Astro's do not have a fuel shut off switch that I know of. I have had 5 of these Astro's since 96 and have done all the work on them myself. I mean, I can work on one blindfolded. You did not provide any symptoms that the fuel pump may be going out before complete failure. Under the hood, above the battery, you can pull the fuel pump relay and jump the outgoing connections to the fuel pump with a paperclip and see if it runs. Under the vehicle, you can unplug the elecriical connector on the crossmember just in front of the fuel tank and check for corrosion. (Hose the plug ends with WD40.)
If you are dead in the water with a dead fuelpump, jack up the rear of the vehicle from the differential, and support both ends of the rear with jackstands. You have to disconnect the filler hose. It is flexible enough that you don't have to disturb the screw connections at the gas filler. You have to do this in stages. Pull the gas tank plastic shroud. You only have to pull the gas tank straps on the outside of the body end. Put 8 inch concrete blocks under the front and rear of the fuel tank and only drop it about 4 inches. Carefully pinch and release the 3 plastic hose connectors from the fuel pump. With a second jack, carefully let the tank down onto 4x4 blocks and then 2x2's and then onto the ground. Then pull it out sideways out from under the vehicle.
You can find are a new fuel pump for about $60 on Ebay. They are all the same for Astro, Surbuban, Tahoe. They are about $270 at the auto parts store. I have done 3 of these.
Keep in mind that the fuel pump relay only primes the system for a few seconds whenever you turn the key on or off, It is the oil pressure switch that runs the fuel pump when the engine is running.
People always tell me that their Astro won't start until they crank it for 20 seconds. Bad fuel pump relay and just the battery cranking finally makes the oil pressure switch.
Food for thought.
Good luck,
Ken
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Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 AT 9:40 PM
