Questions and Answers

GMC Safari Eating Fuel Pumps Q. Hello very dear sir. I have been receiving your answers to my questions for about two years now since I bought my 1994 GMC Safari and you have been very helpful, thank you. Now over to another question... The above mentioned car, automatic transmission, 4.3 liter V-6, cruise control, ABS with about 60,000 miles on it.

Now the problem is that I have changed three fuel pumps over the past two years. And this is not my problem only, but I know at least two people who faced the same problem in my neighborhood. By the way I am staying in the United Arab Emirates.

The question is: can we leave the damaged pump inside the tank and install another one outside the tank? Or in other words, can we install a spare pump outside the tank that in case the one inside breaks down, then we can use the spare one?

Wish you Merry Christmas and hope that the fuel pump of your car never breaks down.

Regards and thanks,
Dib Karam

A. I don't think a external pump will be able to "pull" fuel through the one in the tank. Have you ever taken the old pumps apart to see what's happening inside them? There could be a problem with the wire connector on top of tank. The terminals may be spread apart and making for a loose connection.

Also, these tanks are not that hard to remove compared to most other GM products. If you hang an external pump on it you would need to find steel lines that will allow you to splice them in. Good luck!