Jared Phillips

2001 Silverado 1500 4x4 5.3 V8

Randomly will not start. It cranks fine but will not fire. One day its fine, the next day, nothing. Thought it was the fuel pump; replaced it twice. Replaced all the pigtails and connectors at the tank, too.
When this happens, the fuel gauge reads empty and the message center says "Low Fuel". The Fuel Pump is simply not getting a signal.

Yesterday, I accidentally made it start. I was messing with the relays, swapping out the fuel relay with others. I used a test light and verified I had voltage at the relay when the key was on. However, I only had it at one of the four legs. If I used a wire and jumped the terminals, I could get it to click and I heard fuel pressure in the rail. Yesterday, this made it start and it ran and started fine all day. Today, it won't start again. I tried to duplicate my "repair" with the relay. I jumped the terminals, and hear the fuel pump kick-on and heard fuel come in the fuel rails on the motor. Cranked but nothing. Then it sounded different when cranking. I'm afraid I may have flooded it, due to fuel being pumped-in and it not starting.
I think my PCM might be bad? That would explain why the fuel pump and other components aren't getting a signal to start. Again, it cranks fine, just won't start at random times.
On one occasion, I had a rollback haul it to a shop. It would not start to drive on the rollback. 9 miles later when he arrived to the shop, it started and drove off the truck and of course they could not duplicate the problem.

I am at my wits end with this gremlin. This has been the best truck Ive ever owned, 212K miles and runs strong. Just bought a 2002 Suburban with the same drivetrain. Now I'm regretting that, if I'm going to be chasing gremlins in it in a few years.

Any thoughts?

Jared Phillips

Since posting this, I found a few threads online where the 20AMP fuse for the ECM was bad. Once I got home, I checked it and sure enough it was blown. Replaced the fuse, and after cranking a bit to cycle through the fuel that was flooding it, it started easily.

So, now it makes sense, the ECM wasn't getting voltage which means it wasn't sending signal to the fuel pump relay. So now I'm wondering what caused the fuse to blow? And why was the problem intermittent? One day fine, the next day won't start? And then a few hours later, it starts again? The 20amp fuse was labeled "ECM B". I'm curious to how this wiring works. How would a blown fuse be intermittent? If its blown its blown. Still doesn't add up, but at least it started. Guess I'll get a pack of 20amp mini fuses to keep on-hand should it decide to blow again.