2003 Chevy Malibu Fuel Pump
 

Hello, I bought my Malibu approximately 6 months ago from a pre-owned dealer. It has been a wonderful little sudan until June...

I had gone to a friend's house and stayed for less than an hour, came back out and NOTHING. It wouldn't even crank... my friend happens to be a little car savvy and said it sounded like a bad fuel pump. I had it towed to a mechanic where he confirmed that it was in fact the fuel pump. Had it replaced and everything was all wonderful! Then flash forward two weeks later to July 5th, I go to start my car one morning and BAM same thing is happening again... I call the mechanic who had worked on it before, he offers to look and evaluate it again... he says it is yet again the fuel pump... since he offers a guarantee on parts and service, he replaces the fuel pump for me free of charge. Now today, nearly one month later, I believe it's doing the same thing yet again...

I went to walgreen's to pick up some items. Walked in (right after having driven my car 30 minutes out of town, stopping the engine to go inside a restaurant, and driving back to town), got my stuff, came back out five minutes later and NOTHING... again :(
I don't know what to do. Is there something else that could be causing my fuel pump to go out? My fuel filter was replaced the first time I had my fuel pump changed. I can't afford to be without a vehicle and to keep shoveling out money for high cost repairs. If anyone has any suggestions or can give me any sort of advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much :)

Go back to the begining and try to be a little more descriptive. If I understand you correctly, you turn the key and nothing happens? Are there any lights on in the dashboard? Or is it dead dead dead? Does the motor turn over but fail to start? Does the motor start then die after 1 or 2 seconds? Does your version of Malibu have the key switch on the dashboard or steering column? Once you've had one of these episodes do you ever get it to start?

No, it's not dead dead... the accessories come on an there's initially the turn over sound but then it doesn't do anything... the gas gauge goes to E and my fuel light comes on. The motor has never started after one of these episodes until I take it to someone. Each time, he has fixed it and it works great for 2 weeks to a month and then it does this again... he said something about a computer possibly burning up the fuel pumps, but I'm not even sure what that means.

My malibu has the dashboard key switch.

OH MY GOD!

SO AFTER COUNTLESS INTERNET SEARCHES AND WHATNOT, I DECIDED TO GO BACK OUT AND SEE IF I COULD DO SOME BASIC THINGS BEFORE HAVING IT TOWED OR ANYTHING... REALIZED THE "ANTI THEFT" LIGHT WAS COMING ON... HAVING HAD READ A POST ABOUT THIS 30 MINUTES AGO, I DECIDED I WOULD TRY THEIR "SOLUTION"

PUT THE CAR IN THE "ON" POSITION (DIDN'T START IT) FOR 10 MINUTES. CUT IT OFF FOR A MINUTE OR SO, THEN TRIED AGAIN... STARTED PERFECTLY. TOOK THE KEY OUT AND DID IT AGAIN, STARTED FINE...



...now I'm wondering if I paid $600 on a fuel pump for no reason... :(

It's easy to say, you prolly did waste your money. But, fuel pumps on Malibus are notoriously bad. So even if you did get ripped off, consider it an investment in the future.

FYI: Take some keys off your keyring. That may decrease the amount of times you have to go through the security learn process. The stress of a bunch of keys dangling off your dashboard in your ignition switch is what is causing the keyswitch to begin going bad. You don't even want it to get worse.

Do direct injection year/models have the same reputation??

When I was writing the reply I knew I should have said older Malibus, but I was too lazy to go back and fix it.

To answer your question. I don't know. I'm mostly concerned with series 5 & 6 Malibus as that is what I have. I don't keep up with newer Malibus. Frankly, I didn't even know any Malibus had direct injection.

Got it. I don't have a clue what year GM did the engine redesign, but my 2011 has the LE5 version of the Ecotec which uses DI.

Eh, I just has a "Back to the Future" moment. The Ecotec 2.5L DI motor is slated for the 2013 Malibu. There's no DI motor in a Malibu until then. Unless yours got a transplanted LAF motor from an Equinox or something, I'm afraid you've been misled.

My RPO decal and Build Sheet both indicate LE5 engine.

Other information I have located states the LE5 version is a 2.4L, VVT, roller finger cam follower, DI engine built in Spring Hill, TN.

Until my Service Manual arrives that is the best information I have.

Edit:
My data source for the LE5 engine (and MH8 transaxle) specifications is;

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