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FUEL PUMP Replacement PLease Help!

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Kreush33

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Sorry in advance for cross posting feel free to delete whichever is in the wrong forum.

I have to replace my fuel pump, its an early 02 focus 2.0 Zetec, Manufacture date is 05/03/2002 just under the change in design >:0

two quick questions, what needs to be modified in the tank, do I just have to cut tabs to get the pump out, and how difucult is this? I have been reading tons of threads on replaceing the fuel pump even found the how to but nothing on how to do this procedure that I have come across.

Secondly since I am early 02 shouldn't my pump be covered under the extended warranty? I called my local dealer they ran the VIN and said there were no recalls. I am going to call back and ask specifically about the extended warranty. I guess they just didnt want to give up this information due to the fact that they might have to do free labor.

Thanx in advance, my car is my only source of transportation and I just moved so I have no one to help with rides ect if it totally goes out on me which it has done several times. Car switched to on position but no sound from the pump.
 
#2 ·
Pump snaps in place. To remove twist module CCW IIRC. Putting back in, twist clockwise once pump all the way down in hole and bottomed against tank bottom. Cut or break tabs and you have screwed up, nothing to hold pump down then.

Warranty times do run out, they don't replace under warranty forever. The time window to repair would have been back when all the troubles were occuring, or years ago.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Thanks that's what I thought but after talking to the Parts rep it got me second guessing.

You would think that since they work with these parts/cars daily they would know, it always amazes me how much misinformation is out there.
 
#4 ·
Before you go to the extent of replacing the pump, verify that the driver module (under the back seat on passenger side, if Zetec engine) and the pressure transducer at the rail (again, if it is a Zetec) are ok. The returnless system relies on pressure feedback and speed control. The SPIs are a conventional return system... pump and regulator, that's it. They are simpler and typically the pump is good or it's not good. The regs typically don't fail IMO, as I have never read or heard any complaints to that effect. Let me know what you find.
 
#5 ·
The reason I mention this is that I had a transducer crap out on me a few years back, t was reporting 65PSI pressure when there was actually 0PSI, so the PCM wouldn't engage the fuel pump driver module, thus the pump did not function. It can be a tricky problem. An ELM327 based laptop scan-tool may just be your best friend in this case... as Zetec Foci didn't come with a pressure test-port for a gauge for some ignorant reason... thanks to idealistic engineering... YAY!
 
#6 ·
No kidding there, I have given some thought to pulling that stupid little plug on rail end to see if I could tap some threads in there for maybe a 1/8" pipe plug or schrader so could actually physically test pressure like on my Contour. It has a test port you can hook a gauge up to.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Symptoms are as follows:

Car will sometimes start and then quickly studder and stall out usually very quickly, I think this is due to pressure and fuel in the line being burned but since the fuel pump didnt actuate once that fuel is used and pressure gone the car dies.

When trying to restart I can hear that the pump isnt kicking on

Usually happens when there is 1/4 tank or less of gas in the car.

After filling the car up with gas the car will run as normal again. until fuel level is reduced to previously mentioned levels

After it shuts off it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to many hours for the pump to kick back on. I have tried "tapping" the tank to see if I can get it to kick back on but with no luck.

Because of reading other peoples problems I have hedged my bets on the fuel pump. But I have no way of testing it or any other parts really until I pull it out of the car and if I am going through that trouble I mind as well replace it while its out. Costly repair though for sure.
 
#8 ·
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#9 ·
amc49 said:
No kidding there, I have given some thought to pulling that stupid little plug on rail end to see if I could tap some threads in there for maybe a 1/8" pipe plug or schrader so could actually physically test pressure like on my Contour. It has a test port you can hook a gauge up to.
Click to expand...
CONTOUR!!! SERIOUSLY??? 2.0L Zetec contour... did it have the same rail as a Focus? I know the ZX2s didn't. My haynes manual shows a picture of that engine with a frickin test port on it, and if I could obtain that piece of hardware I would be a very happy man! Please advise. :rock:
 
#10 ·
Kreush33 said:
Symptoms are as follows:

Car will sometimes start and then quickly studder and stall out usually very quickly, I think this is due to pressure and fuel in the line being burned but since the fuel pump didnt actuate once that fuel is used and pressure gone the car dies.

When trying to restart I can hear that the pump isnt kicking on

Usually happens when there is 1/4 tank or less of gas in the car.

After filling the car up with gas the car will run as normal again. until fuel level is reduced to previously mentioned levels

After it shuts off it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to many hours for the pump to kick back on. I have tried "tapping" the tank to see if I can get it to kick back on but with no luck.

Because of reading other peoples problems I have hedged my bets on the fuel pump. But I have no way of testing it or any other parts really until I pull it out of the car and if I am going through that trouble I mind as well replace it while its out. Costly repair though for sure.
Click to expand...
I still have not read all the replies, but you might want to check your sender against your gauge. You can do that using tEST mode on the cluster. If your gauge is lying to you, you may be dry of fuel. I know through my own stupidity that a fuel pump sucking air because I ran out of gas going uphill can sound like the pump is not even trying to cycle. Food for thought.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
No its not the guage, It happens when the car has gas in it, and most recently happened with almost a full tank of gas. I am not that ignorant to totally believe my guages 100% of the time but in this case its not that.

I just replaced the fuel pump it was an interesting experience. I wouldn't do it again. I don't have a lift and working on the car in tight quarters with a full fuel tank is not my idea of fun. I know this seems obvious but if you can do this with the least amount of gas possible in the tank before you start. I had the misfortune of filling my tank hoping that would help the fuel pump issue long enough for me to take it apart, it did not. I had to tow my car home with a full tank of gas and then do this R&R.

The fuel pump didn't snap into place with the Coutner Clock Wise and Clock Wise R&R as suggested by amc49. It was help in place my two clips. The new design that I got was spring loaded and didn't use the clips or really for that matter the craddle that it previsouly sat in, in the tank. I have heard of people cutting these out. I was to the point where I didn't want to do that mod, it was late, (or early probably around 3am) when I finally wrested the tank out. The new pump unit slid into the craddle, very snug but it fit, and I didn't have to do any mods, the spring and tight fit of the new fuel pump will keep is securely in place i am sure of that.

One of the harder parts, well most everything was a pain and had its quirks, was getting the big plastic ring back on the tank, seemed simple just screw on but had trouble getting it to thread correctly. And the hoses are all at pain to get off either with the clamps being in bad locations or turned away, and the hoses are not that flexible and are hard to get off the nipples because of that.

I had to cut one of the hoses with the one time use clamps on it because i couldn't get it off so I have to get a new hose and replace it. Other than that its back together and I am hoping my problem is fixed. I also bought a Fuel Pump Driver Module because my car died and I was actually right next to the dealer so I stopped in hoping that it might be an easy fix. 129 dollars later and it was not the FPDM. If the fuel pump replacement doesn't fix the problem I will look into the transducer. Is it under the car by the tank or something under the hood?

So I am going to return the FPDM monday, they said as long as it doesn't show signs of being installed then they will take it back, Since it just plugs in thats all i did to test it out so hopefully they will take it, if not I am selling a FPDM if anyone is interested haha

Lastly Greentengu I don't know why you thought i was trying to put an 03 pump in, I am just trying to replace stock 02 pump with another 02 pump.
 
#12 ·
Contour rail is NOT the same. Fuel attaches at driver side instead of pass like Focus. It DOES have test port though. I've got Haynes mag pics that show what appears to be Focus rail with test port, but vehicle was in London so maybe euro different. Us model gets rail with a plug of some sort on driver end held in by 2 small bolts. I've almost had the need to pull that plug but found the problem to be elsewhere at the time so didn't. I surmise though that pulling 2 bolts and plug might result in a hole that's tappable for maybe like 1/8" pipe tap and use a shrader from tire or maybe airtank kit part. Only way to know is pull that plug and see the hole size. Someday I'll get pissed off enough to do it.
 
#13 ·
To OP. I apologize for any misdirected effort I may have caused you to go through. Mine was '00 but I have '02 now just beginning to do same thing. I'll find out then. You are so right, those line locations on top of tank suck getting apart, much easier going back together.

Did you by any chance happen to look at the module filter on bottom of module? My '00 would die at 1/4 tank with any turn to the right, say right hand sweeper exit off freeway at speed. Got worse steadily until ridiculous. Pull module and simply cleaned round flat filter on bottom of module with water, solvent of any type won't touch the slimy buildup there caused by ethanol carrying water based crap. Mine totally plugged up, water rinse had it clean in maybe 10 seconds. Back together and still running fine almost 5 years later but I can feel the slight bangout at freeway speeds and more throttle, the first sign of the clog getting bad again.
 
#14 · (Edited)
For the record, while I'm very glad you got everything sorted out, I did not "think" you were going to put an '03 pump in your car. Actually, I had no idea what you were planning to do, as you never once made mention of having any set-in-stone plan. And not once did your post mention, hint at, allude to, explain, or otherwise give any indication whatsoever you were planning to replace your failed '02 pump with yet another '02.

However, I did consider that, after you'd hopefully read how my '02 pump failed, and after recalling how your '02 pump failed, and after noting how amc49's '02 pump was even now beginning to fail, you'd perhaps think of using a pump that in fact didn't have a demonstrated record of, well, failing. Thus, my decision to throw that option your way--of replacing your pump with a year lacking such a history of failure.

Furthermore, I was hoping you would understand my entire post described the exact procedure upon which you were about to engage, with the same year car you have...with only one exception:

The fuel pump described being put back in the car was an '03 utilizing an externally identical to an '02 2003 gas tank instead of an '02.

That is, I hoped that you'd read the post and then make the logical leap that one could merely replace the number "'03" with "'02" in my post and skip the step involving putting the '03 pump in the '03 tank. My thought was that, had you done so, you would have noticed that every step, stage, and warning in my post was identical to the steps, stages, and warnings you would have gone through in removing an '02 gas tank from an '02 focus and putting an externally identical gas tank back on an '02 focus. Would that you had the chance to do so--maybe it could have saved you a spot of trouble here or there.

--Scott
 
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#15 ·
@amc49 - I actually have removed that end-plate from the rail, because I pulled my entire underhood fuel system out and replaced it with one I pulled from a donor... which led me to discover the transducer was the problem. When you pull that plate off, there is a boss with an O-ring just like the transducer has. One could center-punch a dimple in the middle and drill and tap... then you need to find a thread-in schraeder valve that is rated for high pressure/gasolie application... I don't want to risk that as a DIY personally. Do you know if the port on the contour rail is on the same type of removable plate? Same bolt spacing maybe? Let me know.

@Kreush33 - The fuel pressure transducer is on the passenger side of the fuel rail. It is the black molded plastic piece that the flexible fuel line connects to. There is also an electrical connector going to it (3 wires, IIRC). The fuel pressure from the pump is measured in that transducer, and the pressure feedback is reported through the electrical connection back to the PCM, which informs the driver module how fast to turn the pump. Any further questions please ask.
 
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Brutus93
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