2008 Buick Lucerne Fuel Pump Relay

To be honest, I had the fuse box replaced. Its worth the money if you are not real electrical minded. I just didnt want to pay for a tow job also if I failed to get all the connections right and the car not start. At this point though, I do almost all the work on my car and recently replaced the whole ABS wiring harness on the back end. Not as hard as it seems.

I have also replaced all the brake components all round too. Nice smooth stops now 🙂
 
Re: [SOLVED]Re: 2008 Buick Lucerne Fuel Pump Relay

I have the same problem with my '08 CXL Lucerne... but I can't get the fuse box apart. I have three bolts in the back side that I've loosened, however nothing will go apart from there. I see you said you drilled out three rivets, but I don't see any on this fuse box. Can you offer any assistance with this? I know this post is getting aged now, but I can't find any information on this fuse box. I do have one on order but need to get the old one apart. Thanks ahead for any assistance.
 
Re: [SOLVED]Re: 2008 Buick Lucerne Fuel Pump Relay

Should come up but what you may have to do is check underneath the car believe it or not and you will see some hold down bolts there. Its been a while and I forget. The rivots I drilled out where so I could seperate it in two to see just what the *ell happened on the inside. You shouldnt have to do that unless you are curious.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-OEM-GM-...c-DTS-Silverado-Sierra-13599107-/271434242689

Mouse over the pic at Amazon and there are 3 bolts in the middle of the unit and then one on the end for ground if my memory is right still.

Let me know how it goes and If you are still having problems I will get with some mechanic friends and re ask them how to remove it.


Update:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-OEM-GM-...c-DTS-Silverado-Sierra-13599107-/271434242689

Remove the three nuts on the top side of the fuse box and it should come up. Reference above the underside pic of the fuse box.
 
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Im sorry!!!!!!!!!! I misread your post. You want to take it apart. I got it. Flip the fuse box over and drill out the metal sleves where the hold down bolts where. Yes, This does destroy things a bit.
 
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I am reviving this thread as it just saved me all kinds of money!! Thanks to those who participated in it. Our 2008 Lucerne has been great until yesterday. Parked it in the driveway. An hour later, we went to use it and it would start but not stay running. After searching the internet I came across this post, checked the relay and sure enough, it was toast. I replaced it this morning with an aftermarket part and the car runs fine again. I will be replacing the fuse block as many of you have with the ebay part and keeping a spare relay in the car. My car still had the 20 amp fuse where many of you found it had been replaced with a 30a. I am going to replace the fuel filter as well as I know that can add to the amp draw a pump will have.

**Edit: I guess I won't be replacing the fuel filter as it is in the fuel tank and is a nonservicable part. wow...
 
I am reviving this thread as it just saved me all kinds of money!! Thanks to those who participated in it. Our 2008 Lucerne has been great until yesterday. Parked it in the driveway. An hour later, we went to use it and it would start but not stay running. After searching the internet I came across this post, checked the relay and sure enough, it was toast. I replaced it this morning with an aftermarket part and the car runs fine again. I will be replacing the fuse block as many of you have with the ebay part and keeping a spare relay in the car. My car still had the 20 amp fuse where many of you found it had been replaced with a 30a. I am going to replace the fuel filter as well as I know that can add to the amp draw a pump will have.

**Edit: I guess I won't be replacing the fuel filter as it is in the fuel tank and is a nonservicable part. wow...

Great to hear that this thread solved your problem. 🙂

Particular attention should be made to the fuse box which is plastic. If its melted from the relay overheating then it would have to be replaced.

As a side note, I installed an amp in my trunk and have some annoying alternator wine. So, I first grounded the rca jacks and when I grounded one rca jack to the ground point in my trunk (passenger side, quarter panel) I could really hear the noise. This ground goes to the back seat area where the battery is and then to the fuse box. So, I think I have a ground loop issue there. When I get some time I will look at the ground and clean it up to see if that fixes.

Hope replacing the relay fixes your issues and not have to replace the fuse box.

century61
 
I had the same problem. I replaced the fuel pump relay because it was burnt. The real problem was in the fuse block. The relay was not making good connection when it was plug in. Try to move the connectors in the fuse block to make the relay tighter.
 
