If you’re driving a Chevy truck and your fuel pump is not working, it may be due to a faulty fuel pump relay. The fuel pump relay is an essential component of your truck’s fuel system that controls the flow of electricity to the fuel pump. If the relay is faulty, it can prevent the fuel pump from receiving power, which will cause your truck to stall, misfire, or not start.
This is possible because the fuel pump relay controls vital components such as the ignition, the lights… down to the anti-lock brakes. It simply manages the flow of current throughout your Chevy electrical system.
Luckily, there’s a way to bypass the fuel pump relay on your Chevy truck to diagnose the cause of the problem. This process is often quick and easy and should help get your truck back on the road.
However, it’s important to note that auto professionals should only jump the fuel pump relay and not amateurs to avert car troubles. In this article, we will guide you through jumping a fuel relay.
Required Tools
You’ll need some tools for an easy and effective jumping process. You may also need to rent some tools if they’re not in your displacement.
- Wrench
- Ratchet Set
- Extension Cables
- New fuel pump relay.
How do you jump a fuel pump relay?
Once you’ve got the necessary tools for jumping the fuel relay. You can now follow the below guide:
- Locate the fuel pump relay
- Disconnect the battery terminals
- Remove the fuel pump relay
- Connect your Jumper Cables
- Reinstall the fuel pump relay
- Turn on the car
- Remove the jumper wire
- Replace the fuel pump relay
- Check your engine light
The above process shouldn’t take up to 1 hour if you’re confident in your ability.
Here’s a detailed guide, by the way.
- Locate the fuel pump relay. The first step is to find where the fuel pump relay is located on your Chevy truck. The fuel pump relay is typically near the fuse box or the battery terminal. You may need to refer to your truck’s owner or repair manual for the specific location.
- Disconnect the battery terminals. Next is to remove the battery terminals to prevent electric shocks during repairs.
- Remove the fuel pump relay. You can use a pair of pliers or fingers to pull the relay out of the socket carefully. Also, take note of the relay and power terminals on the fuel pump relay.
- Connect the Jumper Cables from pin 30 to Pin 87. To jump the fuel pump relay, you will need to connect a jumper wire between the two power terminals. You can use a wire or a paper clip for this step. Insert one end of the jumper wire into terminal 87 and the other end into terminal 30. This will connect the two terminals directly and send power to the fuel pump. Avoid making contact with other metals while at this.
- Reinstall the fuel pump relay. After connecting the jumper wire, you can reinstall the fuel pump relay into its socket. Ensure the relay is securely in place, and all connections are tight.
- Turn on the ignition to test. Start your car, and you should hear the fuel pump activate and pump fuel to the engine. If this happens, then the relay is likely the cause of the problem. Allow the engine to steam for some minutes before turning it off.
- Remove the Jumper Wires. Disconnect the wire from terminals 87 and 30.
- Replace the fuel pump relay. If the fuel relay is why your car isn’t responsive, you must install a replacement.
- Check your engine light. You can now check if the light on your dashboard changes from red or yellow to green, implying that the problem has been bypassed.
While this is the ideal way of bypassing a bad fuel pump relay, you can follow an alternative method if you don’t have jumper cables at your disposal. Here’s how
- Disconnect the 4-pin pump from the center of the relay.
- Obtain a 5-inch piece of copper wire and strip a half-inch of insulation from both ends of the wire.
- Insert one stripped wire end into the pin slot on the upper left of the pump relay center.
- Insert the other end of the stripped wire into the pin slot on the lower right of the relay center.
- The wire will connect the two pin slots directly and send power to the fuel pump.
- Test the fuel pump by turning on the ignition.
- If the fuel pump activates and starts pumping fuel to the engine, the relay is likely the cause of the problem.
- Remove the wire from the pin slots.
- Replace the faulty fuel pump relay with a new one as soon as possible.
Viola.
FAQs
Can I jump-start my fuel pump?
You can jump-start your fuel pump, but you should replace a faulty fuel pump for a better driving experience.
What pins to jump on the relay?
Pin the wire into terminals 87 and 30 to jump a relay using jumper cables.
Can you start an engine without a fuel pump?
No, the car won’t respond to your input. You can, however, get a replacement or perform a proper diagnosis to pinpoint the issue.
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