Details: 00 SLE, L67 swaped four years ago, has L67 fuel canister, recent Walbro pump install modded to work like a racetronix pump. Car ran perfect for over two months with new fuel pump installed. Normal driving, WOT, etc. No issues at all.

Over the last couple of months my 00 SLE has been dying randomly for unknow reasons. Car has full battery power and never looses it. Acts like it runs out of gas. First time it started happening was back in April. Wife was driving to WY on a road trip and the car died about 200 miles into the trip. Full power, everything working, tries to start it and it just turns over and won't crank. Starts it and drives another 10 miles or so and it happens again. She stops and gets gas to top off tank and then car drives another 150 miles no problems. Then all of a sudden, same thing happens. Towed it back to my Dad's house were he removed the supercharger belt. Scanned it for codes, none stored, and drove it around. Nothing wrong. She drove it the 450 miles home and didn't have any problems. I tore the whole thing down and rebuilt the supercharger with all new bearings, new gaskets, new vacuum lines, the works. That was in April/May. Since then it was on three or four road trips of over 1000 miles each. Never any issue at all. Took it to WCBF, raced, everything and nothing at all. I'm thinking bad gas or something so I dumped in a bottle of heat and that was that. It had never happened to me before so I didn't know an details on it really. Then on my last trip last week going up a 5% grade hill it dies at the top under heavy load. No loss of battery, no check engine light, nothing. Fuel pressure gauge reads no fuel pressure is all. Pulled over and looked things over and then got back in and started up fine. Drove over the mountain and about 5 miles later it did it again. So I let it rest for about 5 minutes, go back in and started and it drove another 170 miles there and then another 450 back with no problem again. Drove all week long with it again, no issues. Then we went on another trip this weekend, drove 300 miles there, went over the same hill it died on before and made it fine. Was coming home yesterday at 75 MPH and all of a sudden it dies on me on the interstate. waited a minute, started fine and continued. I got off the next exit and it dies on me on the exit ramp. So I had to sit there and try and crank it for about 3-5 minutes before it started and drove. As I was looking for the next gas station to pull into it died on me in the middle of the turn lane at a stop light. We had to get out and push it through the intersection. Get gas and drove 300 miles home without one more issue.

Long story, but what the ........ is going on? I can't figure it out. It is so inconsistant on when it dies and has absolutely no pattern it it at all. Sometimes have a full tank of gas, sometime empty. Sometimes going faster, sometimes at a stop, sometimes underload and sometimes coasting down a hill. ???

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2000 SLE

What about the length into the drive. Possibly an ICM or crank sensor getting warm?

Oh yes, length of drive random also. First was about two hours staight with random potty breaks. Some were only 30 minutes into the drive. Car temp is always at 180 no matter what. Also weather is random as far as heat. I forgot to say that I also removed the S/C belt last week and it died on my anyway on the other side of the mountain. So I put it back on and it ran the other 170 and then 450 miles back fine with it on.

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2000 SLE

You said no fuel pressure when the problem shows up? Sounds like either the new pump is failing, or a problem in the circuitry sending it power.

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*Gone, but not forgotten* - Black 2000 SSEi, HIR Headlights, Angel Eyes fogs, 3rd brake light overlay, hi-flo cat, 180 degree thermostat, HS 1.9 rockers, LSx yellow springs, Intense FWI, PCM, shift kit, push rods, and 3.4 Pulley. ZZP Power Log.

You would think that, but wouldn't it be more often? It is so random. I let it sit for a minute and key it back on and fuel pressure is normal again. And it starts right back up again and drives fine. No loose wires or anything. That was the first thing that I suspected too. I checked all the connections to the fuel pump and they are fine. Is there a resistor or something on these cars. I haven't heard of one, but I know the GPs have this problem sometimes.

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2000 SLE

I don't know how you have yours wired in. The 2000 and I believe 2001 L67s had a fuel pump module to control the 2 speed fuel pump located inside the trunk liner by the passenger rear wheel well. The later years dropped the module. Intermittent electrical/electronic problems can show up at the most random intervals. The W-bodies use a resistor and a couple of relays to control the speed.

The pump should prime for a few seconds when the key is first turned on. When the car dies, and won't start, do you hear the pump prime?

