ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again!

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Sat 20 Nov 2010 10:03
ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again! - mcmac74

Hi

My 51 plate focus zetec (1.6 petrol) has just broken down with what seems to be a problem fuel pump. This is the third time it has happened in about 15 months.

The first two instances were quite similar in that the first i knew of a problem was when the engine started and then pretty much immediately died. On this occassion i had the same problem a week ago but it did manage to restart and i drove off but realized i had little power. On stopping i tried it a couple more times and the car then started ok and drove fine. All was good for a week until yesterday. Similar starting problems but after driving for about two miles i lost power whilst driving at about 40mph.

The RAC diagnostic said there was a problem with the fuel pump P0232 (fuel pump secondary circuit)

The first time it broke my mechanic told me that all the wiring was corroded and this was also the case the second time indicating that water was getting in somewhere. I know very little about cars so always have to take him at his word. The fact that this part is now having problems for a third time makes me pretty suss that he is diagnosing the problem correctly.

On this occassion he doesn't believe that the fuel pump is the problem as it is kicking in apparently. Still waiting for him to get back to me with the cause.....!?

Has anyone had any problems with these pumps or maybe has an inkling what may be wrong if not the pump? It just doesn't seem right to be paying out for this work a third time in just over a year.

Regards

Mark

Edited by mcmac74 on 20/11/2010 at 10:10

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Sat 20 Nov 2010 10:14
ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again! - Collos25

I have heard of pumps being damaged by debris from the tank and fuel lines might be worth checking out.

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Sun 21 Nov 2010 19:55
ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again! - mcmac74
fuel is getting to the lines apparently and as far as the mechanic can tell the problem cannot be easily diagnosed but he is changing the pump yet again as well as a connecting part which was very corroded. I can't recall the name of it but apparently its very expensive but he's managed to get a spare from a scrap yard . It doesn't bode well but no one seems to be able to offer any input into what may be the underlying cause of this.

mark
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Sun 14 Apr 2019 19:21
ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again! - Hadrian

Apologies for reviving an old topic

I can't help on this specific problem, but there does seem to be an increasing problem

with fuel pumps failing, maybe due to the complexity of today's fuel systems ?

I know that on the Ford BMax forum, a number of people have reported pump failures.

In 50yrs of driving, I've never had a fuel pump fail (touch wood). Only having to change one

which developed a whine.

Alan Radley

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Mon 15 Apr 2019 13:25
ford focus - fuel pump broken. Again! - John F

..... but there does seem to be an increasing problem

with fuel pumps failing, maybe due to the complexity of today's fuel systems ?

I know that on the Ford BMax forum, a number of people have reported pump failures.

In 50yrs of driving, I've never had a fuel pump fail (touch wood).....

Probably because cars go further, last longer and break down less than they used to. Fifty years ago a ten year old car with 60,000 miles on the clock was usually an unreliable rusty wreck. I have only once experienced a failing fuel pump, exactly three years ago in our Focus, which was then fifteen years old and 111,000 miles.......just nicely run in ;-). Changing the fuse for a bigger one got us home. At eighteen years old it has yet to have to be 'recovered' to a garage.

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