Fuel System

[Ladera]

When would it be necessary to have your fuel system flushed. I am replacing the fuel pump and fuel filter but the Ford dealership said that I needed the fuel system flushed too.

I had the truck sitting for about 3 years. I decided to start using it again but when I tried to start the truck it wouldn't, so I replaced the battery still wouldn't start. I figured bad gas and sprayed starter fuid into the intake and it cranked up on the first key turn.

I had a Ford Dealership/Repair shop drain the gas out of the tank for me and add new gas. They said that I needed a new fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel flush. They also said they could do it for over $1000. I call, RIP OFF, and got in touch with another shop which would do all of it for $400.

 

[jlsparky7]

$1000 is definitely a rip off.

As for a system "Flush" everything from the fuel filter to the engine should be fine. Thats why theres a fuel filter. As for everything behind the fuel filter.... There is a screen inside your gas tank that serves as a permanent filter for larger pieces of debris. The odds of that being clogged in CA are slim to none.

 

[Ladera]

Do you think I would be fine just putting new gas in the tank and starting the truck with out replacing the fuel pump? What would be the negative impact of not replacing the pump, filter, flush fuel lines and starting the truck to see if it runs?

 

[jlsparky7]

Id take the old filter off, flip the key to the on position (in 30sec-1min increments so the fuel pump doesnt overheat). Let the old fuel be drained out into an old container. Put a new fuel filter on and fill it up with fresh gas. The fuel pump should be fine. No sense in spending all the money to replace parts that are working fine.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Couple questions for ya...

How much fuel was in the tank when you parked it? I bought a 99 Sport tha sat for 2.5 years and the inside of the tank was rusted to hell and back...

I fought that tank for months, replacing the filter every couple of months when it would clog up with rust...

I finally replaced the tank and the fuel pump as well as the pump sock and the external filter for the last time in March 2010...

I live in Texas and do not believe that a metal tank will not rust...Also the filter sock only stops the bigger chunks of debris from going through the pump; smaller bits of anything flow through the sock, through the pump and get stopped inthe inlet side of the external filter...

I don't know what you have seen and what you can do on your truck but I wouldn't pay $400 to clean the tank and replace the pump...If the tank is rusty, I would replace it and be done with dealing with rust...

To give you an idea of the contamination inside my tank, this pic is the rust dissolved in the fuel that flowed from the inlet side of the filter when I pulled it off and this is after i tried to line the tank with POR-15 sealer...

 

[waskly]

Do you think I would be fine just putting new gas in the tank and starting the truck with out replacing the fuel pump? What would be the negative impact of not replacing the pump, filter, flush fuel lines and starting the truck to see if it runs?

is the fule system cleaning a service they offer?

if it is skip that, if the pump is dead, then yes, replace pump and filter.

at over 10 years in a dealership i never sold a fule system cleaning ever. and i seen cars with e85 in gas, water, soda, sugar, everything even decaying gas tanks, this does happen from time to time.

 

[Ladera]

The Ford dealership/Repair shop drained the tank of old fuel and replaced it with new fuel that I provided. They also said that they would have to flush the fuel lines, replace the fuel pump and filter and it would cost over $1000 to do. My truck is still in Virginia with a friend who is taking care of all of this for me while I sit here in San Diego.

Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with the filter or the fuel lines and want to see if the pump works by starting the truck and letting it run for a couple minutes. If it runs for a while this should prove that the pump is good, right?

This shouldn't do any damage to any other system in the truck, right? What do you guys think. I want to get this resolved soon but don't want to spend money on things that I really don't have to replace.

Thanks