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*Gone, but not forgotten* - Black 2000 SSEi, HIR Headlights, Angel Eyes fogs, 3rd brake light overlay, hi-flo cat, 180 degree thermostat, HS 1.9 rockers, LSx yellow springs, Intense FWI, PCM, shift kit, push rods, and 3.4 Pulley. ZZP Power Log.

It is a pretty dang quite pump, but yeah, I can hear it prime and I also get fuel pressure on the guage. I didn't wire in a resistor with the swap. Didn't know if the SLE had one. I had one guy say there was, but I removed the trunk lining where it is supposed to be and there isn't one there. I hate to have to get another fuel pump just to try it out, but maybe that is what is going on. ???

The other weird thing is that when this is happening I will get really crappy fuel economy like 22-23 on the highway. And then when it is running fine it will jump up to 27-28. I put in a stock program to the PCM to see if that would make a difference, but it didn't and I didn't gain fuel economy either. Could I have a random something or other plugging up a line somewhere and causing this? I have replaced the fuel filter, but maybe I will try and pull the whole canister out and check the sock.

The other thing I was thinking was if the venturi pump can go bad and cause this. Not sure exactly how all of that works.

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2000 SLE

Sounds exactly like the SilverBullet. Plagued him for months. Finally found the problem on the way home from WCBF07. Loose connection in the underhood distribution block. We've seen a couple others since, too.

PM Paul a link to this so he can show what it was.

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Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

I would vote something with the fuel delivery as well. You mentioning that the fuel pressure drops to 0 is pretty much a dead giveaway. If this just started happening after the new pump, there is definitely reason to believe it could just be a faulty pump, internally..and that could exhibit itself as randomly as it feels necessary. Its like OE pumps, some of them just die, some of them die as they warm up, some will work for about 5 minutes and stop, but work again once you wait a certain time...none of it makes sense, but its very possible.

Do you have a warranty for the pump?

But somehow I'm just thinking something like a loose ground or loose wiring somewhere...makes more sense to me than the pump doing this alone.

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John
Now: '15 Toyota Prius III | 134 hp 2ZR-FXE | Silver | 36k
Now: '03 Honda CR-V AWD | Slow 4-Cylinder | Dirt | 180k
Then: '07 Ford Fusion SEL | 221hp Gen I VVT Duratec 3.0 V6 | Tungsten Silver | 150k
Then: '99 Toyota Avalon XL | 200hp 1MZ-FE 3.0 V6 | Diamond White | 189k | Sold: July 2015
Then: '11 Ford Fusion SEL | 240hp Gen II VVT Duratec 3.0 V6 | Ingot Silver | 84k | Totaled: Oct 23 '14 (Rear-Ended)
Then: '96 Buick Park Avenue Ultra | 240hp Series II L67 | Medium Dark Lichen | Bought: JAN 11 @ 135k | Accident: FEB 3 '12 | Crushed: MAR 1 '13 @ 153K
Then: '98 Pontiac Bonneville SSE | 205hp Series II 3800 L36 | Topaz Firemist | Bought: NOV '09 @ 74k | Accident: MAY 28 '10 | Crushed: MAR 15 '11 @ 84k
Then: '93 Pontiac Bonneville SE | 170hp Series I 3800 L27 | Dark Yellow Green | Bought: JULY '07 @ 92k | Sold: JULY '12 @ 118k
Then: '89 Pontiac Bonneville LE | 165hp 3800 LN3 | Medium Garnet Red | Bought: JAN '05 @ 117k | Sold: SEP 30 '07 @ 152k

Thanks Wren, I think I looked into that already, but I am up for taking a second look anyway. I bought the pump from w-body I think. So what ever they cover on it. I think it has a year maybe. Maybe not. I keep checking connections. What bugs me is that it will just come back on without me doing anything at all and drive fine for another 200+ miles or more without an issue. If it was a bump in the road or something and then all of a sudden it happened then yeah, I would definately agree. But the last time it did it I was stopped at a light. Ran for about two minutes, died, pushed to side of road and then it started and drove 300 miles and it is still fine as of now.

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2000 SLE

Well, I am continuing my post here and not editing the previous because this is an update. Problem is still intermitant, but I have observed some very interesting facts. The most interesting is that removing the fuel cap and then putting it back on after it stalls out will allow the car to start fine once again and drive fine once again. I have noticed that this is more apparent at higher altitudes as well, usually over 6,000ft. I believe that the problem is vapor lock. I know this isn't supposed to be a problem anymore, but the definition is exactly what is happening:

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2000 SLE