Chevy trucks are great for rough terrains and long-distance road trips. But what happens when the chevy’s fuel pump relay stops working? Ideally, you must replace the fuel pump relay immediately, but these pumps are expensive, and they may just stop working when you are traveling!
So, the first thing you should learn is how to jump fuel pump relay on chevy truck. Chevy trucks are easy to work with; hence it is not a difficult task to jump fuel pump relay. However, before diving into the details of the whole process, it is essential that you know what a fuel pump relay is.
What is a fuel pump relay? Why is it important?
It is basically an electric device that directs current to the electric fuel pump. It controls the current flow in the truck’s electrical system by activating the pump when the ignition is turned off and vice versa.
The fuel pump is a powerful device and needs a lot of power which may sometimes lead to overheating. However, the relay helps prevent overheating of the wiring system in the fuel pump and maintains a steady flow.
Many of the important functions in your chevy truck, such as pumping fuel to the engine or regulating your AC, operates with the help of the fuel pump. Therefore, a fuel pump relay in your chevy truck should always be working to avoid any mishaps.
What are the steps involved?
The whole process may take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete. Here is a detailed step-by-step process on how to do it.
- Spot the relay
The relay in your chevy truck is made of plastic, shaped like a box, and generally black. The relay is usually located in the engine bay or near the battery terminals. The relay box will be labeled on top with its own markings. Some relays are even placed behind the headlamp on the driver’s side.
- Disengage the terminals
Once you have located the relay, the next step is to disengage the terminals. You will see a black cable connected to the battery terminals, so disconnect the nearest battery terminal. The black cable is the negative cable. You can even remove both the battery terminals if you like.
- Connect the jumper cables
The next step is to connect the jumper cables to the battery terminal. The positive red cable from the jumper cable must be connected to the corresponding battery terminal. When you connect the cables to the terminals, make sure that they are of the same charge as when you connected them.
During this step, you need to ensure that you don’t come across or touch any metallic substances.
- Start the engine
Before you start the engine, make sure that all connections are tight and correctly fixed. After turning on the ignition, you need to leave the engine running for 15 seconds and turn the ignition off after that.
- Check the lights
Once you have successfully completed all the steps, you must check for green lights on the fuel indicator. However, you shouldn’t see a green light from the start, instead, gradually see a change in color from red to green.
Remove all the connections and then start the ignition again. If you see a gradual change to green color, then you have successfully jump-started your fuel pump relay. If you cannot observe any gradual change to green color, then you must re-do the whole process again until your fuel gauge turns green.
Read also No Power to Fuel Pump Relay Chevy Truck.
What if you don’t have a jumper cable?
If you don’t have a jumper cable in hand, then follow these simple steps:
- Locate the relay and disconnect the 4-pin pump on the center of the relay
- Take a 5-inch long copper wire and open about half inches of insulation from the two ends.
- Connect one end of the copper wire to the lower-right of the relay center and the other end to the upper-left of the relay center.
After completion, follow the same procedure as mentioned above.
Some tools you may need
A few of the tools needed for the process are:
- Open-ended wrench
- Ratchet set
- Extension cables
- Copper wire
Final thoughts
A non-functional fuel pump relay on your chevy truck may cause major damage to your truck sooner or later. A malfunction relay will cause overheating of the wiring system and cause permanent damage.
If you are not able to change the fuel pump relay or need to fix it during an emergency quickly, then simply follow the process mentioned above.
A fuel pump relay is a major component in your truck that allows the proper functioning of your truck’s electrical system. Chevy trucks are expensive, and you shouldn’t take it around with a fuel pump relay that may malfunction anytime.
Read also Code 82 Chevy Sonic.