My Daughter's car threw a check engine light.
The first time in nineteen years!
My Daughter had to buy a code reader because the "guy" that read codes wasn't at work at O'Reilly's when they drove there. So she bought her own reader and relayed the info to me. The code reader displayed the 191 code, a problem with the fuel rail/injector pressure.
This was an even bigger problem because I was out of town, and my daughter was supposed to be driving down to meet the family for our vacation, 200 miles away! She ended up renting a car for the trip and the vacation went on as planned. This episode occurred a week later, after we were all back home. But back to the story...
This code could be caused by a failing sensor, damaged wiring and connectors, a plugged fuel filter or a weak fuel pump.
I sure hope that it isn't the fuel pump. I had it replaced around 80,000 miles ago, and it cost me over 500 bucks.
The easiest thing to replace was the sensor. So that was the first step. It's located on top of the fuel rail on the driver's side and is easily accessible. I ordered one from Amazon for thirty bucks. It was a Bosch unit.
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| This is the fuel rail pressure sensor. It was easy to replace. |
Replacement was easy. I knew that I'd seen my Son's code reader somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. So after I replaced the sensor I cleared the code the old fashioned way; I disconnected the battery for ten minutes. After hooking it back up, I started the car and the CEL went out. One thing that I noticed was that the engine no longer needed to be cranked a long time to start. It started immediately upon turning the key; this was a big improvement that was quite noticeable. The engine had started to require long cranking over the last couple of years. So I figured that the fuel pressure sensor had been going bad for a while.
However...
After a test drive, during which the car ran perfectly, the CEL came on. I put twenty miles on the car just to reset whatever needed to be reset.
I dug through my big roll away tool box and finally found the code reader.
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| A simple reader can read and reset codes but can't provide real time data. |
I scanned and found the 191 code, then erased it. I thought I was done, but during another test drive it came back on!
Time to do a deeper dive on the internet.
I learned that there was a process to reset the sensor, so I followed that. Turn on the key (don't start engine) for twenty seconds, turn off for ten seconds and to repeat the sequence 3-5 times. Then I should let the car idle for five to ten minutes.
So I cleared the code again.
I did the sequence five times, just to be safe. Then I started and let the engine run for ten minutes. I did that, and the CEL lit up after only few minutes.
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| I had to jack up the side of the car to gain access to the fuel filter. |
Other possible causes could be a clogged fuel filter restricting fuel pressure to the injectors. I watched a couple of videos and learned that the fuel filter was located on the frame rail at the driver's door. That was a change from my 1996 Mustang that had it near the fuel tank mounted on a cross member.
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| This was the second "easy fix." |
This will be my next step. I suppose that I could check the fuel pressure at the rail. I've got a vacuum gauge that I think can read fuel pressure. (It turns out that it wouldn't have worked anyway.)
A trip to my local O'Reilly's and I had the filter. It didn't take long to replace the it. The connectors didn't need the special tool to disconnect them. Just strong fingers.
There isn't a schrader valve on the fuel rail like my old '96. The fuel line to the rail has to be physically disconnected and the fuel pressure gauge connected in line. That looked like a lot of work, so I went back to the internet.
However I learned that the fuel pump can be changed from inside the car. There's an opening in the floor pan under the rear seat.
I did a deeper dive on the net, and AI pointed me in some new directions.
When I told it that starting and running fine, it told me that the physical side of the fuel delivery system was probably okay. There must be a problem with the wiring or connections.
I performed a couple of voltage checks as directed, but I reached the end of what I thought that I could do.
I decided to take a look at the fuel pump driver solenoid. The net informed me that it was mounted in the trunk, near the left wheel well. I looked all over, but I couldn't find it. I did another inquiry and I was told that it might have been moved inside the spare tire well. It was, and it appeared to be fine. No obvious corrosion in the connector, which I unplugged to check.
I could have replaced the driver solenoid, but it cost over 130.00 dollars at O'Reilly's so I thought that a better diagnosis was needed.
The question that hasn't been answered yet, is what the fuel pressure output was, does it meet the required standard or does it vary in output? The easy way to check this is with a code scanner that reads data in real time. I only have a basic reader and don't want to spend a couple of hundred bucks an a fancier scanner.
