Fuel pump problem or not?

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:32 am

My car wouldn't start yesterday... two AA men crawled all over it for a couple of hours... conclusion was, electrics all fine, "must be the fuel side"... sure enough, took the pipe off, turned it over, no fuel at the rail... (rear end of the six cylinders just about the rocker cover)... towed home, with instruction to get the fuel pump checked out.

I then thought... I wonder if it's a filter? or a pick up pipe problem... so I think... it might have cleared with the joggling around of the short journey home behind the AA van...

Having done nothing to it, I gave it a try...it starts first time and runs fine now....

My question is, is there an in line filter somewhere that I can replace simply? or any other ideas what could be wrong, I can hardly take it to a garage now, saying the fuel pump is faulty, if I just driven there and the car works fine... I just don't want the car not to start again...

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:02 am

Fuel pump can be temperamental, and can just fail suddenly, more likely cause though is the fuel pump relay, which I'd say is the likely cause, try this first, as it's cheaper than a fuel pump.

You could also change the fuel filter, this can cause fuel starvation problems, but is unilkey to stop the car running, and then start again out of the blue.

The fuel filter is located under the car on the N/S, just under the rear seat.

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:04 am

Cheers Simon, that gives me something to look at... the relay is OK, so it filter next, is it easy to check without getting petrol everywhere?

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:08 am

oneblueleg wrote:Cheers Simon, that gives me something to look at... the relay is OK, so it filter next, is it easy to check without getting petrol everywhere?

Run the car and pull the fuel pump fuse until the engine dies, turn it over a couple of times, remove the fuel cap, and this should de-pressurise the system. You will still loose some fuel though!

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:18 am

Fuel pump change is easy....even a non mechanically minded monkey like me who normally has to check the haynes manual on how to change a fuse can do it.
There's a thread on the 2nd page I think entitled Idiots guide to changing a fuel pump where everyone has written how to do it and the part number from ECP.

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:16 pm

OK... won't start again now... I've seen the prices of fuel pumps and I don't like it... how can I tell if this one is actually nackered, or it's OK and the fault lies elsewhere?