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  #1  
Old 10-21-2009, 12:34 AM
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Location: Stockton, CA
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Expedition
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2001 4.6L Expedition - Fuel Pump Relay?

Hi all,

This morning, truck started fine, went to work and came back for lunch a few hours later, everything was great, until I tried to get back to work...

She just kept cranking and almost wanting to fire, but never actually starting. A few folks at work told me to check my fuel pump by turning the key and listening for the humming/whine. I tried as soon as I got home, and could not hear anything coming from the tank (I popped the gas cap.)

So my next step was to check all the fuses, which I did. (Later finding my manual and double checking #10.) Fuse #10 is in perfect working order.

So, for giggles, I pulled the fuel pump relay to look at it, and put it back in.

After all that I waited a few hours, got a voltmeter to check if voltage was getting to the relay or not, and decided to check the fuel pump again, it hummed this time, and the car started no problem.

Any ideas? Does it sound like I'm dealing with a faulty relay or something else?

Thanks in advance

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  #2  
Old 10-21-2009, 12:57 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Utah
Vehicle: 1999 Ford F-150 5.4
Posts: 1,413
How olds the fuel filter. sounds like either that or the pump. When it gets colder fuel thickens if it get cold where you are that could be the killer to an old filter the pump cant get enough pressure past it.
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  #3  
Old 10-21-2009, 01:04 AM
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Location: Stockton, CA
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Unknown age, over 2 yrs on the fuel filter.

Temp was about 50 when it started fine this morning. Temp was closer to 70 when it would not start. I will try the filter tomorrow evening.
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  #4  
Old 10-21-2009, 11:39 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Central NJ
Vehicle: 1998 Ford F-150
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Fuel Filter is the first step.

When you listened in the gas tank for the HUM, did you do it right after you turned he key. The pump shuts off after a few seconds when pressure is built up, so you might have missed it. This really takes two people and a quiet area to do.

You can swap simular relays under the hood to see if that is your problem. If not, you may have a fuel pump going south, especally if you have alot of miles on the truck. Do a search for fuel pump and you will get tons of info on this.

My truck did exactly the same thing and it was the fuel pump.
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  #5  
Old 10-21-2009, 12:27 PM
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my dads truck did this, with 102k and 7 years on the fuel filter i changed that first, i still think his pumps goin bad but he doesnt listed
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  #6  
Old 10-23-2009, 03:42 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Stockton, CA
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Thanks for all the input, I'll read around the fuel pump threads.


I replaced the fuel filter and the relay. (Relay was 7 bucks, so I figured why not...)

The problem kind of happened again today, just kept cranking without firing, I turned the ignition off, flicked the relay with my finger, and it started the second time no problem. Like I said - I'll look through the fuel pump threads....
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  #7  
Old 10-23-2009, 10:36 PM
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Location: Lexington, SC
Vehicle: 2002 Ford Expedition
Posts: 88
If you replaced the relay and fuel filter and still having problem, sounds surely like your fuel pump is going bad. Shouldn't be too tough to replace.
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  #8  
Old 10-28-2009, 07:06 PM
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Location: Stockton, CA
Vehicle: 2001 Ford Expedition
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Thanks again everyone for your input. Problem is still occuring, I have not yet replaced the fuel pump.

Is there anything I can do to check the fuel pump before I blindly dump 100 bucks into it? Or - is there anything else that could cause this?

Like I said, I've replaced filter and relay to remove those as factors. Could the inertia switch be malfunctioning? I haven't had to mess with it at all, just a thought.

I'm only double checking because at this point I can't afford to dump money into a new fuel pump unless I'm positive that is the problem.

Thanks again,
Kevin
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  #9  
Old 10-28-2009, 10:04 PM
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Location: Central NJ
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I think you need to bite the bullet for a new fuel pump now. You checked the relay, fuel filter, fuses. The inertia switch is usually a go or no go, it does not only work sometimes

BTW you will spend more that $100. The pump alone was $165 when I replaced it. Took me 7 hours laying on the ground because i did it myself. With help, the job could have been don it a couple of hours

Good luck whatever you do.
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  #10  
Old 10-28-2009, 10:06 PM
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What was the most difficult SRFD? Getting the tank down?
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  #11  
Old 10-29-2009, 03:50 PM
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I needed 8 hands like one of those Indian Gods. Holding the tank down abit so I can reach over and disconnect the fuel and vapor lines. I had the tank on a jack, but it was not stable enough, kept trying to slip off
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