VZ SV6 Not starting at fuel station

[wheelz994]

Hey Guys,
I have a 2004 SV6 and every time i fill it up with petrol, it will not start. It will cough and splurt for a moment and then just die. If i try starting again it will turn over for about 5 seconds and will eventually go if i keep pumping the throttle pedal. I have had it for about 5 months and it does this every time i fill it up at the service station, and occasionally when i am out and about.

I first took it to the Holden dealership and they found a fault with the oil sensor. They replaced that but it didnt make a difference. A little while later i took it to a different mechanic where he replaced the fuel filter and air filter. He checked one spark plug which was fine and he seems to think the fuel pump is OK. The car wouldn't even start when i tried to leave the mechanics after he thought he had fixed it, so he thinks it may be an electrical problem. But what does filling up with petrol have to do with the electricals? Yesterday i took the battery out of my brothers commodore and tried it in my car. I took it to the service station to fill up with petrol but it still wouldnt start with my brothers battery in it. I have had the battery and alternator checked and they are both fine.

Can somebody please help me with this. Has anybody had or heard of similar problems? I can no longer stand the embarrassment of having a beautiful SV6 that doesnt start. This problem has had me baffled for ages.

[RiCeY]

You would think if it only occurs after filling the tank it must be the fuel pump as nothing else is affected by fuelling up. Next time it happens try giving the fuel tank a few kicks/whacks and see if it makes any difference.

[wheelz994]

Even though the mechanic checked it i am starting to believe it is the fuel pump. I am not very mechanically minded, but is the fuel pump electrical? Im not sure how the mechanic i took it to checked it, but could it be possible that just an average mechanic may not have the correct equipment to properly check it? Also how much would a new fuel pump cost to get replaced?
Thanks for your help

[henrytad]

from my understanding, a proper bosch fuel pump for the VZ is about $400ish, im having a similar problem and i beleieve its the fuel pump especially cause im getting the power train error on my dash screen

[RiCeY]

Yes the pump is electrical. If the fault happens and a bit of the bash to the fuel tank gets things going again then its a fairly safe bet the pump is gone. Unfortunately it could still be the pump if bashing the tank makes no difference.

Only real way to inspect the pump is to remove it which requires removing the fuel tank.

In regards to cost Id imagine a couple hours labour plus the cost of the pump itself.

[wheelz994]

I dont get the power train message but sometimes when its really bad the 'service soon" message comes up. I actually thought you were joking RiCeY when you said to bash the fuel tank haha. Where abouts do i whack it? I may as well try it. Hopefully the people around me will just think i tripped when they see me whacking it haha

[RiCeY]

Just whack it underneath, its to shock the fuel pump and get it going again if its not working properly.

Should get the trouble codes checked if its thrown the service vehicle soon message.

[CRUSTIN]

I agree with pricey, get that code checked, it may tell you exactly what the problem is.

But you should also shop around, you can be charged anything from $40 to $100.

[wheelz994]

Ok so to get it checked should i take it to Holden or to an auto electrician? If i took it to an auto electrician, would they be able to check that code and test the fuel pump without having to pull out the tank?
Thanks for the help guys

[VZ_SS]

I remember when I was a poor apprentice driving around with a rubber mallet for a week or two saving for a fuel pump lol. I would take it to a local mechanic, sounds like a fuel pump.

[OS-Mike]

Iv seen something similar but in a vy crewman never played up till they filled the tank right up one day the pump was playing up so i ordered a fuel pump (just the pump) took the tray off the back to get to the fuel pump (in a car you drop the fuel tank out) and it turned out to be a corroded pin in the fuel pump plug on top of the tank. The pin was actually broken off inside the plug but still touching just enough to make a intermittent electrical fault. The fuel pump was fine but had to buy a whole new fuel pump assembly to fix one dodgy wire. Im not sure if commodores get the same problem im guessing they could it sounds similar.

[wheelz994]

I have a friend who works at Supercheap and he can get me a new fuel pump for $120. I am able to buy this then give it to Holden to install for a cheaper price?