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Fuel Pump Problem (I think)

9K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  norm356 
#1 ·
So before I begin this process of replacing my fuel pump, I think I should make a post to see if I am missing anything super important before I begin. My experience level is intermediate at best. I took a few years of auto shop in H.S. and learned a lot about working on cars in that class. We worked mainly on older hot rods and VW's that were in the shop so my knowledge never really translated to newer cars. I have done a lot of wiring work and replaced the sound systems on several vehicles. I have replaced alternators and belts on my previous F-150's. But this is my first Toyota vehicle and I am not extremely confident. I have a manual transmission 2007 FJ with just under 130K miles on it.

Problem: While approaching a stop sign (in neutral) my engine died and the check engine light came on. I tried starting and the engine just kept turning over but would not start. So I figure either no gas or no spark. I had a friend come over with a code reader but the engine would not give an error code even though the check engine light was on. Maybe this was because it would not start. So we decided to pull the fuel line just in front of the fuel filter that is under the hood. When we pulled this line and tried to start the engine no gas was coming out. We then used starter spray directly into the intake to see if the engine would start, and it did. Because it started with starter spray and there is no fuel coming out of the fuel line I am assuming it is a bad fuel pump. Please correct me if I am wrong on this or if there is anything else I should check before pulling the fuel pump.

My Solution: I am going to try and use the hack seen on YouTube (found in this forum) where people cut the floor panel to increase the size of the access hole under the rear seat. It looks fairly simple and I do not really feel like I have the ability to drop the tank on my own without running into major hangups and headaches.

My Questions: Which fuel pump should I buy? Looking online I see two basic variants, one with the plastic housing included and one that appears to be just the pump that I would install into the housing. The difference in price is about $120-$150 so I am not sure what option to get. If it fairly simple to replace the pump inside the original housing then that's what I would prefer, but I don't want to do that if there are complicated procedures or if I will need ti zip tie anything in place. I'm assuming one just has to be installed inside the original housing and the other just replaces everything. Has anyone replaced their fuel filter have any advice about which type of pump or which brand to get that will work best. I am not really interested in getting something top of the line, just a simple replacement that will work as well as the original. Any advice would be helpful. The options I am seeing from Auto Zone are either Delphi or Spectra and range in price from wothout the housing the two options are $360 and $790 respectively, while the two with housing included are $480 or $535.
 
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#2 ·
While I can’t answer you main questions I will say that OE parts are by far the best. Online parts dealers like Cool Springs Toyota (a sponsor and hence will give Forum members discounts- ask for Roman) are happy to discuss problems and part numbers. GL!
 
#3 ·
Much more troubleshooting is required before you blindly replace the fuel pump. You have no evidence that the fuel pump is defective, all you know is that there is no fuel being delivered to the engine bay.

The first thing to do is verify that there is fuel present in the fuel tank. Failures of the fuel sending unit in the tank are more common than sudden, total failure of the fuel pump. Add 2 gallons of gas to the tank and attempt to start the engine.

Second, study the fuel pump power supply circuit and make sure that +12 VDC is actually present at the fuel pump. It is very rare for a fuel pump to fail catastrophically, the typical failure is a slow decline in fuel volume and pressure, which is seen only during full-load conditions.

Complete schematics for the 2007 FJC are available for free download from the purefjcruiser website. Scroll down the L side of the home page until you reach MORE INFORMATION > TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS, and that will take you to FJ ELECTRICAL DIAGRAMS.

You'll find a 20A EFI #1 fuse, a fuel pump resistor, a C/OPN relay, and an EFI relay all in the path supplying current to the fuel pump. Check ALL of these items carefully. If they all look good, check that B+ is actually present at the fuel pump terminals (access plate under rear seat).
 
#5 ·
OP's last post was 6 months ago ... with some trepidation he was going to 'try' to replace the fuel pump.

As is all too common, he didn't have the courtesy to let the Forum members know what the results were, if he ever got the pump installed, if that cured his original problem, etc.
 
#6 ·
I actually thought the vacuum serge canister was something to do with a fuel filter.... last year. I figured out that it wasn't shortly after I cut it in half to see what it looked like haha.. I've done 98% of the work (servicing, upgrades etc.) On my FJ so if I can help someone else I'd be happy to give my view on things. I'll definitely be keeping up to date with my posts and discussions as well. I'm sure that he was talking about the serge canister.. there isn't a fuel filter under the hood. Unless they threw one in after 2007..
 
#7 ·
I had this exact problem with my 2010 FJ this morning. Driving home from my wife's office, FJ just shuts down. No lights on dash prior or anything. Any recommendations are appreciated. I'm guessing it is fuel pump or fuel filter issue. Or as someone else mentioned, maybe it is out of gas but the fuel sending unit is reading incorrectly.
 
#8 ·
I cut through the floor to access the fuel pump. As soon as I pulled the pump out of the tank I could see that I was out of gas, I mean it was bone dry. I pulled the fuel line by the fuel injectors and was not getting any gas so I figured my fuel pump was out. My gauge still said I had a quarter tank so I never even considered that I might be getting a bad reading from my gauges. I ended up just putting the OEM pump back in the car and calling it a day. My gauge stops working at about 1/8 of a tank, it just stays put and stops going lower. If I fill up the tank the gauge will go to full but once I get down to 1/8 it just stays put.
 
#10 ·
Do a search on here on phrases like "fuel gauge issue" and you'll find a lot of threads on that subject, the fuel sender has an issue where it may get stuck at around 1/8 tank. Some have replaced the sender to correct it. Others have used their trip odometer, which is wise to do anyway, with such a small tank / short range.
 
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