I was driving to work today with cruise set at 70mph, all of a sudden the truck starts to chug, very badly, i immedilatly took cruise off. I then decided to try to speed up a little, when i did this nothing happened, my speedo was just dropping and i was running out of power. So i pull over to the sid eof the freeway, shut the truck off, and pop the hood to see if i could see anything obviously wrong. Well my belt had some ribs missing and its about 25% smaller and the 25% was wrapped around the fan. So i pull out all the belt material out of the fan. So back in the truck and start it, and it started fine and was runnin good. I thought to myself wow thats wierd a belt caused my truck to run like crap?? So i take off and not even 5 seconds later, the truck is out of power again and EXTREMELY loud, like an very old tractor loud. I pull over again and run codes. It ran the normal, no new codes. So i started thinking, and i said something easy to check is to see if my fuel pump is working since i thought loss of power+loud(air in fuel)=loss of fuel. So i pull the fuel filter out, drain the fuel out of the bowl, and had my co-worker hit the key. Nothing, there was no fuel at all being pumped into the bowl. Tried again turned the key back, then turned it forward again. Nothing. So i left the key on waiting for someone to pick us up. 10 minutes go by, i check the bowl, empty still. So after all these ramblings i think my fuel pump is either bad, or its not getting power. Does my diagnostic method suggest this as well, or should i check something else such a sensor(i know its not the cps), or relay of some sort?

 

The pump will only run for about 30 seconds during a key on cycle until it starts. I would check all the fuses, perhaps unplug the fuel heater connection at the bowl if you find a blown one. If all appears to check out, I would look for power at the connections on the pump when the key is first turned on, if it is there, perhaps a couple of smacks with a rubber mallet, piece of wood etc may jar it back to life enough to get underway.

 

I will try that first, if that does not work, then i will have my buddy give my truck a ride on his trailer for more testing in a warm garage. Of course it gets cold, my truck decides to get sick.

 

Okay, i got the truck home. I checked for voltage at the pump and it showed 11V. The pump is making a funny noise also. I tried hitting it with a hammer and no help. The fuel bowl is still empty. My batteries are dead so i am recharging them. Would taking the fuel pump out and bench testing it by hooking up a battery directly to the leads and sticking a hose into some diesel fuel and seeing if pumps out be a good idea? I just want to be 100% sure its the pump before i throw parts at it.

 

That would work fine. Sounds like a bad fuel pump... mine left me stranded with a $400 tow bill... Now I have a fuel pressure gauge!

 

Belt may have been slipping cuasing the batts to drain down. The IDM would have been barely getting the voltage to to fire the injectors at cruising speed. It sounds like on youre second attempt to drive the truck, at idle, the injectors had enough voltage to fire at idle. Was your batt light coming on during all of this? CHECK your 30amp fuse on the kick panel! Its carries some of the same symptoms that you are describing. I.E. fuel pump not operating, truck not starting, etc.

 

John, perhaps the pump somehow lost it's prime. How much fuel is in the tank? Before taking the pump out and while you wait for the batteries to charge, try priming it from the top by pouring clean fuel in through the filter bowl, I believe it should work it's way down there via gravity as air drains. Fill it up and see if it goes down then top off until it stabilizes. Just an idea before pulling the pump off.

 

Well i jumped the gun and the pump is just about out, i just need to d/c the output line. I got just over a 1/4 tank of fuel. Wouldn't the electrical connections not show voltage if a fuse was popped? The battery light did not come on once, but it was the attempting to start was the reason why the batteries dranined. If this pump is bad, what would you guys recommend for a replacment. I was thinking about going with a FASS 150gph pump.

 

If you have power to the pump then the fuses are good. The stock Bosch is a good unit. I believe Carter also makes a real nice one.

Check this out.

 

Okay, i tested the pump using water. It instantly sounded normal and was shotting water prefect. So i then proceded to see if it was maybe a bad connection, so i cleaned the tabs, then connections, hooked it back up but let the outlet line off so i can see and hear it spray. Turned the key and it sprayed for a second then trickled out again to nothing. Could my fuel gelled up? It was 20degrees out this mourning. I also put powersevice from the white container in that says anti-gel properties. If not level sensor is either off or maybe the pickup tube is plugged?

 

Whats the diagnosis on cause of belt shreding? To coincidental for me, to have fuel pick-up problens inthe tank and a loss of half youre belt shredded and wrapped around the fan. Just wandering. I guess it is possible to have both things happen at once.

tim

 

The belt was bouncing for awhile and i never got around to buying a ford oem belt. It would bounce up and down on the pulleys and you could see it. That could have been broke for a while and i never noticed it. Is it possible for fuel to be gelled after idling for 15 minutes then driving for 20 minutes?

 

MY $.02: add some fuel to tank to get above 1/4 and whack tank bottom lightly once or twice, just because you are there underneath. some members have 1/4 tank empty problems where she won't feed below 1/4 which is the reason for the tank mods.

 

Looks to me like a supply to pump problem. Can you hook up a seperate hose to the pump to supply it from a fuel container and try starting the truck that way? That will tell you if the problem resides pre-pump. I do not recommend running water through the pump though.

 

I have the in-tank mods. Its got about 3/8 of a tank of fuel. I wonder if when i did the return line in the tank if the level sensor is stuck on that? The only problem with that theory is i put twenty bucks in fuel in it the day before and drove 8 miles home. Then when i left, i only drove maybe 25 miles until my truck died.