Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Fuel Pumps (Long)

I have been doing some searching on this site about the difference between the 2000 Ford Contour fuel pump and the previous model yearâ??s fuel pumps. Since I had to remove my 2000 SVT Contour fuel pump, I know that the opening on the bottom of the back seat is not big enough to remove the fuel pump without making the opening bigger. I did not do this. Instead I did the hard way by removing the fuel tank. What a job! But I wanted to make sure there was nothing inside the fuel tank and I confirmed there was nothing in the tank that could ruin a fuel pump. The only thing I found was very fine particulate around the fuel pump assembly but I do not think this would or could ruin a fuel pump. My other car gets the exact same gas and it has the original fuel pump. This will be the second time the fuel pump is being replaced on my Contour, once by the dealer on warrantee and now by me. How are these fuel pumps failing?

Can someone please confirm that the fuel pump can be replaced by just using the opening on the bottom back seat without making the opening bigger on previous yearâ??s Ford Contours? Was this opening bigger on previous years Ford Contours or did the fuel pump assembly get bigger on the 2000's? I am definitely going to widen the opening so I can remove the fuel pump by just removing the back seat. I was thinking, if the opening was bigger on the previous years Ford Contours, could I buy the large rubber piece that fits over the opening and use it on my 2000 Ford Contour? What is the diameter of the opening on the previous model years?

I have a fuel pump on order from O'Reilly's for $139.99 and it has a limited lifetime warranty. Has anyone used this fuel pump?

Fuel pumps go bad when there is low voltage due to high resistance. Bad wires, relay contacts, connectors. Check the voltage to the pump.

Originally posted by TLaven:

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Can someone please confirm that the fuel pump can be replaced by just using the opening on the bottom back seat without making the opening bigger on previous yearâ??s Ford Contours? Was this opening bigger on previous years Ford Contours or did the fuel pump assembly get bigger on the 2000's? I am definitely going to widen the opening so I can remove the fuel pump by just removing the back seat. I was thinking, if the opening was bigger on the previous years Ford Contours, could I buy the large rubber piece that fits over the opening and use it on my 2000 Ford Contour? What is the diameter of the opening on the previous model years?

I have a fuel pump on order from O'Reilly's for $139.99 and it has a limited lifetime warranty. Has anyone used this fuel pump?

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On my '97 GL (which by the way has a '96 model fuel pump)
it was definitely easy to remove the pump without widening the hole.
Btw. a '97 Zetec FP was $120 (autozone) and a '96 Zetec FP was $79 (same) The ONLY difference being the shape of the power supply connector.

Consulting with SVT owners we came to the conclusion that the size of the opening/pump has to do with the pump (and the system) being return/returnless.
Zetecs (atleast early models) have return systems (2 pipes (red, white) on pump) whereas SVTs have returnless fuel systems (one hose).
I don't know if this theory is true for all model years.

And yes, fuel pumps fail on Contours. There was a guy on the forums who had 3 or 4 pumps under warranty.

Tiv

Update:

The fuel pump that I had on order from O'Reilly came in but after a close inspection the fuel pump looked different. After asking some questions about the differences of the O'Reilly fuel pump and the fuel pump on my Contour, the O'Reilly guy look up some information about the O'Reilly pump. Even though the pump was listed for a 2000 Contour, the pump was only good for Contours built before 1/2/99. Why they could not tell me this before, I do not know but O'Reilly does not sell a fuel pump for a 2000 V-6 Contour. So I called around and Napa also told they had a pump but this time I asked a lot questions about pump and just like the O'Reilly pump, the Napa fuel pump was only good for a Contours built before 1/2/99. Napa does not sell a 2000 V-6 Contour fuel pump; either does Autozone, Pepboys, and most of the places I called. Finally after calling around I was able to find a 2000 V-6 fuel pump from AC Delco. The price was $200.00. The cheapest I was quotes from a Ford dealer was $225.00 and one dealer quoted $300.00 . Since I have had two Ford fuel pumps go bad; I will try the AC Delco pump. Also the 2000 V-6 Contour fuel pumps come with the entire assembly, thus making them more expensive. I will install the pump this weekend and will definitely make the modifications to be able to remove the fuel pump from the back seat instead of removing the tank. I wish Ford did not change the 2000 V-6 fuel system to returnless type. I really think the return type fuel system is better. The return typeâ??s pumps are less expensive, easier to change, and more durable. I was able to get a lifetime warrantee on the 1999 fuel pump from Oâ??Reilly, I was not able to get that kind of warrantee on the 2000 fuel pump. I was only able to get a one year warrantee on the 2000 fuel pump.

Sounds like a firm date on the switch to returnless fuel (well, give or take).

Did you call Bill Jenkins? His discount (especially on something as costly as that pump) should beat the other dealer quotes you found as well as the AC Delco pump.

Oh yeah, not all SVTs have returnless fuel (as was previous mentioned in this thread). Mine doesn't (and I bet most built before 1/2/99 don't either).

2X95SEs is right it may not be the pump.
The power to it should be checked.
But remember - the returnless pumps pressure is controled by the computer, so the signal from the computer to the pump has to be checked.

The returnless pump is larger and the tank is different to compensate. Unfortunatlely Ford did not make the hole in the back seat larger.

Do yourself a favor and remove the circular filter screen from the bottom of the fuel pump module and throw it away. This is what usually plugs up. There is an ordinary sock type filter screen inside the module so the one on the bottom of the module really isn't needed.

Big Jim,

The bottom screen on the pump has a very fine mesh and was pretty plugged up. Since the screen is so fine, it will plug easily and once the screen plugged the pump suction will be restricted. When I put all the symptoms together, the screen is probably the problem. The first symptoms were at higher RPMs when the engine required more fuel. If the screen were partially plugged, then screen would restrict fuel when engine demanded a high fuel flow rate. This is exactly the initial symptom that I noticed. The first symptom was when the carâ??s RPMs were over 4,000 when I would feel that the car lost fuel. As things progressed it happened more and more frequently but only at high fuel demands, like something was restricting the fuel. Until last Friday the screen was plugged up enough to restrict the fuel flow enough to starve the pump of fuel at low fuel demand and ruin the pump. So, yes Big Jim I am going to take your advice and remove the bottom screen.

My only question why did Ford put such a fine screen on the bottom of the fuel pump? Could the 2000 V-6 Contour fuel pump be more susceptible to fine particulates? I am going to remove the screen on the new pump and find out. I really think the sock filter on the suction of the pump is fine enough.

Well I bought the pump from AC Delco. They showed me the difference between a 1999 fuel pump assembly and a 2000 fuel pump assembly. The 1999 fuel pump assembly is the right size to be removed from the opening on the bottom of the back seat. The 2000 fuel pump assembly is too large. The 2000 fuel pump has an outer housing that the 1999's do not have. I believe Ford left the opening the same size on the 2000â??s as the previous years. I really wonder how much attention to design details Ford makes. It is this housing that prevents the 2000 fuel pump from being removed from the back seat opening. I will make the opening larger and I recommend anyone who has to change the fuel pump on a 2000 V-6 Contour to do the same. The AC Delco fuel pump looks identical to the Ford fuel pump. I am also going to remove the bottom screen on the pump housing. I think the sock filter on the suction of the pump is adequate. I sure hope this will solve the problem. There is no question in my mind that previous years from the 2000's have a big advantage with the return type fuel system. I guess once you make the back seat opening bigger you will eliminate the access advantage but still the 2000 pumps are harder to find and more expensive. I hope the removal of the bottom screen will increase the reliability of the pump. I hope never have to change a fuel pump again on any car!