I gotta vent! Today at 7am, I drop my truck off at a ma and pop mechanic shop that used to be owned by a close friend. He was bought-out but I had a 20.00 credit for his secretary who is the only original staff left. But I have known her for years. So I dropped my truck just for an oil change and told them id be out of work at 3pm.

I get there at 3pm and truck not done! And without my permission they decide to change my fuel filters! They said they will use the credit for the filters.

They finish the truck and it wont start! I get more pissed as I listen to them crank and crank and the starter is going and going but no turn over! I was there for two hours as they try to get her going!

Another mechanic from the other locations stops by and tries to tell me that the fuel pump was bad and he's glad they changed the filter because I may of had a break down soon and they were checking on pump prices for an estimate for me.

I about lost it! They fried my fuel pump!

They finally are waiting on the part tomarrow..... like I dont have stuff to do. But are doing it all for free

 

Yeah I'd be pissed too. They've got no business changing filters or doing any other unauthorized work on a truck. I hope they get it straightened out for you. That stinks.

 

Thanks Powerstroke. I am still pissed! I missed picking up one of the kids from school, luckily I was able to make arrangements. But, they guy that tried to spin me is what upset me the most. I have never run out of diesel fuel so I know they are a pain to get re-started. He obviously let air in the system. Hopefully, the are competent enough to put in a new fuel pump

 

Keyword bold and underlined in your quote. I hope they are as well.

And I can relate. Mine was in the shop for 22 days from the middle of December into January. I turned in my rental on the day they said it was ready, got to the dealership, and found out it would be another week.....at least. I ended up driving an old beat up Subaru they'd just taken in on a trade for a little while until mine was done. Oh, and a large tree limb had fallen on the roof of the Subaru just before the guy traded it. Talk about adding insult to injury.

 

Have a buddy with a Dodge that had the same thing, a shop changed fuel filters and ruined fuel pump trying to get air out of the system by cranking on it forever.

 

Only have to turn it over a few times to know there's air in the system...how about the shutoff before the filters or did they not fill the new filters before the install. They should pay for the new pump. Or does it not have a shutoff valve and if so get one installed.

 

that bites man... im pretty sure the shop i had my truck in for the pinion seal to be done was what caused my rear end to strip the ring and pinions gears teeth a month later.. so i know how you feel...

ive changed those fuel filters on mine and had to do work in the system another time after that.. getting the air out of the diesel lines is definitely not a fun thing to have to do... but they obviously didnt know what they were doing.. i would be prepared to have to change that starter in the near future if they were literally continuously cranking that engine.. they are not designed to crank for longer than 15 seconds.. anything over that and they start getting damaged from over heating..

 

How did they fry your fuel pump? Can you imagine a way that they could have damaged the pump? I can't.

 

I have a friend who's powerstroke went in for fuel filter and when they removed old filters & replaced em , they could not get it to prime . the pump was weak (bad) replace pump run good , I guess once the prime was lost it didn't have power enough to pick up prime.so on yours the problem is they were supposed to be changing oil not fuel filters, bseg barry

 

When changing fuel filters they should be filled with mineral spirits or diesel fuel first so you don't get air in your fuel system.The shop should give you a break if they did fry the fuel pump trying to start the truck after changing fuel filters .Its possible that they fried the pump if it had a bunch of air in the system but thats hard to prove.

 

The filter reservoir should have evacuated all the air out the return line as soon as the key was turned and the fuel pump primed the fuel bowl.

I would be more curious if they installed the right filter. I am almost positive they installed the filter wrong or the wrong filter and it is not opening the check valve on the center black post to let the fuel flow to the heads.

I would take an OEM filter there tomorrow, install it yourself, and drive the truck away.

 

See the black post in the middle:


the fuel filter has to push that post down to open the check valve to be able to flow fuel to the heads/injectors.





The wrong filter or even a cheap filter or improperly installed filter might not push that check valve down/open.

 

First of all, the OP has a 6.4L truck which uses completely different filters than earlier generations. You can't fill them with fuel, and the primary filter is mounted horizontally so that anything you try to put in the housing will be dumped onto the ground before you get the lid on.

Secondly, I agree with Mark...I can't think of a single way they could have damaged your fuel pump. It's entirely possible that something isn't sealed, and in that event it will suck air and not start. Something is amiss here, and I wouldn't let them replace the fuel pump at this point.

 

I dislike that FTE has everything from 1999 to present trucks lumped together...

 

There is a 6.4L forum further down.