You are supposed to start the car, pull the fuel pump fuse #13 ( I think) let the engine stall to relieve the pressure, then screw on the gauge. To avoid fuel spills or fire!

 

Wonder if that had anything to do with my readings?

 

Check. The. Ethanol. Percent.

Sheesh. This is so easy to do.

 

I have no one to check it anytime soon and it’s extremely rare that’s the issue. Did research and only a handful of cases on GM flexfuel vehicles maybe five people including you and OP.

 

It’s a very remote possibility, I would still get a different fuel pressure gauge and retest the fuel pump.

 

Yes, check the fuel pressure again, but... I'm tending to agree with PulpFriction, because you said you had to "pump the gas". Holding the accelerator pedal down is flood clearing mode. I would think pumping would be a much less efficient way to clear a flooded condition, but would help a little.

Or perhaps the injectors are leaking fuel into the ports. Would that leakage show on the fuel pressure test?

 

Injectors are after the fuel pressure test port, but if they are leaking they would reduce pressure. Then it’s either the injectors leaking or the fuel pump pressure regulator leaking. Both are tested with the fuel pressure tester. How fast it leaks down after you turn of the key.
you can clean the injectors reinstall and test again. If the pressure leaks down slower, then it’s the injectors leaking

 

It may be rare but I and another member here had virtually identical symptoms under very similar circumstances and we both had a ridiculously high ethanol % setting and both fixed it the same way, by resetting the ethanol%.

It is stupidly easy to check. I did it with a Bluetooth dongle and a free app. Also there was another case with a Facebook owner who had the same problem and “couldn’t” check the %, but I told them to dig into the menus and voila, they found it, it was way high, they reset it and problems solved.

So not so remote under these circumstances.

Also, any parts store scanner should be able to do it.

But, go ahead and ignore me and chase your tails. How’s that gone so far?

I had an extensive PM exchange with the OP Blownz explaining what worked for me, but he feels fine thinking it’s unlikely because the experts here do, apparently.

I’m not saying ethanol % is the problem, I’m saying I have experience, documented here, that says it could be, and it’s really easy to check. Unfortunately, the car seems to try to gradually try to correct itself, so if it ever does, you’ll have replaced half the car and never learn what was wrong.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...20/#post906992

 

I’m not doubting nor ignoring your thoughts, Pulp . Perhaps for future reference you could make a tutorial for this procedure.
I scrolled back several pages, and saw you took your car to a dealership for the ECM reflash and they reset the alcohol content.
This isn’t something so simple to do then , someone mentioned a dongle and a free app.
Sorry, I’m at the hospital right now with Sweetie starting her 3rd round of chemotherapy, could you, post the procedure in a how to, or post it here and I’ll move it later. Thanks

 

Sorry to hear that blue! I have only spent $20.00 by the way PF so I’m not wasting money and a dealer/shop wants about $200.00 just to scan.