Hi, I'm new around here and have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 5.7. I'm not mechanically-inclined, but was hoping maybe someone could point me (and my mechanic) in the right direction.

About 18 mos ago, I started feeling this shuddering underneath me, particularly right after I had filled the gas tank. It felt like the fuel pump was having some sort of issue processing the fuel. Also, the truck stalled a couple of times. Not long after that, the fuel pump died. I replaced it, thinking that was the end of that. About 8 months ago, that fuel pump died, again after feeling that shuddering thing going on. I had taken it to the dealership this time, so I figured I had just gotten a bad after-market pump the first time from the first mechanic. Again, seemed like problem solved.

Now, it's happening again. I can feel the shuddering after I fill up, and the engine has conked out a couple times. It starts right back up, and otherwise the truck drives great, but it's unnerving and I'm beginning to wonder when the other shoe will drop and I'll be stranded somewhere.

I guess my question is what is going on in my truck that seems to be killing fuel pumps? Does this even make sense? Obviously, I don't know much about this sort of thing, so please excuse my ignorance......any help would be appreciated.

 

Sounds like you've had more fuel pumps fail than all of us put together. Do you "run it down to fumes" and was the filter changed with the pump? Are you sure it's the pump? That lil' ol' 'lectric motor isn't strong enough to make a 5,000# pickup shudder. Plus, the pump isn't under you, it's a fair bit further aft.

 

Yeh, the fuel pump isn't making the truck shudder. Maybe something is starving the fuel supply and making the motor shudder. And if you are running it down to fumes on a regular basis or something is choking off fuel to the pump for a period of time while it's running, it's probably burning itself out. The fuel moving through it is what cools it. No fuel, no cooling - not good.

 

One other thought. When I changed the fuel pump on my 03 Neon, I had about a half inch of sludge on the bottom of the tank. Did you actually drop and clean the tank completely, or just change the pump. Granted, I had 240,000 miles on the neon, lots of time for the sludge to build up. How many miles on yours, because, in 100,000 miles, it has probably had as much fuel dumped into it as my Neon has in 240,000. What color was the screen on the original fuel pump, mine was Very Dirty, and slimy. Waiting for the pump to go on my 05 ram, as it sits at 172,000, and I fill it from a 500 gal tank on my buisness property. Probably full of all kinds of crap.

 

Probably the crappy fuel that has ethanol in it. I am a Ford tech and we see fuel pumps fail on a regular basis. We have had cars come in that have had the pump replaced and then a week later come back on the hook for the same problem. Seems that the ethanol dries out the seals in the pump or some other internal components and causes the pump to fail. I know that the aftermarket pumps I have installed are still working. Maybe the supplier that manufactures the pumps you are getting is having similar problems. Try an OEM pump and see how it works out. I know it is probably a lot more money but may be worth it in the long run. Just my $.02.