98 taurus died on road

[tjensen]

98 Taurus died on the road. Had it towed to house to check out next day. Don't know if it is a fuel pump problem or pressure regulator. Tested the pressure on line and it only read around 15. Keep turning key switch to finally get correct pressure on line. Does anyone know if this is a sure bet on replacing fuel pump or should I look at something else before making final decision?

[shorod]

Welcome to the forum!

You could check/replace the fuel filter first, but the symptoms you describe, assuming the fuel pump was receiving power each cycle of the key, suggest a weak fuel pump.

-Rod

[tjensen]

Thanks Rod. Appreciate the advise.

[Willyum]

Jens,
If you read my exchanges 3 spaces down you'll see I recently went thru a similar situation. My wife and I did have to push the Bull 4 blocks home one day. I kept looking for the magic code from the check engine light but nothing ever came about the pump. One did come indicating the fuel pump driver module. I did get another one of those at a wrecking yard but that didn't do it. ($24) I did tackle the pump job myself from instructions from a Haynes book. The Ford dealer estimated my job at $1200. I figure I would be stupid to sink that much $$ into the vehicle. Is a tedious but not difficult job. If you shop around can get the part for about $200, I found a Carter (made USA) for $175 so it is worth the effort to DIY. By the way, it was my problem.

[danielsatur]

How old is the battery?

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by danielsatur

How old is the battery?

2 months old.

[danielsatur]

Make sure connections are clean + tight!

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by Willyum

Jens,
If you read my exchanges 3 spaces down you'll see I recently went thru a similar situation. My wife and I did have to push the Bull 4 blocks home one day. I kept looking for the magic code from the check engine light but nothing ever came about the pump. One did come indicating the fuel pump driver module. I did get another one of those at a wrecking yard but that didn't do it. ($24) I did tackle the pump job myself from instructions from a Haynes book. The Ford dealer estimated my job at $1200. I figure I would be stupid to sink that much $$ into the vehicle. Is a tedious but not difficult job. If you shop around can get the part for about $200, I found a Carter (made USA) for $175 so it is worth the effort to DIY. By the way, it was my problem.

Willyum

That's good advise. I did find one on the net for around same price. How long did it take you to complete the job?

Tjensen

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by danielsatur

Make sure connections are clean + tight!

Thanks for the advice. I'll double check.
Tjensen

[Willyum]

How long does it take to do the pump at home?
Getting the tank out took the longest. Securing the rear up on stands takes a while, you don't really need it up real high, but high enough to be able to lower the tank with a floor jack. I took off both rear wheels, be sure to take the right one off for sure. The hoses are stuck on tight, need to be careful not to damage them, most are not off the shelf generic hoses. Probably took me 3 hours off and nearly that long back on. I took my time and cleaned the top of the tank well. Also, I don't think you need to have the tank any more empty than 1/4. Actually could do it with more but it would be hard to handle.
By the way, should you DIY, the instructions how to do the whole job came inside the Carter fuel pump box.

[danielsatur]

Isn't there an access hole for the fuel pump under the rear seat?

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by shorod

Welcome to the forum!

You could check/replace the fuel filter first, but the symptoms you describe, assuming the fuel pump was receiving power each cycle of the key, suggest a weak fuel pump.

-Rod

Rod
Is there any special tools needed to change the fuel filter?

Tjensen

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by danielsatur

Isn't there an access hole for the fuel pump under the rear seat?

I really don't know. Does anybody else know about that? It would surely save some time though.

[tjensen]

Originally Posted by Willyum

How long does it take to do the pump at home?
Getting the tank out took the longest. Securing the rear up on stands takes a while, you don't really need it up real high, but high enough to be able to lower the tank with a floor jack. I took off both rear wheels, be sure to take the right one off for sure. The hoses are stuck on tight, need to be careful not to damage them, most are not off the shelf generic hoses. Probably took me 3 hours off and nearly that long back on. I took my time and cleaned the top of the tank well. Also, I don't think you need to have the tank any more empty than 1/4. Actually could do it with more but it would be hard to handle.
By the way, should you DIY, the instructions how to do the whole job came inside the Carter fuel pump box.

Thanks again Willyum.

[danielsatur]

www.alldata.com is worth every cent!