2001 Fuel pump bad, newer tank? Fixed

[N2FORD]

My 2001 ST quit on me yesterday, driving down the highway about 50 mph. Engine just stopped running, I coasted to a stop and it restarted it. It ran about 2 minutes and quit again. Would not restart this time and has not since. I suspected fuel pump as I have seen the threads about them going bad. I do not hear the fuel pump when turning the key on. I also got a loaner fuel pressure gauge kit, no pressure pops up when trying to start it. I checked the fuse and swapped the relay, still nothing. I still have it on the trailer since hauling it home behind my Expedition. Help me here as to what else I should check?

The next part of my question is the 01's show a smaller tank then the 02-05's. I know where a good low mileage tank is. What mods would have to be done to make it fit? I do have a skid plate under my tank and a bigger transfer case. I thought I remembered a thread about this but couldn't find it.

 

[410Fortune]

what do you mean you have a bigger transfer case? All 4.0 Sport tracs use same transfer case

 

[N2FORD]

I have a V8 swap with a 4406 transfer case, it's bigger and had some issues with clearance getting it in. I am wondering where they pick up the extra gallon plus on the tank.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I both an '01 and an '02. Based on fill-ups, I'm not sure the tanks are different sizes, but the gauges behave so differently it's hard to tell. I've run the '02 as about as low as possible enough times I can judge it pretty well, but I haven't done it with the '01, so I fill it up sooner. I do know the literature lists different sized tanks, but whether that's true or not, I don't know. It could depend on when an '01 was built, too. If I remember correctly, mine was built in August 2001, so it's probably basically an '02 except for the registration date.

 

[N2FORD]

Mine is a job 2, don't recall the month built. My 05 that I had that my father in law now has seemed to take more gas than the 01. I guess I should just replace the pump and be done with it. I am always looking for an upgrade. From what I am seeing the pump part number is different between 01 and 05 so it might not work. I will do more research.

 

[koda2000]

Not sure about the ST's but the Explorer fuel tanks are stamped on the front or the rear of the tanks (can't recall which end) telling you the gallon capacity. My '01 4 door EB has a 24 gal tank and I do recall the 96 Sport I used to have had a smaller tank size. Does the 05 ST have the plastic fuel tank? I know at some point Ford changed over to the plastic tanks.

 

[N2FORD]

I wondered about plastic also. The part number for the fuel pump is different between 01 and 05 so that could be the reason. I am going Saturday morning to compare the 05 wrecked truck to mine. I did see some numbers on the back end of the tank as I was working on getting it out tonight. Almost got it down enough to get to the wires and fuel lines. The lens on the camera on my phone is cracked and taking crappy pictures or I would be posting some.

 

[koda2000]

I wondered about plastic also. The part number for the fuel pump is different between 01 and 05 so that could be the reason. I am going Saturday morning to compare the 05 wrecked truck to mine. I did see some numbers on the back end of the tank as I was working on getting it out tonight. Almost got it down enough to get to the wires and fuel lines. The lens on the camera on my phone is cracked and taking crappy pictures or I would be posting some.

I can't remember exactly what was stamped on my EB's metal tank, but it was obviously it's gallon capacity. Maybe it said "24 GAL". The Sport was perhaps a 20 GAL and was a smaller tank due to the shorter wheel base. I see no reason the ST's tank capacity would be less than a 4 door Expl.

 

[hondaslave1342]

Did you check the inertia switch..my 05 shuts off randomly...same signs as a bad pump..

 

[N2FORD]

I didn't but it did start back up once after the initial engine shut off. I will check it, thanks.

 

[N2FORD]

Went and looked at the newer bigger tank this morning, don't think it will work. It is plastic, wiring is different, hoses looked different and more of them. I am just trying to get it figured out why it won't start. The fuel pumps runs if you put power straight to it. Ohm meter shows only getting 5 volts back at the tank. I am tired of messing with it and towed it to a guy that seems really good with Fords and has done some Ranger V8 swaps. Hopefully he can figure it out. I will let you guys know what he finds.

