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problem w/ '99 suburban - will not start

Mikey von

Mikey von

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
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Location
Burney, CA
My wife's '99 5.7L suburban is having issues again. She started it the other day and it immediately died. She started it back up and it ran fine for a short time headed down the driveway. It died again when she was at the end of the drive. She was able to start it again right and drove it around (approx 5 miles) for errands. We then were able to to drive it to a book fair at my son's school. It would not start when we went to leave the book fair.

It has not started since. When you turn it over, it starts and runs for less than a second and then falls flat.

Fuel pump was replaced about 6-8 months ago and it does turn on and stay on (listening to it). Not sure if it is actually pumping much fuel though. When the key is turned on, it makes a gurgling type sound. The sound comes from the throttle body (????). It is where the fuel lines go into the intake, right behind the the air intake/butterfly valve.

We dumped fuel into the air intake and it ran for 5-10 seconds.

What should I be looking for? Is it my fuel pump not pumping enough fuel?

Where do I go from here?
 
My 98 did that this morning. It would start and die. I was going to swap the AC and fuel pump relays, but they are different. After I plugged the relay back in it started and kept running. I went and bought a new relay and a fuel filter. I belive after changing both it was the fuel filter. It was full of crap! May be a place for you to start looking.
 
Sounds like a plugged fuel filter. Did you change it when you did the pump?
 
I changed my filter and I thought it would solve the problem. The old filter's check valve was very loose I was not getting good pressure at the schrader valve on the fuel rail (just pushing it with a screw driver). Before changing the filter, I could only get fuel to dribble out of the valve. Now it sprays out with good force.

It still will not start. It still fires up right when you turn the key and then falls flat on its face. It runs for probably twice as long now (at least a full second or more) before it dies.

I am charging the battery right now, as it was getting tired.

I also pulled a spark plug to verify that I was getting spark, and I was.

I still get a strange gurgling type sound by the fuel rail when the key is turned on. It sounds like it is coming from black box with some type of electronics on the passenger side next to the fuel rail?

I need to get this fixed as it is my family of 5 only running vehicle. Where do I go now?
 
I am not sure how it works on the 99, but the older trucks have an ALDL (data) port under the dash. You can jump two of the terminals and then the check engine light will flash a series of codes to tell you what is wrong. I would recommend you Google how to do that, and see what codes are returned. The code alone can probably tell you what it is without having to guess at all.
 
Jessie James said:
I am not sure how it works on the 99, but the older trucks have an ALDL (data) port under the dash. You can jump two of the terminals and then the check engine light will flash a series of codes to tell you what is wrong. I would recommend you Google how to do that, and see what codes are returned. The code alone can probably tell you what it is without having to guess at all.
Click to expand...

'99 should be OBD2, needs a scanner for that. the Autozones of auto parts places should be able to read the codes from them too.
 
sounds like a bad fuel pump to me, 6-8 months dont mean crap with a carter pump. they are J.U.N.K

Did you do it last time?, do you rememebr what brand you used last time, or where you got it.

even the GM pumps can go bad soon.
 
Yeah, I have heard bad things about these fuel pumps, especially the Carters.

I am not sure about the brand that I bought, but I know I got it at Napa. They are the only game in town here.

My choices for the fuel pump would be a pressure gauge or replace the pump correct? Fuel pumps are not exactly cheap to be just replacing it if it does not need it.

Could it be something else like the fuel pressure regulator (i am going by what I have read online)? Injectors?
 
Any other symptoms you have noticed? For instance, black smoke at the exhaust when it quits?
Also, when it quits, does it sputter to a stop, or just quit firing altogether?

If I remember right, you should be able to see the spray out of the injectors. Grab a light, and watch the spray when someone starts it.
With it going completely dead, you should see something obvious. Either the spray stops, or gets really strong.

You mentioned that you are getting a strong spray out of the test port now, and it makes me wonder if you have traded one problem for another.
The weak amount sounds like not enough fuel. But, when you changed the filter, I wonder if something broke loose and went to the pressure regulator.
If so, it may have been starving for fuel at first, but now its flooding because of too much pressure.

Watching the spray or a pressure gauge should give us a clue.

There is another possibility. You have spark at cranking, but it might go dead after it starts.
The older trucks had a ballast resistor that the coil ran on except when it was cranking. Then it was bypassed.
If the resistor went bad, the truck would crank right up, but go dead as soon as you let the key go back to run.

Yours does not have that, but a bad ignition switch might just do the same thing. If so, then the truck would go dead instead of sputtering.

Of course, a scan tool would be a big help here. Check with your local chain stores to see if they will rent you one.
 
Those CPI injection systems require 65-70 psi just even start.40 psi won't even run.

Napa gives a 1 year warranty on their fuel pumps. So you should be fine. Exchange is.
Napa does sell carter and Delpi (spelling?)

Each year I have a some fail, regardless of brand
 
Russell said:
Is your security or theft light on? May be a problem with the vehicle anti theft system...
Click to expand...

The security light does flash, but so does the airbag light. There have been times in the past when the security light would stay on.

Is there an easy way to reset?
 
Still not running, nothing is open here today so I cannot buy a new pump or fuel pressure gauge.

I made an interesting observation. If you give it throttle, it will not do the 1+ second start. If you turn it over with no throttle or let of the throttle while it is being turned over, it will start for 1+ and then fall flat.
 
Security light turned on is one thing, flashing indicates a problem with the passkey system. Starting just for a moment then dying is normal behaviour if the anti theft system isn't happy.

If you haven't changed the key or anything, you can try resetting / re learning the security system by following this procedure. Before doing the 30 min procedure, try starting the truck on the second cycle, they switched the procedure up in late 99. If this doesn't work, you should replace your ignition switch and key, the truck is having issues reading one or the other.

30 MINUTE LEARN PROCEDURE

TOOLS REQUIRED
None
Turn ON the ignition, with the engine OFF.
Attempt to start the engine, then release the key to ON (vehicle will not start).
Observe the SECURITY telltale, after approximately 10 minutes the telltale will turn OFF.
Turn OFF the ignition, and wait 5 seconds .
Repeat steps 1 through 4 two more times for a total of 3 cycles/30 minutes (the vehicle is now ready to relearn the Passlock(TM) Sensor Data Code and/or passwords on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK). IMPORTANT: The vehicle learns the Passlock(TM) Sensor Data Code and/or password XXXXX the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK. You must turn the ignition OFF before attempting to start the vehicle.
Start the engine (the vehicle has now learned the Passlock(TM) Sensor Data Code and/or password).
With a scan tool, clear any DTCs if needed (history DTCs will self clear after 100 ignition cycles).
 
Russ, I will definitely try that out when I get out of work/school today. I will also do some google searching on the passkey system at lunch today.

One of my friends is thinks he may be able to borrow a fuel pressure gauge today. Hopefully that comes through and I can eliminate the fuel pump.
 
Passkey II was the issue. My wife did the reset process when she had some time early this afternoon and it worked. :D

Thanks for all your help. :waytogo:
 
I was gonna say with a more detailed explanation of the problem, it sounded like the passkey thing. Glad you figured it out.

I had a similar issue with my Yukon soon after I bought it, the security light would come on and it would fail to run, just like yours. I would end up having to sit and wait the 10 minutes for the light to go out then it would run fine. It did that for a while then the starter went south. Keep that in mind. Other than that, electronic wise, it's been reliable.
 
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