallak said:

Ranger,

Unfortunately, not just cars but also almost anything can be poorly designed/conceived. Sometimes you take a shower and wonder if teh guy who designed the shower head EVER actually used it!! The same may apply to toilets, faucets, computers, you name it. People also have that unhealthy itch to modernize good old stuff (and make it unbearable). 

 

As for GM, the most annoying thing is that they often know about problems and do nothing about it. 

Why did it take you 13 years to reply? :)

Hope the guy finished his fuel pump fix.

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