Little follow up: It went about seven days without issues and then I burnt up two more relays. I lucked out and I burnt the first one in the parking lot adjacent to an auto parts store. Bought the one they had and made it home. That one gave me one ride; to my driveway. It was toast and the car sits. The fuse block is now showing signs of damage and I will be replacing it. It doesn't look nearly as bad as a few of the pictures I have seen, but given everyone having more success changing it, I will too. I will replace the fuel pump as well. Between the internal fuel filter and so many people having this issue, I really think the pump is just pulling way to many amps. I am shocked there haven't been reported fires with this. That relay gets HOT!
 
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So, last night my Lucerne turned over then died inmediately. I couldnt get it to stay on. Since i've owned it (may 2015) It has always had an occasional shudder and rpms dip when turning over but it never shutoff.

Now the dealership says i have to get a whole new rear fuse block. I will not be able to see it as the car is at the dealership but i wonder if it's the same thing as yours where the fuse burnt the box?

Either way, $670. For a whole new one. Brutal.
 
So, last night my Lucerne turned over then died inmediately. I couldnt get it to stay on. Since i've owned it (may 2015) It has always had an occasional shudder and rpms dip when turning over but it never shutoff.

Now the dealership says i have to get a whole new rear fuse block. I will not be able to see it as the car is at the dealership but i wonder if it's the same thing as yours where the fuse burnt the box?

Either way, $670. For a whole new one. Brutal.


Anyone looking for the fuse box needs to do a bit of searching. I just picked one up on eBay. Brand new GM box, for $70 including shipping. I'm going to install it this weekend.
 
Has anyone tried replacing the fuse box-block themselves? is the box-block just plug and play, so to speak?
thank you!


I know this is an old thread, but yes. I just replaced the fuse box in well under an hour. Just disconnect the battery, as always when doing electrical work. Then, take a couple medium flat blade screwdrivers and pry the retaining clips on both the front and back of the fuse box while pulling up. It comes out easily.

Take a picture of the plus and block location on the back of the box with a smartphone for reference, just in case.

There are 2 plus, that require a small flat screw driver to release the tabs, and then 3 wire blocks that are attached with a small cap screw in the center of each block. Remove the screw, take a the same small flat screwdriver and push down in the slots on the side of the plus to release the alignment tab while pulling up on the block.

Check the blocks to make sure there are no burned wired or connectors (unlikely) and install in same position on new box. Hand tighten the screws with a nut driver. They just need to seat all the way down. No need to over-torque the screws. Now snap the box back into place.

If your box came pre-loaded with fuses and relays, you're done. If not, move all of the fuses and relays out of the old box and install them in the same position. You'll need a new relay for the fuel pump if that was the problem.

Now reinstall the cover and connect the battery.

Start your car, and have a beer. You're done.
 
So I own a 2011 Buick Lucerne which I purchased brand new and I'ved put 170K+ miles on it (yes this bitch been good to me) Never had a problem until now and of corse its the "melting fuel pump relay" problem. Curious, has any one found the solution for this or what steps should I take for this to be properly fixed? I ordered a new fuel pump, fuse block and a few relays already but just wanted to know if you guys have any other recommendations cause I'm happy with my Lucerne and don't really want to let go of it yet.
Thank you in advance and happy holidays homies :headbang:
 
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(yes this bitch been good to me) Never called my 06 that, which is probably why I never have had a melting fuse box.
 
My mechanic has a fuse panel coming in either friday or saturday. He is going to try that to see.

Here is an update to what all has been checked:

Fuel pump - ok
wiring - ok
fuel pump pressure - ok
fuel filter - ok, was replaced 2 months ago by him.
Fuel pump fuse - was a 30amp in the socket was replaced with correct one.

Im banking on the fuse panel being the problem. Just cross my fingers.

Where is the fuel filter located?
auto zone lists it as unserviceable.
 
About two weeks ago, I became the new owner of a 2008 Buick Lucerne CX. The information, in this thread, probably saved me a towing bill, somewhere down the road. With that in mind, I ordered a fuse box off of eBay, swapped it out, then kept the original as a spare. Since I just swapped fuse boxes on my car, I wanted to post this, before I forget all of the details.

As mentioned earlier, the fuse box itself clips on to a plastic piece, which is attached to the bottom of the trunk.

