Oh, boy, here I go again! My 88 Olds Cutlass Supreme, 2.8/v-6 fuel injected car konked out. Traced it down to the fuel pump because the sound of the pump initiating when the car is turned on is no longer there, and the car revs, but does not catch upon turn on. Problem is - the part from what I know is located inside the gas tank. A friend of mine said that we have to go to the Wilkie dealership in Philly, PA because an "aftermarket pump won't work - it has to be non-aftermarket". I can't figure out what is the difference. . anyone know? Also, won't a pump from, say, NAPA or Pep Boys work just as well?? HELP !!

If You are concerned about cost and want an original equipment pump Main Dealer prices?(you're talking $$$$ )
May I suggest that you get somebody to get one from a carbreaker? It'll cost you about $10 tops If you remove it ,more if they remove it
The difference between taking it in to a dealer parts & labour is several hundred dollars and several days off the road
Cost of Diy is about $20, $10 for parts the rest for whoever fits it (plus a cup of coffee)and have it running again within 1-2 hours
IDEA! Have you checked the breather pipe to the petrol tank? this might be restricted (also check the fuel cap some times there is a small pinhole in the center (which controls air supply into the tank) get a sewing needle and locate this hole push the needle through the hole (clear the airway) (if it exists?)
These 2 items cause an apparent power loss if blocked they stop the air circulation in the tank causing a vacuum and your fuel pump gets noisy, and the engine will run rough and stop.( of fuel starvation)
Run your engine for several minutes then when the noises start open the fuel cap (with the engine running) and if? you have a restriction in the breather ect the engine will then pick up to normal revs (no noisy pump) cost to fix? possibly $0-00 ,give cup of coffee for whoever "fixes" it

[This message was edited by bedstor on 10-02-02 at 05:48 PM.]

The aftermarket product will work. If they made it for that car then it will work on that car.

Lisa-ann: You say the engine will crank but not start, as I understand. The test to check for fuel pressure is simple and requires little time, but it does require a fuel pressure gauge. This is the only accurate way to be sure the pump has a problem. The pump is indeed in the fuel tank and so the tank will need to be removed to replace it. In regard to your original question about aftermarket parts; you can buy a fuel pump made by someone other than General Motors and yes, it will cost less. HOWEVER.... it is not the same quality. I have installed aftermarket pumps at customer's request and had them fail right out of the box. Which, of course, requires doing the job all over again. Please understand, I am not saying that this WILL happen. I am saying that the likelihood of it happening is much greater when using non OEM parts. You can buy an original equipment pump made by Delco at many auto parts stores for much less than the dealer would charge you. Now, for the semi bad news. Your car, being a little older now, may present the person doing these repairs with a few additional problems. The fuel pump is mounted in a cage type affair that has the fuel outlet and fuel return lines mounted in it. This assembly is held in the tank by a steel ring called a fuel cam. As the vehicle ages this ring rusts and eventually seizes the mounting tabs on the tank, making it very difficult to remove. To add to this, the fuel lines are steel as well and will rust and seize the fittings on the assembly into the tank, making them, sometimes, impossible to remove. All of this complicates the repair making it considerably more expensive. All of this too, could be moot, in that I have seen older cars such as yours come apart fairly easily; it just kind of depends on the vehicle. I guess I would suggest to you to plan on the worst case scenario. The first step right now would be to make sure of what has failed before you start replacing parts.