2000 Merc Sable LS, 3.0 4v eng, 64,000 miles

I just replaced the intake manifold gaskets about two months ago
and it has been running really great.

I drove it last night - no prob. This morning I tried to start it but all it does is crank with no indication of starting.

Fuel - about half a tank. With key on I removed the cap on the fuel rail Shrader valve and depressed it but no fuel came out.

I verified the voltage at the throttle position sensor - it''s Ok. I also made sure the fuel pump kill switch in the trunk was not out.

Started going through the ford cd manual but it''s a long process and I don''t have the all the diagnostics equipment to do some of the checks.

I don''t want to just start replacing parts - any ideas?

When you first turn the key on the fuel pump should run for a few seconds.. You shoudl be able to hear it in the car, but to be sure have someone sit in the car and listen in the fuel filler neck (with the cap off).. Have your assistance turn the key on and listen for a sort of a hum or whine in the tank.. If you hear nothing the fuel pump is not running...


SOunds like you covered the inertia switch in the trunk so the next simple check woudl be fuses..


IF they all check good the next step (if you can) would be to have your assistant try to start the car while you beat on the bottom of the tank with something (sometimes that''ll jar them enough to run, for a while)... If this causes it to start your fuel pump is due for replacing.. (if it starts get the car where it needs to be because it may not start again)


If still you have no start check the fuel pump relay... It''s in the underhood fuse box (location labeled on the cover).. With the key first turned on it should click on then off after a few seconds (you can feel it).. If it clicks pull the relay out, note on the bottom of it where the pins come out they are numbered... Should be 3 smaller pins, and 2 larger pins.. Using a jumper wire jump the two larger pins together in the fuse box (pins 3 and 5) IF you hear the pump start runing, or the car will start it''s the relay. (Swap the A/C relay in it''s place if you need the car to go get another relay) IF still no fuel it''s either a bad wire/connection, or most likely a bad fuel pump..


On rare occasions the inertia switches can go bad so as one last ditch effort you can unplug the interia switch... THe plug will have 3 holes for wires, but only 2 wires in it... Jump those two wires together and the intertia switch will be bypassed...

There is no fuel pump sound - normally I can hear it at first.

I wasn''t aware of the relay.

Is there a fuel pump fuse under the dash or in the underhood fuse box?

Cool trick hitting the tank.

I''ll check everything at first light tomorrow.

I believe the fuse is in the under hood box... I believe it''s also the same fuse for the ECM and not labeled "Fuel Pump".. I just can;t remeber off hand where that circuit is fused......I think that is addressed in the owners manual if need be.. IF you have a test light, the relay pin 3 (large outermost terminal) is the one that should have battery + to it all the time...


Good luck!

maxfax3, this is what I did this morning.

Starting at the front of the car I pulled the relays (fuel and ac). As suggested I swapped the relays - no fuel pump activity. Then I verified the voltage at the fuel relay socket with key on and off. In both cases there was constant and switched power. Using my multimeter and a jumper wire with the relay out of the car I tested the relay function. I checked the power to fuel pump contact by powering the relay and did a sound continuity check. The relay made a nice little "click" when activated and continuity sound check was positive through the fuel pump power contact. I would say that has been ruled out.

I then went back to the inertia switch in the trunk, pulled the connector and jumpered it - no fuel pump activity. I verified the voltage at the connector and by this time through repeated starting attempts the voltage was just under 11v, but I think that''''s acceptable. Do you agree?

Lastly, with key on I used a 2x4 and pounded on the bottom of the tank in several places. I thought I heard some activity but am not sure if that was the tank resonating. Car would not start.

One thing that bothered me is that pump gave me no indication of failure before this. In the past when electric fuel pumps failed they worked intermittently just before the finally stopped working.

But when I was looking at fuel pump relay I noticed the socket extensions were slightly discolored like it was hot. This was also the case with the relay socket. It''''s normally yellow but was slightly brownish discolored. Would you agree the pump was pulling some high amps leading up to a failure?

