Fuel problems

AUSTIN3232

MEMBER
1978 FORD F-250
5.8L
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
98,000 MILES

I had my truck taken to a guy. He replaced the fuel pump and did other exhaust work and flushed coolant. My truck shut off while driving after about 1,000 miles of him changing the fuel pump. I tried starting the engine several times after adding gas but it’d only start with starting fluid. My truck had about 1/4 to 3/8 tank of gas as far as I could tell. I’ve driven my truck down to about 1/8 tank of gas without problems. I don’t think the engine was flooded. Since he replaced the fuel pump, the auxiliary tank reads empty even though the tank is full. What could the problem with my fuel system be?

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,755 POSTS

Welcome to 2CarPros.

If it starts with starting fluid, then it is a fuel related issue. Can you hear the pump prime when you first turn the key? Does the aux tank pump work or is the vehicle not running at all?

Since the work was recently done, I would suspect it is either a wiring issue or the new pump has failed. What really needs done is to first confirm the pump is not running. Next, confirm there are no blown fuses to the fuel pump. Check to see if there is actually power to the pump and check for ground.

I'm not sure where you are located, so rust can be an issue and have an affect on the ground. Also, I would confirm that nothing has come disconnected or damaged as far as wiring.

Let me know. And by the way, I looked everywhere for a wiring schematic for the pump and because of the year, I had no luck. Try to test the simple things, fuse, power to pump, and ground. Also, if there is power and ground, then you can suspect the new pump is bad.

Here are a few links that you may find helpful when checking the electrical components associated with the pump:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-car-fuse-works

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

Let me know what you find,.

Take care,
Joe