I tried to take a trip to Camping World at lunch today to get a set of wheel chocks. Tried is the key word. Was sitting in traffic on I-25 and went to creep ahead with traffic and the Blazer shut off. Tried to start it, no luck. I'm in the second from right lane, between an on-ramp and an off-ramp. I was heading for the off-ramp. So, there I sit with my flashers on trying to get the damn thing to run. It would crank, crank, crank but wouldn't fire. Sometimes it would start and run for a second and then stop. I suspect it's the fuel pump or maybe a relay.

After about 5 minutes of holding up traffic, none of whom show any restraint with their horns and middle fingers, I turn the wheels slightly to the right, get out and wait for a break in the perpetual traffic. As I'm just getting it rolling by pushing from the back corner, a nice person finally stopped to help but it was rolling then. I jumped in, steered it to the curb and then stopped it. The guy never got out of his truck but he did pull up and say he was impressed that I could push it myself.

I called State Farm's roadside assistance and the tow truck was there 20 minutes later. It's now sitting at the shop awaiting the latest repair. It's going up for sale after this. So is the bike. I'm either going to get a newer extended pickup truck or a Wrangler. Not sure which yet.

 

That's unfortunate. I hope the repair is not too costly.

 

Fuel pump for $1,100. I'm trying to figure out how to get it home from the shop so I can do it myself. I really can't put that much more into it right now.

 

$1100 for a fuel pump swap is a huge ripoff, but I hate doing it myself. But at that price I for sure would do it myself!

Take it you are in the Springs? That's the only Camping World I know of along I-25 though I don't go through Denver hardly ever at all.

 

I'm in Denver and was headed to the CW in Golden. Between work and graduate school, it would have been hard for me to find the time to do this. Plus, with it not running, getting it towed, pushed up the driveway into the garage and then pushed more up on to ramps would have been nearly impossible.

It is now officially referred to as That F'in Thing or The Money Pit. Oh well, it should last me a good long time, knock on wood.

 

1100 for a fuel pump?!?!?!?! does the shop charge 300 an hour?

 

I called three reputable shops and all are were in the same ballpark. OEM fuel pump around $600 and $500 or so for labor. I think the labor time is based on the "book", so the only difference came down to the labor rate.

 

Get on Rock Auto and order a fuel pump (AC Delco/Delphi only!) for less than half what the shop is charging for parts. Then find a shop that will install your pump and save some bucks.

 

The mechanic said that letting the gas tank get below 1/4 tank can cause the pump to heat up and shorten its life. Is that really the case?

 

That's been debated on here back and forth more than a few times. There's been no evidence to prove it either way. Many folks, if not everyone, has run the tank below a 1/4 tank on more than a few occasions without the pump giving up the ghost. Me personally, I don't put a lot of stock in the 1/4 tank idea. Others do.