I didn't especially want to use an inline fuel pump gauge, though I watched a couple of videos on how to do this.
It seems like it's reached the point that I will need to take it to a professional mechanic.
Boy, does it kill me to admit this!
My whole identity is mixed up in being a DIY guy. In fact, I had some problems with my new motorcycle. I had to figure and straighten out the afternoon that I brought it home. I diagnosed and fixed the problem in a short time. (That's a story for another post.)
It's hard to choose a shop. My old mechanic retired, and a younger guy bought the business. I had good results from him for a couple of years, but he and his wife decided to start a restaurant and closed the shop!
I hate the Ford dealer, so that's out. There is a shop near my house that I had used once, and was not impressed.
I remembered that AAA has it's own repair shops. being a member based organization, like Costco, I hope that it wasn't their business plan to screw their membership. At least I hoped not. (Yeah, more on that later!)
There are two AAA shops in San Jose, one on Tully Road. and the other on Brokaw Rd. which is part of their member service center building.
I went to check out the shop on Tully, it used to be an old Firestone tire center. The parking lot was packed with cars, and not just parked in the spaces. They didn't have any appointments available, until next Monday.
I called the shop on Brokaw Rd. and they advised that they had a spot available on Friday morning. I headed on over to check it out. The place looked good and confidence inspiring. I booked the appointment for Friday morning at 8:00.
The initial procedure is to run a diagnostic test so they can figure out what the problem is. That will run me 225 bucks as a member, a savings of fifty bucks. One nice thing is that passenger shuttle service is included; to and from. However the cost of the diagnostic test is not applied to the cost of the repair.
I'm hoping for the best.
The diagnostic covered a lot of areas that I wouldn't have anticipated, such as dents and paint damage to the car. As if I wasn't already aware of that! They listed other things like an oil leak, weak battery, leaking shocks, and something about changing rear end lube and lubing the front suspension. That was funny because the ball joints and tie rod ends are sealed units.
Their physical testing indicated that the fuel pressure was weak, only 20 lbs. instead of 70, but I'd seen videos that put the normal pressure at 50 lbs. with running pressure at 30 or so. If the pressure varied or dropped too low, it would trigger the code.
All well and good, but they hadn't sent me an estimate for the repair. Yet.
Sometimes it's better not to know!
The estimate came to approx. 2,900 dollars! I thought that maybe this was for all the stuff on the list except for the bodywork. They claim three hours of labor @ 250.00 per hour. Then they charged me 700 dollars for the fuel pump, twice!
Fuel pump 1 unit 757.89
Fuel pump assembly 1 unit 791.98
Fuel pump tank seal 1 unit (this is usually included with the new pump) 80.25. They actually charged for TWO tank seals, 160.50.
Then add in their labor at 871.50.
Total with tax was 2,752.93!
I just couldn't see how they came up with figures;
Allowing one hour labor 250.00.
The fuel pump, maybe 350.00, the job should only cost around 600 bucks plus tax. Realistically, an OEM Ford pump might be 700 bucks, which was much more expensive than the pumps that I'd priced. My first place to check for costs is always RockAuto. They usually offer a variety of units at different quality levels and price points. Next I'll check with a NAPA dealer, as they only carry products of better quality.
I had been saying that I might be willing to pay up to a grand for the job. I'd watched the videos. The fuel tank is accessible through the rear floorboard under the seat. The fuel lines disconnect without any special tools.The retaining ring is loosened by using a mallet and a flat blade screwdriver. The video was only about fifteen minutes long, though it was probably edited a bit.
No way would I pay almost three thousand dollars for this repair; that's about all the car is worth!
So I did what I should have just done from the beginning.
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| Modern fuel pumps sit immersed in gasoline. They run much cooler and routinely last well over 100,000 miles. Just don't consistently run them under a quarter of a tank! |
I bought a new fuel pump at O'Reilly's for a total of 308.00 including tax. It came with a lifetime warranty.
I watched the video on how to change the pump, a couple of more times. I'd dealt with gas tanks before. It can be a scary business.
However, this time Ford did something right. The fuel pump access panel is under the rear seat cushion and is easy to access. It's also easier to sit inside the car and fuss with the pump. Instead of lying in the trunk, like with my '97 Riviera. And believe me, you are going to fuss with the pump!
On the afternoon that I picked up the car from AAA, I had paid my 225.00 for the diagnostic, I went to O'Reilly's and bought the fuel pump. My driveway slopes downwards, so I jacked up the front of the car to put it on an even keel (level). Luckily the tank was only half full. It would have been distressing to have fuel spilling out once I uncorked the tank.
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| The fitting to the left of the float arm connects to a fuel line in the tank. Yes some finagling was required to disconnect and reconnect that line. |
I undid the lock ring and the top of the pump popped up. Staring at almost ten gallons of gas is motivating, so I got right to work. It wasn't too hard. The fuel lines, even the one in the tank, didn't require any special tools just a lot of squeezing and pulling. I removed the old unit so that I could see the proper orientation to install the float arm. It took a little maneuvering to get the new assembly back in the hole.
The video did mention that reinstalling the lock ring was a bit of a chore. It took me several tries and about fifteen minutes, before I figured that out.
Once I had that buttoned up, I reattached the negative battery lead and fired up the engine. The engine started immediately and began running smoothly. The CEL went out immediately without the need to clear the code. I let the engine run for ten minutes or so to check for any possible leaks.
Then I vacuumed up the area under the cushion. Walnut shells, where could they have come from? Then I lowered the car, put the jack and stands away, and took it for a test drive.
I had only spent around an hour and half doing the repair, including jacking up and lowering the car.
Twenty miles later it was running fine, no CEL, and the engine actually felt quite a bit peppier.
I was also feeling quite a bit peppier myself, I kind of had a bounce in my step!
I felt validated as a car guy, and I earned my stripes... again. I had been dragging my feet just because I'm now older, lazier, and have a few extra bucks I can spend. I just didn't "feel like" messing around with the fuel pump so I thought I'd let someone else do the work. Until I learned the cost of the estimate!
I was pretty disappointed in my experience with the AAA shop. I still can't see how three hours of labor were authorized for the repair. It took me less than two hours, and that includes the initial test run period. I don't have access to the flat rate manual that specifies specifically how much labor a shop can charge for a job. Anytime they beat the time estimate, they make money. They're getting paid for doing nothing! The cost for the replacement pump also seems incredible. I saw low priced pumps on RockAuto for seventy bucks, but the majority of the pumps were priced around 150-200 dollars. I checked with a NAPA store and their pump was priced at a bit over 350.00.
I suppose that an American made OEM replacement from Ford, might cost around 700 dollars.
I think that they triple charged me on the replacement labor.
One hour to remove the fuel pump. One hour to remove the pump to assemble the sending unit arm, and re-install it, and another hour to replace the sealing ring! However, all these operations are part of the same replacement process, (R&R remove and replace) they take place during the same event. It's not like it was three distinct operations. The total for labor was 871.00
I have no idea how they came up with the 1,500 dollar cost for the fuel pump. They listed a 757.89 charge, then another 791.00 charge, then a separate 160.00 charge for TWO sealing rings which are usually included with the replacement pump! The total was actually 1,710.039.
Now, these were just the charges detailed on the estimate, I didn't pay them a dollar, because they didn't do the job. Maybe someone made a mistake, or maybe they were just trying to rip me off. I'm not complaining about the cost of the diagnosis, because I could see in photos that they had fitted a physical fuel pressure gauge to read the pressure.
I'm lucky because I'm a car guy and I'm familiar with automotive repairs. I've spent my life performing them in my driveway and garage. I know how cars work and the systems that are involved. But what if I was just a regular uninformed consumer?
2,900 bucks is almost what the car was worth before it developed a problem. I could see a regular guy deciding that instead of investing that much, it was time for another car. Either a new one, or one that was only a few years old. Or if they couldn't afford that, maybe they'd just look for another old used car and hope for the best.
Or maybe they'd get a second opinion. That would have been my plan.
I did learn something of value from this ordeal. With my '96 Mustang, the fuel pump failed without warning. So did the one in my '90 Dodge Caravan, though there were some indications of trouble with the Dodge. One night I was on the freeway driving the Mustang and the engine quit. Having a weak pump throw a code is a worthwhile improvement, and it could save someone from being stranded somewhere with a dead car.
Just don't have the car towed to a AAA repair shop for repairs!
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