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In-tank Fuel Pump Replacement - 2016 Canyon Ext Cab, 2.5L, RWD

9K views 28 replies 7 participants last post by  White016 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I had a CEL throwing a low performance - Fuel Pump error on my OBDII reader a few months back. Had it properly diagnosed while I was in for my annual inspection. Dealer quoted me $940 for a new in-tank fuel pump including all parts & labor. That's not happening at that price. I bought the genuine parts from a distributor for $280 taxes-in shipped and plan to do the swap myself this weekend by removing/tilting the bed & accessing with the tank still in place. Considering the poor performance, bad fuel mileage and the price of gas these days, it's time to get this fixed.

Has anyone used this method before, any recommendations on what to look out for when replacing, other than making sure everything goes back together the same way it came apart, don't get anything in the tank, and be prepared for back pressure/fuel coming out of the line to the engine when removing the lines from the top of the pump? Disconnect rear lights/camera wiring first. Remove tailgate necessary?

I've got the OBDII to reset the CEL when completed.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Well the bed coming off or tilting out of the way would give easy access to the fuel tank without dropping it.
Would involve relaesing all the bed bolts. And disconnecting the wiring harness to teh Tail lights and the back up camera.
I can't think of any other wires. And the Fuel filler fron the bed side.

Remember to lift gently, that way you can make sure everything is disconnected before lifting.
 
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#4 ·
Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 bolts on the tank side won't come off. The welded ring nuts in the frame came loose and the bolts now just spin. It's too tight to get a strong enough grip on the nuts with vice grips, so I think I'm going to have to drop the tank.....

Any advice for someone without a hoist?

I do have a couple of ramps I can raise that side or the back with, and a 3 ton jack/stands to support the tank while lowering.

What all would need to be disconnected before doing so? I'm not going to do it right away as I'm going to burn off as much gas the in the tank as I can first (it's at about 1/4 tank now).
 
#5 ·
Took a closer look at everything. It looks like I can disconnect the fuel line and evap at the front of the tank before removal, the filler neck is solid metal (not hose like other older vehicles), but it's clamped to a hose at the top of the tank. Evap hose does the same.

I'm thinking if I run the tank nearly dry, drive the truck onto my ramps, disconnected the lines at the front, remove the hose clamps for the filler neck, then support the tank and remove the brackets, lower until I can disconnect the electrical at the fuel pump, it should then slide out from under the truck easily.

Please correct me if I'm missing anything!
 
#6 ·
I did a few pump replacements on the S10 series and always pulled the bed. 4 bolts, unsnap the wire harness. Throw a couple old rugs between the bumper and the bed, then lift the bed and move it back a few feet and set it on the rear tires. Takes two people for the lifting but they don't have to be body builders.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Whelp, it's all done and successfully replaced!

Removed the lines, disconnected the filler neck hose and vent line, dropped the tank with the floor jack and stands, broke one of the connections on the old fuel pump as the tank came down (thankfully it was being replaced anyway), swapped the pump, reinstalled the fuel level sender unit, jacked the tank back into place, reconnected everything, and back in business.

Most difficult part was getting the hose off the filler neck and then putting it back on. Wrestled with the hose for a good half hour trying to get it back on the filler neck in that tight space. Had to lower the tank a little again to line it up.

All in all, 4 hours, one minor thumb cut, and $600+ saved by doing it myself. Truck already feels more responsive, idles better, mileage seems to be improved and the CEL is now gone!




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#13 ·
Minor update, CEL comes back on after cleared. Same code as before. Definitely not the pump as it's brand new and hooked up properly. Performance and mileage seems to have vastly improved... Just another case of a GM sensor that just wants to yell at me for no good reason?

I've owned 4 vehicles in my life. A Toyota, a Hyundai and two GMs. The Toyota only ever threw a CEL when I had a real issue in the 10 years I had it went out when fixed and never came back. Hyundai, I've yet to see it and it's 4 years old. My old Chevy car had a CEL that decided to stay on for 4 years because of a sensor.... Never affected anything.
 
