Charlene is alive again - mystery solved!

Kudos for your commitment to the mechanic/shop...It's good to have a trusted place to take your car.

Thanks for the new knowledge.

fe fe feh fuhhh F O U R H U N D R E D S E V E N T Y D O L L A R S for a fuel pump... ?????

lkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Sorry... I passed out and my head was on the keyboard for a while :)

$470! That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard! I paid $109 for a Walbro 255lph pump.

honest buck and put food on his table

Don't forget his boat payments.

Jim S. '82 Mutant

$470! That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard! I paid $109 for a Walbro 255lph pump.

honest buck and put food on his table

Don't forget his boat payments.

Jim S. '82 Mutant

Not raining on your parade, but a bit steep on the part. Go here and identify the Ford Motorcraft P/N. I came up with PFS-231:

Tried this website for a ballpark figure:

Unless you already have one, you might want to pick up a fuel pressure gauge in the future. Sh*t happens, just not at the most convenient time, if there is such a thing. Given the choice, better to break down in front of Starbucks than at high speed on the freeway. Know what I mean???

F/P is probably more stressed and overheating from those conditions. Did you request the old part back??? May want to check the coil resistance and see if it's open or out of spec based on the code scan of high resistance in the F/P circuit. Just a thought...

-- Mike

93 Cobra

I'm happy that you're up and running again, and I appreciate your sentiments regarding your independent mechanic, but I fear that this particular "local guy" might be out to make more than a few quick bucks. The most expensive fuel pump that I can find in my trusty Mustang catalog (a Ford Racing 190 liters capacity) is well under HALF than the one you bought.

Making a fair profit is one thing, but 230% of retail is another, IMHO.

At AutoZone.com, it's $180.

at 19 Oct 2004, JD Adams [ snipped-for-privacy@nospam.here] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@nospam.here:

Congrats! You do owe the poor gal an apology tho. As I said before, probably something simple.

Ford as these proprietary code readers as well. Theirs is a Windows laptop with special software and attachments. Allowing real time monitoring of all sensors and much much more. I had one demo'd to me about 18 montsh back when my engine got swapped. There's more mundane versions of it on the market that hook to the serial port of any computer for about $200.

$149.99 at Sears Item #9 47059 Actron OBDII autoscanner CP9135 includes free cd

| >

| > Job? Family? Gimme a break. *One* copy of MM&FF will tell you what | > just about any Mustang part should cost. | >

| | At AutoZone.com, it's $180. | | -- | John | ThunderSnake #59 | If you Reply, be sure and remove the " (DELETE_THIS) " from the email | address. | #1 | |

So, JD, you got ripped off for the pump *and* the scanner. And the labor. And the tows you paid for were suddenly covered by AAA. I smell something foul.

JD Adams opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@nospam.here:

Wait a minute... you know that little sound in the still of the morning; you go out.. turn the key, and that little 2 second hum reassures you that your ford's computer is alive and well?

Why do we always assume the worst/ most technical fault?

I mean I aint really throwing rocks, - I have done the same Headslap - "DOH!" thing....but we were all a little caught up in your soap opera here and a definite lack of analysis.

In the future- oh, google-searched readers, of this saga- get a test lite and check for fuel pump power at the inertia switch when assistant turns key.

You are correct on the fuel pump, but without knowing what scanner he bought it's imposible to tell if he got ripped off. He may have simply bought one with more features than he needs. I got the simplest one available a couple-four years ago, cost about $130 or so. Basically just cable and software. The next one up had alot more bells and whistles, was more than twice that. I'm sure things have changed since then, including newer low cost offerings carried by sears.

Also, the most impressive scanners are the manufacturer ones. Got to play with one those for dodge. The Sun one that replaced it when dodge wanted theirs back wasn't nearly as good, but it does more than the one I bought. Although that was at the dawn of OBD2...

He also mentioned triple A in his first post as I recall.

I thought he said the pump was running when the key came on?

Part of the pump mechanism may have failed. It could be running and not providing fuel pressure. It would take further diagnosis and possibly disassembly to determine exactly what went wrong.

Then why would he suddenly add in that cost? And why didn't Kate stop drinking long enough to notice he already mentioned AAA? Maybe she thought he said AA.

I figured the shop would hit me up with a 40-60% markup on the parts, and it looks like I was pretty close to the mark. You'd be surprised to learn that Kragen Auto marks their parts up 400-600%, which tells more about the low quality of their stuff than anything else.

I find $284+ for a fuel pump pretty outrageous in and of itself. Gotta keep the shareholders happy I guess. The owner of the shop is barely staying afloat as it is; he can't even afford to medical insurance for his employees. This says more about my commitment to the local economy and independant shops than anything else. I got top-drawer service and I don't mind paying for it.

I hear ya - an FP guage is now on my 'wannit list'. I find it unusual that the fuel pump croaked to begin with. I suspect it was due to inactivity more than anything else; I only put about 100 miles per month on her these days, and sometimes not driving a car is harder on it than driving the piss out of it.

-JD

Fordparts.com listed part# F8ZZ-9H307-BE as $284.63; I was actually charged

443.58, a markup of about 55%, which is about average for most shops these days.

I know the owner personally. He's having a hellova time making ends meet. He employs 4 of the best mechanics you'll ever meet. They treated the car with the utmost in respect: no greasy fingerprints or footprints anywhere - not even on the fuel tank cover or rear bumper, and they had it fixed within an hour and a half after they got the parts in, which they had to special order from Reno, NV, 3 hours away. And they had it fixed and ready to go within 12 hours of flatbedding it in.

Hell, they didn't EVEN hot-rod it around the block, like the last moronic dealership did. It had exactly one-tenth of a mile on the clock from start to finish. That alone warrants my appreciation.

Yes, he marked up the parts - every shop does to pay the bills, jeez, the workmen's comp alone costs this guy 1.2 million per year! He can't even afford to offer medical coverage for his employees; it's damn tough to be in this business these days. I wouldn't want to do it, that's for sure. With Pep Boys right down the street, he has quite an uphill battle on his hands. He keeps customers around with SERVICE, and I don't mind paying a bit more for that service. You get what you pay for - his exact words.

Anyway, the thread was to be centered around the elusive diagnosis, not Business Ethics 101. I'm just hopeful that everyone here will give the independent shops a shot at their next repair, even if it costs a little more. Everyone's always so concerned with price, and not with expert service these days, and again, I still think you get what you pay for.

-JD

Retail shops buy their parts wholesale so the price paid by the consumer is more or less in line with everyone else. You weren't close to the mark, you were ripped off. And please show your source for the claimed markup at Kragen.

You are full of shit. You got ripped off or are BS'ing about the whole thing. Aren't you the guy who was moaning about gas grades being switched around at the pump, and what a rip-off that was? Wassamatta, the station employees getting insurance? And how the hell do you if the shop's employees are covered?

The manure is getting deeper, JD. Why don't you admit you got screwed before it's too late.

Words from the wise?

Couldn't tell ya. Just see the end of the third paragraph: