Fuel Pump Replacement on 96 1.9L

I have a 96 1.9 L with about 97000 miles manuel that started out idling rough, then check engine light came on said misfire in cylinder number four. I'm not much of a car buff, but with any misfire it pumps un-needed fuel into that cylinder which would cause a low pressure reading. Took the thing to a shady mechanic who said it needed new spark plug wires and fuel pump. I replaced the spark plug wires and car appeared to run fine for about two days. Now it won't start. Sounds like metal grinding on metal and the clutch is grabby, agian I don't know much but when I punched the gas I got no response. My question is should I pay the mechanic 395 usd for a job that he said would take him about an hour or would it be worth saving my cash and doing it myself the part its self is only 131 with new gaskets, filters, and strainers? And could it be something in the ignition system rather than the fuel pump? Don't really have a clue if its even worth fixing at this point any advice would be greatly appreciated.

First thing to do is get a Haynes manual at autozone, advanceauto, pep boys, oreillys, etc. ~$15. I wouldn't settle for a Chilton - Haynes is better for a newbie. See the troubleshooting for your symptoms. Is it really a fuel pump problem? Could it be clogged fuel filter, clogged injectors, fuel line leak, plugs, wires, ignition coil module, etc? Read the procedure for this repair - are you comfortable doing it? Perhaps get a 2nd opinion at a "sunny" mechanic. The more knowledge you have when visiting a mechanic, the less likely you are to get ripped off.

First thing to do is get a Haynes manual at autozone, advanceauto, pep boys, oreillys, etc. ~$15. I wouldn't settle for a Chilton - Haynes is better for a newbie. See the troubleshooting for your symptoms. Is it really a fuel pump problem? Could it be clogged fuel filter, clogged injectors, fuel line leak, plugs, wires, ignition coil module, etc? Read the procedure for this repair - are you comfortable doing it? Perhaps get a 2nd opinion at a "sunny" mechanic. The more knowledge you have when visiting a mechanic, the less likely you are to get ripped off.

Thanks for the advice, I have the Haynes manual and that's what led me to the conclusion I could possible do this myself. I changed the plugs and wires which fixed the misfire, but it was still having difficulty idling. The fact that the vehicle won't start at all today made me wonder if the "shady" mechanic was right about the fuel pump, but others have told me to check the ignition coil and that appears to be functioning properly or so I was told. I had intend to change the fuel filter with the pump, as recommended in the manual, but I'm not sure if a simple clogged fuel filter would result in such a massive vehicle malfunction. There doesn't appear to be any leaks, I was still getting approximately 34 mpg before this started, so I think a fuel line leak is immprobable. And while my mother could hardly beleive it the vehicle does have more than half a tank of gas sitting in it. I've only had the vehicle about five months and I fear sinking a great deal of money into it when frankly I didn't pay that much for the vehicle in the first place.

I think you should take take fuel pump out and test it. Put voltage direct from the battery to it. That way you'll know if it's really bad.