#14 ·
Minor update, CEL comes back on after cleared. Same code as before. Definitely not the pump as it's brand new and hooked up properly. Performance and mileage seems to have vastly improved... Just another case of a GM sensor that just wants to yell at me for no good reason?

I've owned 4 vehicles in my life. A Toyota, a Hyundai and two GMs. The Toyota only ever threw a CEL when I had a real issue in the 10 years I had it went out when fixed and never came back. Hyundai, I've yet to see it and it's 4 years old. My old Chevy car had a CEL that decided to stay on for 4 years because of a sensor.... Never affected anything.
Bummer!
What is the code?
 
#16 ·
#18 ·
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#23 ·
Hmmm this one may take some digging then. Obviously I know the electrical connections on the new pump are good. The wiring that hooked into it looked clean as well but if I could get them disconnected again without dropping the tank I could get some dielectric grease in there to be sure.

Other than that I'd basically need to trace the wiring from tank forward and check every connection. It's likely also grounded near the tank as well, check that one too?

If there's one thing that really bothers me it's electrical gremlins!

I had a Toyota Matrix that the speaker would cut out on for no reason, and then the power window wouldn't work either. All connections were tight. Couldn't explain it.

Was also restoring a 25 year old snowmobile that would lose headlights at idle. Turned out to be the voltage regulator but it just seems like electrical is a real pain to diagnose!
 
#29 ·
Hmmm this one may take some digging then. Obviously I know the electrical connections on the new pump are good. The wiring that hooked into it looked clean as well but if I could get them disconnected again without dropping the tank I could get some dielectric grease in there to be sure.

Other than that I'd basically need to trace the wiring from tank forward and check every connection. It's likely also grounded near the tank as well, check that one too?

If there's one thing that really bothers me it's electrical gremlins!

I had a Toyota Matrix that the speaker would cut out on for no reason, and then the power window wouldn't work either. All connections were tight. Couldn't explain it.

Was also restoring a 25 year old snowmobile that would lose headlights at idle. Turned out to be the voltage regulator but it just seems like electrical is a real pain to diagnose!
Exactly, look at everything you can find. Anything that is subject to water and heat is suspect.
Don't sweat the connections you just did, dielectric grease is good but too late now. It really helps to just keep water/moisture out but that is not likely on your new connections.
 
#24 ·
My friend had an issue like this on his 1500. But it only happened when it went into lower voltage mode on the alternator output (hint it took a while to figure that out). Dealer went nuts trying to figure it out. Ultimately it was his battery, even though voltage was still good at all times. These things can literally be anything with how interconnected the system as a whole is. But I do agree with checking basics like wiring and grounds at this point as a start.
 
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#25 ·
Well I did get a low voltage battery warning over the winter, tested it with my multimeter and it was low. Was holding off on buying another while it was still working since I didn't know what the fuel pump issue was going to cost me... I suppose since it needs replaced anyway I can try swapping the battery and maybe it'll make a difference.
 
#26 ·
Batteries and battery connections are super important. My 2012 Silverado had complete random electrical failure,(which left me stranded on the side of the freeway), due to corrosion in the positive battery cable. The terminal was clean and looked great, but upon further inspection and reading on forums the corrosion traveled down from the terminal into the wire. I verified this by cutting back some of the wire insulation. Green corrosion all the way down.
 
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#27 ·
Battery terminals look good, no corrosion, but it's the original battery (I assume, I bought the truck used from the dealer in 2019) so it's likely going on 6-7 years old now... About time that they finally just conk out. It was harder starting this winter in the cold (east coast Canada can get frosty!) So I'm going to get that battery swapped anyway since it's on its last legs and maybe that'll help resolve things!

Appreciate all the help and advice on this... It's why I love that these forums still exist. People with real insight, not Facebook yahoos!
 
#28 ·
Appreciate all the help and advice on this... It's why I love that these forums still exist. People with real insight, not Facebook yahoos!
This is true. I'm just an internet yahoo.
 
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