Chevrolet Repair: Chevy Malibu fuel system, fuel pressure regulator, chevy malibu

Question
I have a 99 Chevy Malibu.  The idle is sometimes flutters but i thought that could be regular engine "stuff".  However it has come to my attention that the fuel pump is staying on or "whirring" no matter if the car is on,going  or just parked (turned on) and also my fuel mileage has decreased rapidly.  Tonight it stalled on me for the first time in many months, meaning it has happened before.  My first reaction is to replace the fuel pump because it seems that it could be going out.  Is there anything I should do to make sure before dropping a lot of money to replace it?  Could it be something else?  

Answer
Hi Robert, The first thing I would do is check your fuel pressure, (41 to 47 psi). If the pressure is good then the pump is ok. If the pressure drops off fast after turning off the key then you have a bad pump or fuel pressure regulator. With bad mpg I would think a bad regulator. You can do a quick check on the regulator by removing the vacuum hose and looking for signs of gas in the hose.

Let Me know what you find out


Have a Nice Day    Mark