I have a '95 F150 4x4 (5.8L). I was out of town on business, got back in truck after meeting and truck would turn over but not start. I thought battery might be draining and was able to jump start (somehow) after about 5 minutes.

Now the fun starts...I started down the road and engine started bogging down. It was almost as if I was running out of gas, though the gauge was registering 1/4 tank. I pulled over at a station and popped the hood for quick visual check. The engine idled perfectly. I pulled back out onto road and once again...the same results. The further I would press the accelerator, the more the engine would bog.

I stopped again and shut off engine. Would not start back. I noticed that I could no longer hear the "whine" of the fuel pump when turning on ignition. All I could hear was a single click about 3 seconds after I turned the switch.

I managed to start one more time by turning switch on and off a couple of times to prime pump. That was it. Got the truck towed back to my house.

Where should I start? Would a bad relay allow the engine to operate somewhat before it went out? Or are we definitely talking about a bad fuel pump?

If fuel pump, is this something a novice mechanic should try to tackle?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

If you do your own brakes you can do the pump. If an oil change is as far as you have gone, I would have someone else take a crack at it.

 

Check for power at the pump.