Neon Fuel Pump Problem - Advise Please

When you go to "run" (not start) do you still hear the fuel pump whine?

Thanks fp

I don't hear a whine, not even for a few seconds.

OK, here's what happened...

I picked up a pump from a local scrapper for $50. I jacked up the car but couldn't get enough clearance to comfortably get at the pump. At the same time the skies opened and it started to pour (I was outside - I have no garage!). So I called up my regular mechanic who quoted me $100 for fitting the pump and I got the car towed to his garage for $50. I told him to replace the pump first, and see if that fixed the problem. I got a call a couple of hours later - the "new" pump had fixed the problem. Yip yip!

The new pump still has a whine, but I won't be able to tell how bad it gets until the fuel level gets lower. I have had two older neons that had silent pumps so I'm wondering if there has been a newer noiser design? (For the cynics among you, the new pump was marked by the scrapper and is now in my car).

Thanks for the help!!

"Gordon" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Putting a used fuel pump on a car makes about as much sense as putting on a used water pump. You will probably get to do the job again in the near future.

I accept your point, but fuel pumps generally do the life of the car. I have been driving for over 20 years now and I personally (until now!), nor anyone I am aware of, has had a fuel pump go bad on them. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but rather that the odds are against it. Besides, $45 for a used pump compared to $250 for a new one makes a used one very tempting. From what I hear, these pumps are prone to overheating if you run the tank near empty (below the red). When they overheat they can suffer, and can start to whine loudly. There is a good chance that if the new pump starts to go bad it'll let me know. If that happens I'll put a new one in.

BTW I'm down to 1/4 tank of gas now and the new pump is still very quiet.

Thanks for your great advice Nomen.

I am of the opinion that manufacturers actually design products to fail. Distributors make a lot of money replacing things that stop working. For instance, a fuel pump is a cushy job. The tank is easy to drain, the pump easy to remove (if you havethe equipment), and the pump is cheap to buy wholesale and expensive to sell retail. In 45 minutes a garage can make $200.

This was brought home to me when I fixed our 18 month old Panasonic microwave oven this week. It stopped working because the safety switch inside the door catch had slipped back. IMO it was actually designed to slip back after a time. First of all, there was no need for the switch to have an adjustable position. Secondly, there was no locking feature of the retaining screws. A spring washer or a toothed washer/screwhead would have prevented any movement. Bring this puppy back for repair, it takes them 5 minutes but they charge you 2 hours labor. On the other hand, you may dump the oven and go buy another one. Call me an old cynic, but its all a scam to keep money moving. I really don't think there's an incentive to make better products unless you start to look very bad against your competitors.

Believe me, they don't set out to do this. They all try to make the best they can with what they can spend.

And who really benefits? Not the pump manufacturer do you think they use a new fuel pump or does some local shop rebuild the old one? And why does the pump manufacturer give a crap about the money the local shop makes?

Yeah, right. OK let me ask you, when you went to buy this microwave oven, did you read up on microwave ovens and buy one of the top rated expensive ones? Or did you go to the local Bargain Buy and get the cheapest one they had on sale?

The problem is theres too many people out there buying $40 Panasonic cheap microwaves than $300 Maytag/Amana/Whirlpool/KitchenAid microwaves.

And what really irritates the crap out of me is when people like you bitch and moan about industry going down the toilet - and yet happily spend your money on some foreign product rather then buying American. Next time look up Maytag and see where they are based. Did it ever occur to you that the reason there's so many crappy products out there is that consumers like you are destroying the local industry by buying all the foreign crap instead of the American crap? And there's so much crap out there because so many of you buy crap instead of buying the good stuff, just because it's a few bucks cheaper? Well you get what you pay for, quit your bitching.

Ted

Wrong side of bed this morning, Ted? ;-)

Point taken. I'd buy US stuff everytime if I had a choice, but I don't. For example, I sent my young nephew in Ireland an "American" football for Christmas. I looked high and low for one that didn't have "Made in China" emblazoned on it. Couldn't find one. Incredible! Everything over there is "Made in China" too, so it was hardly a special gift. Also, as someone who loves tools, and who loved the quality and durability of tools with a "Made in the USA" stamp, I can only lament at the loss of manufacturing in this country. I think many people will still pay for quality, but good luck finding it. FWIW, the situation makes me as frustrated as it does you, so please don't vote for Dubya this fall.