 

[N2FORD]

Talked with the mechanic today that is working on my ST. He felt sure the fuel pump was bad causing wiring issues at the inertia switch. The wires at the switch was kinda burnt looking. Well $300 for a new Motorcraft fuel pump, a good used inertia switch with wiring and still no start. He started checking all kinds of stuff and finally found the throttle position sensor wiring had melted on the EGR tube and shorted out. He fixed that and it started right up. I will pick it up tomorrow. Just wanted to let you guys know, thanks for the ideas and comments.

 

[koda2000]

Talked with the mechanic today that is working on my ST. He felt sure the fuel pump was bad causing wiring issues at the inertia switch. The wires at the switch was kinda burnt looking. Well $300 for a new Motorcraft fuel pump, a good used inertia switch with wiring and still no start. He started checking all kinds of stuff and finally found the throttle position sensor wiring had melted on the EGR tube and shorted out. He fixed that and it started right up. I will pick it up tomorrow. Just wanted to let you guys know, thanks for the ideas and comments.

I'd glad you got your issue fixed, however I don't like the way you went about it. Maybe you didn't have the time to spend on diagnosing the problem yourself, maybe you don't have the tools, or expertise, to do it yourself (IDK you or your situation) but it pisses me off when so-called mechanics don't bother to properly diagnosis a problem before throwing parts at a vehicle and charging their customers for parts and labor they don't need. Maybe they just regularly rip their customers off, maybe they're just lazy. Proper diagnostics can take time and expertise and perhaps in the end the labor costs work out to be roughly the same as replacing a fuel pump, but it's not the way diagnostics should be done. I'd rather pay the $300 on mechanic diagnosis time rather than replacing a perfectly good parts and still have the problem.

Last year we had a member who reported a cooling problem with his A/C. Early on I had told him what his actual problem likely was (a broken blend door) and how to verify it himself. I even sent him a tool I'd made to easily check with. Instead he paid a shop something in excess of $750 (probably at least 1/2 the value of his 1997 vehicle) having the A/C shop replace his compressor and pretty much all the expensive parts of his system, even his heater control valve, and he still had the same problem. He wouldn't listen to reason, or anyone's suggestions, so he spend his money and had no improvement in his A/C operation. In the end he spend money on unneeded labor and parts before the A/C shop finally replaced his $25 blend door. No wonder shops get a bad reputation. A few months later he ended up getting rid of the vehicle. IDK if he traded it in or sold it privately, but I'm sure he didn't recoup the $750 he'd wasted on it.

As I said, IDK you or your situation. Maybe you're just happy it's now fixed. I Guess I'm just cheap and don't like being ripped off.

 

[410Fortune]

before I drop a fuel tank and replace a pump I put power to the pump directly at the tank connector and see if the pump runs and builds pressure. If it does then I move back to the truck side of things and find out why the pump is not being powered by the truck (wiring/control issue)
This simple step has saved me from dropping the tank about 5 times to replace a perfectly good fuel pump when the issue was elsewhere..........

If I was your mechanic I would not be able to charge you any labor for the fuel pump install...only parts, because it was his mistake to replace them in the first place. Then I would not charge you for the repairs to the EGR and TPS wiring = basically to save face with my customer this would have been a free repair...... due to my mistake of making you buy and then replacing a perfectly good fuel pump

Key to being a good mechanic is the ability to diagnose before any parts are ordered. Diagnosis usually means ruling things out, eliminating things and the possible cause of the issue. The fuel pump is super super simple to test long before you drop the tank, Intertia switch can be tested with a multimeter in about 8 seconds.........

 

[N2FORD]

I screwed up and didn't diagnose very well on my own. I had a hunch it was the fuel pump but was wrong. I am not very good at reading flow charts and wiring issues. I am more of a parts changer which cost me money sometimes, sometimes it works out. I had a very full week and no extra time to work on it. It was easier to haul it to him and pay the man than let it sit while I try to fix it and get more frustrated. He charged me $235 for labor and I feel that was fair for putting the tank back in and fixing the issue. I am glad to have found someone that will even work on it, alot of mechanics don't want to work modified trucks. It has a V8 swap and that scares some but he seems okay with it. If I had taken it to him from the beginning things probably would have gone different. I chalk it up to lesson learned.