This bottom piece is held down by 3 nuts. While you don't have to remove it, doing so makes it a little easier to maneuver the wire connector blocks around. Used two flathead screwdrivers to release the first two clips. The rest were fairly easy, after that.

Then came the task of releasing the wiring connectors. On mine there were two connectors that each had a single wire, plus the 3 large wiring blocks. The first two didn't come out as easy as I thought they would. Finally ended up grabbing each of them with a large pliers, while holding a screwdriver in the other hand to release the clip. For the 3 large connector blocks I used a nut driver on the three bolts. They're captive bolts and loosening them actually releases the connector blocks, most of the way. As mentioned above, there are tiny tabs that need to be released when removing the large connector blocks. They're hard to see, but you can tell where they are by rocking the connector block back and forth. Used a small flathead screw driver to release them.

After this, it's just a matter of swapping fuse boxes and putting everything back together. I found that it's a lot easier to put this back together than it was to take it apart.

The fuse box that I purchased came with fuses and relays already installed. The fuel pump relay was the older-style tall relay. As insurance against future problems, I replaced it with the newer-style relay...the one mentioned in TSB "15-NA-051: No Start Condition - Seat Bracket Contacting Rear Electrical Center". The part number, mentioned in the TSB, is 88953222. I found it on Rock Auto listed under part number: D1755A. They're basically two different part numbers for the same thing. The AC Delco bag that the relay comes in actually lists both part numbers on it.

The eBay fuse box actually had a couple less fuses than the original. I didn't transfer any over since there were no electrical contacts in the slots for the "missing" fuses. Was a little worried about that, but when I took the car for a test-drive, I didn't notice any problems.

In the TSB, they actually recommend cutting 5mm off of the seat bracket on the driver's side:

Cause
The rear seat bottom frame may come into contact with the rear electrical center (REC) cover. The contact/interface results in varying amounts of
deflection of the fuel pump relay (FPR). The movement of the FPR causes potential wear of the male terminals on the FPR.
Correction
^ Install a low profile fuel pump relay.
^ Remove material from the rear seat bottom frame, driver side mounting brackets.

6. With the rear seat cushion on a bench, measure 5mm (0.197 in) from each edge of the right side seat mount bracket and mark with a paint marker as
shown (1).

7. Using a cut off wheel or equivalent, carefully cut each side of the bracket as shown (1).

Haven't cut the seat bracket, yet. That'll be a project for another day.
 
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We own a 2008 Buick Lucerne cxl and are having the fuel pump issue. We replaced the fuel pump and bought the fuse block off ebay and it does not look the same as what was in there. Has anyone else encountered this? My husband is afraid to put the new one in even though it states it was the correct one in the ad on eBay. I would very much appreciate any information you can give us!
 
I noticed a few minor differences between the original and the one I bought off of eBay. I was a little worried, at first, but after checking the service manual, it doesn't appear that any of the missing fuses are used for anything...at least not on my CX. Haven't run into any issues since swapping fuse boxes.

Here is the original
DSCF3827_old.webp

And here is the one I bought off of eBay (with the 88953222 fuel pump relay installed...in place of the one that came with the fuse box)
DSCF3826_new.webp

The missing fuses are described in the 2008 Lucerne service manual as follows:
No / Device / Rating / Description
#3 / Run3 Fuse / 5A / Not Used
#11 / MDL-RR Fuse / 20A / Not Used
#23 / SWS-RR Fuse / 20A / (Z75)
#27 / NAV Fuse / 10A / (Z75)
 
Several months ago I reinstalled my fuel pressure relay but I twisted the flat pins a little bit to make better contact it worked good for about six months I recently had a no start problem again and noticed by relay was burnt brown in some spots it was very hot so I installed another relay only this time I bent the pins in the half moon kind of arc to make better contact in the panel so far it work good I believe the problem is the pins get loose and start arking inside the fuse block similar to the flash of a little arc welder it burns the contact also creating a lot of heat which melts everything . Also has anybody heard about a different kind of fuse relay that doesn't create as much heat because the pin on the relay is isolated from the coil inside that relay and doesn't transfer the heat from the relay down into the fuse block
 
it burns the contact also creating a lot of heat which melts everything .

Interesting. Can you try something? Plug in the old relay and take the temp and compare it to the new one? Just want to see if it decreases the temp. If so, i may very well do this.
 
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