My guess is the next step is to drop the tank and replace the pump - do you agree?

You''''ve been a great help so far - thanks.
Edited by: nrlanni

What are your thoughts about buying only the pump and strainer kit rather than the complete pump assembly? There is a $60 - $70 difference in price.

It would mean taking the in-tank pump slosh canister apart and putting the new pump in there with the new strainer.

Sounds like you have a DOA pump... SOmetimes they will become intermittent, sometimes they just die... I''ve even had them still run but make no or low pressure...


If your fuel gauge works alright and you don;t mind dealing with that slosh canister I would by all means just get the pump and strainer... It''ll save you a fair amount of $$...


I replaced the entire assembly in my 97 because the fuel gauge was a bit screwy... Turns out with the new unit is just as screwy. If I had it to do over I woulda saved the extra $ and just keep track of hte milage like I do anyways...


I would probably throw a new fuel filter on there too just for good measure..

Yeah, my fuel gauge works good. The other thing is that I don''t know for sure if I have a 16 or 18 gal tank.

I made that mistake on my previous Sable (now junked). I bought the entire assembly but for a 16 gal tank and it turned out to have an 18 gal tank so my fuel gauge was messed up. It was a little different because the fuel pump assembly fit into a canister that was affixed inside the tank itself.

But it looks like from current model fuel pump photos the canister is part of the assembly and it can be disassembled. We''ll see after I get it out. Yes, I''ll replace my fuel filter - good advice.

This car is a 2000 model year but only 65,000 miles - is it unusual for a relatively low mileage car to lose it fuel pump?

I''m not exactly sure how one tells the difference w/o having both tanks side by side... Sort of breaking it down by the vin...


I was thinking that was pretty low milage for the fuel pump to die.. I would think it should at least last 100K.. But then again the pump took a dump on my 97 at 74,000... I chalked it up as another one of the many electrical problems this particular car has had.. I swear lightning stuck the thing or something...


It really makes me question the quality of cars made from the mid 90''s to present..The Sable has been the first car I''ve had that was newer than 1979.. Bought it when it was 2 years old with 32K on the clock.. I also bought a 96 Grand Marquis at about the same time that has had a few quirks and problems that I felt were too soon in it''s life.. The Sable was to replace my 79 Continental with 330K on it.. Ironically the Lincoln towed the Sable home twice... And now my 07 Ram 3500 is sitting in my garage again.. Replaced the Trans at 41K last month, now at 44K I''ll be replacing all the ball joints... It really makes me want to go back to driving 20 year old "junk" again...

It''s no wonder American car manufactures companies are going down the tubes. On the one hand I felt bad for the US workers so I supported the loans to the big three, but on the other hand, if we prop ''em up it just means they can keep screwing their customers.

I bought my 2000 Sable with 48,000 miles and it ran great up until the last 5k miles. I spent $120 having a special vacuum hose diagnosed because I couldn''t find the problem myself. The special hose had to come from the dealer and was $45. The cassette player in my radio went bad so I got one off eBay for $25. Then I spent $60 replacing intake manifold seals and now I''m replacing the fuel pump for $135. I''m beginning to wonder how much this "low mileage" used car is going to cost me over the next year. I half inclined to sell it once I get the fuel pump working.

On the other hand I have friends with Honda''s and Toyota''s that never touched the engine, trans, suspension, etc., until about 150k miles.

I hear ya... I''ve poured more money and time in the Mercs than I care to think about... I don''t even think I could break even selling it in a strong economy.. I bought an ''81 VW diesel about 2 years ago and feel it''s worth about twice as much...


The UAW and CEO''s need to come down a peg or three and get their priorities straight..Take a pay cut and stop worrying about what their stock is worth.. Build a quality product at a reasonable priceand the rest will follow...Maybe I''m wrong for thinking this but I like the fact that UAW employees are sweating over their job security...


