vehicle:

1994 Ford Ranger xtra cab
3.0 V6
Automatic

I think my fuel pump may be bad but I am not sure and I want to try the easy stuff first...

Two or three times over this last month my truck has acted like it was gonna die, like it was running out of gas. It was always right after I started it and took off. But it never died it just started to and then all of the sudden it would get gas and take off.

This happened twice yesterday and once this morning.

Then later today I started my truck and drove about 100 feet and it started acting like it was running out of gas and then died. I couldn't get it started again. I squirted some gas strait in to the intake and it would start up and run long enough to burn out what I had squirted in but then it would die again.

I ended up having it towed and then let it sit for a few hours and then went out and it started right up. I let it run for a few minutes and it was fine. Then I shut it off. I turned the key on and noticed I could hear the fuel pump pumping. It sounded like a vibration or something... I am guessing it was it turning on and pumping. Anyways I heard that and then I cranked it and it fired right up. I turned it off again and back on and it made that sound again. Then I turned it off again and back on and it didn't make the pumping sound. Just a light click sound that sounded like it came from the gas tank area. And it wouldn't start after that. I couldn't get the pumping sound to happen again either.

This has me almost certain it's the fuel pump. But someone told me that they had that problem out of a minivan they had and they had a wire that had a bad connection going in to the pump. They said it would do that and they would wiggle the wire and the pump would kick on and it would run fine. So maybe it's just a shorted wire...

Does anyone know where the wiring for the pump is, and can I get to it without tearing the truck apart? I'd like to at least try it before I replace the fuel pump.

Also, I've heard a few people say that if I do have to replace the pump, that removing the bed of the truck and going in from the top is easier than from the bottom of the truck... Has anyone heard or tried this?

Any other ideas are welcome too!

Thanks,
Isaac

Yes remove the bed or you have to drop the fuel tank down to get to it.

You can always have some one sit in the truck and crawl under the truck. Have them turn the key over. Not to start it just turn it over and listen for a sound like a electrical hum from the tank. If there is no noise pump is not working or wires are loose

Not my picture but would u rather do this or have to drop a full gas tank that weighs over 100 pounds?

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Thanks. That looks much easier!

I know some people with cars just cut a hole over the tank so they dont have to drop it.

Dropping a half filled tank or more is a PITA

I just changed my sisters fuel pump wed. hers had a cover on the bottom of the tank you pulled it out of. easiest one I have done

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Thanks. Do you know of any wires I can check going in to the pump to see if there is a loose connection or ground problem? I tried to find the wiring for the pump but couldn't find any. Unless they are run above the tank??

Before digging into that check the fuel pump relay and fuse.

Will have to take relay to auto store and have them test it.

One way once you get to the fuel pump to test if it is working

Fuse and relay will be located in the power distribution box under the hood

With ignition off, unplug the electrical connector from the fuel pump. Using a jumper wire, ground the negative terminal of the fuel pump. Using a fused jumper wire, apply 12volts to the fuel pump feed terminal

If the fuel pump doesn't run replace it. If it does run then you have an electricl problem som where in the electrical circuit to the pump

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Thanks. Going to try that right now.

What a relief.. just a bad relay. I unplugged the relay and then plugged it back in and it worked. Then stopped again. The store up the road doesn't test relays so I bypassed the relay by running a jumper and the pump kicked on. So I ran up to the store and bought a relay... $6 later it's running fine. Thanks a TON for mentioning that relay. Saved a TON OF TIME!

Sweet glad you saved some time and money

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I'm having a similar problem. My truck won't idle right after it warms up. Sometimes when driving down the road the truck will just die. It sometimes takes a half hour to crank back up. I replaced the fuel filter, fuel pump, and idle air controller but no change. Any ideas? Also I don't have any vacuum leaks.

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Firefighter625 88 Ranger 2.9