Can fuel pumps whine....??

[WoodChuck'r]

My '08 Ranger is making a progressively loud whining sound at idle. I initially thought it was the rear diff but it sounds like it's from under the bed/cab somewhere. Hard to pinpoint but standing a few feet away from the truck and you can clearly hear a loud whining sound. Getting underneath it's hard to pinpoint like I said but I am wondering if it's the fuel pump. Sounds like a small motor kind of whine and not a gear kind of whine. But when fuel pumps are going bad do they make that sound....?? I've changed a few in the past and never heard a noise like this.....

 

[mweba]

In tank pumps always whine. It may be that you've never noticed it before or it is on the way out. When you cycle the ignition on with out starting does it make the sound for two or three seconds?

 

[TK]

Fords have had noticeably louder power steering pumps as well, which usually get quite loud before they go. Check yo fluid homie. And the fuel pump on my 02 Chevy whined pretty loud, in tank pump. That was noticeable.

 

[Denis Gionet]

Yeah, the pump can start getting loose, as in wearing out... then they get more noisy when that happens. When it lets go -- and you can rest assured that it will soon -- make sure to have an axe or a big hammer handy. When it doesn't turn anymore, give the bottom of the tank a good hard slap with such tool (not the pointy end) and usually the pump kicks in again, temporarily.

Usually you can hear it with an auto-style stethoscope when held in the fuel filler neck, or against the tank bottom. A word of advice... when you (or whoever) drops the tank to change the pump, insist on putting new fuel tank straps in there, if there's any doubt of their condition. Fuel pumps also stop working when the tank falls onto the interstate.....

 

[motomedik]

One thing that your post makes me think of is under the pump i just got done changing out in the vw there was shiny metal flakes. Glad to see that as I realized that the pump was certainly bad.
Don't let that strand you somewhere! Maybe check fuel pressure or listen while someone else cycles the ignition as suggested above.
Dang cars! If only the gtg's weren't so far away we'd not even care if the car was busted!

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Got it taken care of last week.

I took it in because I had no desire to drop the tank. From the reading I was doing, most guys who own Rangers recommended that you remove the bed as it's way easier that way. I said fark that noise, not getting into that.

I took it into the shop and I was expecting to pay around $400-$500 after replacing the pump, sending unit, filter, plus labor. A buddy of mine works there and he said that it's pretty common for some Ford and GM pumps to just whine even if they aren't going bad. He said he didn't see much reason to replace the pump and sending unit, said he gets this rather often and he actually likes to save people money. He suggested to just replace the filter. Turns out that's all it was. He said the old one was so plugged up that his air hose practically couldn't blow any air through it. Easy fix though, and $71 is much better than $400+.

That's the beauty of taking a vehicle to the shop - dropping it off and picking it up is the only labor you have to worry about. :)

 

[Denis Gionet]

He suggested to just replace the filter. Turns out that's all it was. He said the old one was so plugged up that his air hose practically couldn't blow any air through it.

And I thought only Chevs were bad for that. Those older Vortecs are terrible for filters plugging. I worked at a small engine shop once, the owner says "The engine stalls when I raise the plow on the pickup". A 200 foot road test told the tale, totally bagged filter, so plugged that even just loading up the alternator by raising the plow blade would stall the engine !

 

[WoodChuck'r]

And I thought only Chevs were bad for that. Those older Vortecs are terrible for filters plugging. I worked at a small engine shop once, the owner says "The engine stalls when I raise the plow on the pickup". A 200 foot road test told the tale, totally bagged filter, so plugged that even just loading up the alternator by raising the plow blade would stall the engine !

Strange thing is Denis I have an '02 Ranger as well - regular cab 2wd 3.0 V6. I bought it with 20k miles on it back in '06 and it's still running the original fuel filter. It's coming close to 115k miles now. I bought my '08 in the fall of 2010 - it's a 4wd extended cab with the 4.0 V6 and it's at 67k miles. Ford hasn't changed the Ranger much since 1993. The biggest changes it's undergone were for it's 2001 model year and since then all Rangers are practically identical.

Just goes to show there's a dud in every bunch.....

 

[TK]

In this bunch I think the dud iz meh

 

[mweba]

In this bunch I think the dud iz meh

Come on Mang, think positive!

 

[Denis Gionet]

Strange thing is Denis I have an '02 Ranger as well - regular cab 2wd 3.0 V6. I bought it with 20k miles on it back in '06 and it's still running the original fuel filter. It's coming close to 115k miles now. I bought my '08 in the fall of 2010 - it's a 4wd extended cab with the 4.0 V6 and it's at 67k miles. Ford hasn't changed the Ranger much since 1993. The biggest changes it's undergone were for it's 2001 model year and since then all Rangers are practically identical.

Just goes to show there's a dud in every bunch.....

True. The Ford filter is huge, about twice the size of the GM one, ergo will last twice as long before plugging up. I change mine every 5 years, or 50k miles or so. Cheap prevention, and it saves the pump. When the outside of the filter can looks like it's gonna rust through, I swap it out :bananarope: