12 replies to this topic

[brent]

I have a mk3 mondeo 1800 Zetec. Petrol. 2001
A few months ago my fuel pump failed and so I picked up a second hand one from a local scrap yard for around £30, they said it was from a mondeo that had only covered 60k and so i thought it would be worth the risk to save a little cash. I replaced it myself by dropping the tank. It took me forever to figure out what i was doing but eventually i got there!
It started 1st time and i was delighted.
However i then took the car out to see if it ran ok! about ten miles from my house there is a motorway, I JOINED IT. As i built up speed it cut out on me. The accelerator became totally unresponsive. And as i rolled to a stand still i suddenly thought, How the hell will i get home? I turned the ignition off and smoked a fag. i thought about calling the AA but first i decided to try starting it!..... IT STARTED!  And i managed to get home ok!
i took it to a local garage the next morning and they said it was probably just some crap in the fuel pipes. So i thought it would be ok to use the car.

In actual fact it was ok.
i have used the car daily since replacing the fuel pump. However for the first time recently i drove on the motor way and as soon as i drove at 70mph it cut out on me. This time i didnt panic and i was right not to as i started again.
over the last few weeks i have noticed a pattern......
When im driving around town (30/40mph) everything seems fine.
When im driving at higher speeds it cuts out on me.
** It maybe the case that on the occassions it cuts out my fuel is low. When i say low i mean around 1/4 full. But im not sure on this bit **
After it cuts out, it usually starts again 1st time. But as i go to pull off it USUALLY does the same thing and Cuts out. Some times i have to leave it a few minutes before it will re start and run ok

Today i noticed two new things:
1 - When it cuts out and i turn the ignition on (but before starting it) the whinning noise that the fuel pump usually makes seems different.

2- As im driving 50+ mph i can hear VERY CLEARLY the noise of fuel been drawn from the tank. It sounds very odd to me?... but maybe its normal? Just that i can ever remember hearing anything quite like it before.
The noise sound like its been sprayed, and its fairly irregular. every now and then it stops for a second or two and then maybe flow steadily for a 20 seconds.

i have no idea what is wrong with it and to be perfectly honest no garage has yet given me an answer either. I hope maybe one of you guys will have experienced similar symptoms in the past and can advise me!

Thanks for reading!

[Nosmo]

 brent, on 09 March 2011 - 09:41 PM, said:

I have a mk3 mondeo 1800 Zetec. Petrol. 2001
A few months ago my fuel pump failed and so I picked up a second hand one from a local scrap yard for around £30, they said it was from a mondeo that had only covered 60k and so i thought it would be worth the risk to save a little cash. I replaced it myself by dropping the tank. It took me forever to figure out what i was doing but eventually i got there!
It started 1st time and i was delighted.
However i then took the car out to see if it ran ok! about ten miles from my house there is a motorway, I JOINED IT. As i built up speed it cut out on me. The accelerator became totally unresponsive. And as i rolled to a stand still i suddenly thought, How the hell will i get home? I turned the ignition off and smoked a fag. i thought about calling the AA but first i decided to try starting it!..... IT STARTED!  And i managed to get home ok!
i took it to a local garage the next morning and they said it was probably just some crap in the fuel pipes. So i thought it would be ok to use the car.

In actual fact it was ok.
i have used the car daily since replacing the fuel pump. However for the first time recently i drove on the motor way and as soon as i drove at 70mph it cut out on me. This time i didnt panic and i was right not to as i started again.
over the last few weeks i have noticed a pattern......
When im driving around town (30/40mph) everything seems fine.
When im driving at higher speeds it cuts out on me.
** It maybe the case that on the occassions it cuts out my fuel is low. When i say low i mean around 1/4 full. But im not sure on this bit **
After it cuts out, it usually starts again 1st time. But as i go to pull off it USUALLY does the same thing and Cuts out. Some times i have to leave it a few minutes before it will re start and run ok

Today i noticed two new things:
1 - When it cuts out and i turn the ignition on (but before starting it) the whinning noise that the fuel pump usually makes seems different.

2- As im driving 50+ mph i can hear VERY CLEARLY the noise of fuel been drawn from the tank. It sounds very odd to me?... but maybe its normal? Just that i can ever remember hearing anything quite like it before.
The noise sound like its been sprayed, and its fairly irregular. every now and then it stops for a second or two and then maybe flow steadily for a 20 seconds.

i have no idea what is wrong with it and to be perfectly honest no garage has yet given me an answer either. I hope maybe one of you guys will have experienced similar symptoms in the past and can advise me!

Thanks for reading!

[Nosmo]

Hiya Brent

I've just been thru pretty much the same as you, I tried 2 pumps from a breakers and got similar symptoms after my pump packed up and I couldn't get a new one at the weekend. Anyway, what it seems to be, is that the pumps just just fail when they have been removed from their respective tanks and are left to dry out. The fuel pressure is too low, which causes your symptoms. I bet if you put a hose clamp on the fuel return pipe in the engine bay, it will raise the pressure and get you home. I bought a new pump from a local motor factor. Cost me £130 inc vat it drives fine now. I know it's a pain to have to change it again, but really it's the only way. Best of luck mate.

[willow321]

i have a similar problem on a 56 plate 2.0L petrol i was wondering where the fuel return pipe is thanks

[torquealot]

have you had the filter changed?  any of you ?

[siruncle]

on mk2's there's a giant rubber grommet you can remove to get at the fuel pump under the back seat, is this the case on a mk3? might save dropping the tank again if it is...

[Trillion]

 siruncle, on 04 June 2011 - 03:22 PM, said:

on mk2's there's a giant rubber grommet you can remove to get at the fuel pump under the back seat, is this the case on a mk3? might save dropping the tank again if it is...

There is indeed, but AFAIK it can't be removed through the rear seat. Silly design..

Anyway, there's some sort of fuel floater which measures exactly how much fuel is in the tank and translates this back to the fuel guage in the car. If it's not set properly it can measure incorrectly and so your guage may read as having a 1/4 full but in actual fact the cart may only have very little left.. I know this because after replacing my fuel pump my car runs out of petrol when the fuel guage reads as 1/8th of a tank full. This MAY be causing your problem! Try filling the tank up to the brim and see if the problem still remains.. if it doesn't then you know what's wrong.

[Trillion]

 siruncle, on 04 June 2011 - 03:22 PM, said:

on mk2's there's a giant rubber grommet you can remove to get at the fuel pump under the back seat, is this the case on a mk3? might save dropping the tank again if it is...

There is indeed, but AFAIK it can't be removed through the rear seat. Silly design..

Anyway, there's some sort of fuel floater which measures exactly how much fuel is in the tank and translates this back to the fuel guage in the car. If it's not set properly it can measure incorrectly and so your guage may read as having a 1/4 full but in actual fact the cart may only have very little left.. I know this because after replacing my fuel pump my car runs out of petrol when the fuel guage reads as 1/8th of a tank full. This MAY be causing your problem! Try filling the tank up to the brim and see if the problem still remains.. if it doesn't then you know what's wrong.

Sorry for double post!

[siruncle]

pretty sure a mk2's can, you sure?

[Trillion]

 siruncle, on 11 June 2011 - 10:42 PM, said:

pretty sure a mk2's can, you sure?

From what I recall from reading the Haynes, it's a bigger job than that and involves dropping the tank.. but I could be wrong!

[siruncle]

pop the grommet and unplug wires, and plug back in a couple of times, there may be a rubber seal in it to keep the sh*t out and its not seating properly, so you're occasionally not getting power to the pump. be worth a go being as it could be a free fix.

[Ulrik]

hey Brent, did you find the solution to your problem, my mondeo has shown the same problem?

Thanks

[PURPLE_2L_LX]

Dont hold your breath for a reply, Brent has not logged in since 11 March 2011.

Start your own topic listing what you have tried so far.   How old is the fuel filter?