5 months and 12000 miles ago I replaced my 98 Blazers fuel filter and pump with an AirTex unit.
Yesterday morning it started on only a couple of cylinders and took a few minutes to run on all 6... never did this before... I drove around and it ran fine the rest of the day.
This morning I placed a fuel pressure gauge on it and it read 3psi... I cycled the key on and off a few times and it would hit 62psi but come back down to 55psi. After starting the engine and getting it up to full operating temperature, it would still only make 55psi. When I would blip the throttle it would hit 62psi and fall back to 55psi.

After driving around for awhile I couldn't help but notice that the blazer seemed to run completely normal. After shutting it off the engine, the pressure drops to around 30psi in only 20 minutes. It started and ran completely normally after this was observed.

After sitting for 45 minutes the pressure bleeds down to almost nothing.


Once again... the Blazer runs and drives perfectly normal and the pump/filter is only 5 months old... BUT it is only building 55psi.
Do you guys think the Fuel Pressure Regulator could be an issue here? Could I be losing pressure do to the FPR? I am pretty sure what everyone is gonna say but I am just not looking forward to having to pull the tank again.
I'm gonna be leaving on a cross country motorcycle trip tomorrow afternoon so I will have to address this when I get back in a week or so. Thanks guys.

 

Sounds like the FPR to me, but have you followed the 96+ Fuel System Diagnosis?

 

Yep, I printed out the 5 pages from Kyles
https://blazerforum.com/forum/showth...ht=fuel+system thread and it's leading me to step 20 which is to replace the fuel pump... I am just not motivated enough at the moment to deal with this... lol Other than pulling the top of the intake, is there a way to "check" the FPR while still in there? I am thinking that I may just go ahead and do the FPR first and "see" whats happens to my fuel pressure situation.

 

No other way that I know of, but if you do change out the pump again, go with AC/Delco or Delphi. AirTex just has a bad rep around here.

 

Yep, I hear you there... I have had good luck with AirTex units up until now. I am only gonna use AC Delco pumps from now on. As far as the FPR... I will try for an AC Delco as well... not really sure about other "good" brands but I figure I can't go wrong with AC Delco.

 

Got in it this morning and it wouldn't start... acts just like it's out of gas. I cycled the keys 8 times and it starts fine. I am in the process of buying a new house and plan to operate the Blazer this way for 3 to 6 weeks until I get moved into my new place which has a decent shop for working on stuff.
I don't think I am hurting anything by doing this... any thoughts?

 

1.) Congrats on the new house!
2.) I think you may just be putting extra usage on the battery and ignition.

 

Thanks!... Yep, when I get back next week I will just plan on replacing the FPR and then the pump assembly if necessary.

 

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

I have a 2001 and the Airtex pump allows pressure to bleed off when just sitting. I put the pump in a year ago and it has done it since day 1. I called Airtex and they said the pump has a check valve in it that must be leaking back into the tank. I could remove and replace the pump under warranty. I had just spent 5 hours under the truck changing connectors and pump and to say the least was not in the mood to do it again. I get in my truck, turn the key on wait 2 seconds and it starts fine.
I will NEVER EVER purchase another Airtex part.