I''d like to know what happened to fuel economy as well... GM touts it''s Aveo''s milage... Hmm 10 years ago they sold something called a Metro that blew the Aveo away, what happened? My 96 Grand Marquis can pull 27mpg (Full size full frame and a v8 engine!) Yet I hear several mention that their 2000 or so and newer get about 24 at best... What changed? I''ve heard claims that it''s related to stricter emission standards.. I can''t say that I can completely agree with that either.. If there''s more going in the tank, it''s gotta be going somewhere..


If I decide to buy another newer car againmaybe itwill be made in America (Honda or Toyota) Interestingly enough the only 2 vehicles I have that were made in the US are the Dodge and the VW..

I''''ve spent a good deal of money fixing my high mileage land yachts, but I''''d have to take the total spent on both of them (including purchase price) over the past 3 years now to even begin to get close to the one rice burner I''''ve owned. plus, the land yachts will take a hit and keep on goin. that ricer got totaled after a hit and run fender bender. drove it for another year until the head gaskets finally gave out at about 131K miles. I''''ve got about 180K on the crown vic and working around 106k on the MGM.

the main kicker for the money difference... I bought the land yachts outright. the ricer was financed (and a newer model).

I''''d rather have it paid off and fixing things as needed than to have payments and worry about it getting hit by a car like the ones I drive now.

oh yeah... and domestic parts are generally much cheaper than import parts.Edited by: slymer

slymer, for the most part agree with you, but what pi**es me off is the US auto exec''s have driven the big three into the ground.</span> We shouldn''t have to make a choice - my 2000 Sable ls Prem has a really nice all alum, dohc 24 valve engine. I love the sound of that thing.

What bothers me is this car is following the same pattern as my 1988 Sable. The was an issue with the intake manifold, and the fuel pump, I''m beginning to hear a slight rumble in the front pass side wheel bearing, just like my ''88. And it''s not just ford/merc. My 1985 and 1988 S-10 Blazers were the same. Fuel pump, flex plate, flex plate, ac, etc.

You''re right about the cost of buying parts for the Jap cars, but I have several friends that did nothing execpt oil and plug changes right up to 150k miles. Those things I described with my Blazer all started happening at 65k miles.

Back in the mid-1980''s my freinds scoffed at me for buying American but I said someone has to buy so they can rebuild and compete against the japs. Well, 20 yrs later that time has come and gone and now the big three are on their knees before congress.

Well Slymer, you have the last of the good ones!


Anyone ever notice how many 5 year old cars are starting to rust already! It''s like the 70''s all over again.. (Maybe disco will mak ea comeback soon) I had to have rust HOLES fixed in the rear wheel wells of the sable about 4 years ago...


I woudl tend to disagree that imports cost more than domestic parts anymore.. It''s pretty darned close.. This week in the shop, Alternator for a 2002 Nissan Altima $176 and it died at 163K.... Alternator for a 2003 Impala $173 died at 94K, and the Impala needs a new cat and egr valve too....Almost $400 just to buy the ball joints for an 07 Ram 3500! Yeah I know it''s a big truck but DAMN I shouldn;t be doing this at 44K..Starter for an 85 Mercedes Diesel $80 starter for a 91 Cherokee about $100 bucks more both died around 280K...


My 96 Grand Marquis I''m not displeased with it has done okay but I didn;t expect to be replacing a $300 intake manifold at 64K, AC evap and driver door hinges at 90K, and the alternator took a poo at 110K... I coudl go on and on.. But in some defense there are a few good ones... My brother in law''s 94 Tbird w/ a 4.6 is real close 300K..Brakes, tires, fluid changes, tune ups, and a water pump... IT does have the typical 4.6 valve seal problem and uses oil, but it runs like a top and still pulls 26mpg+ on the highway... I feelit has been a fast downhill decline for domestics since the mid 90''s.


Being in the garage busines here in Central Pa I used to bank on not seeing most cars for major repairs till they were at least 8-10 years old excluding some that get alot of miles fast..I would say in the last 5 or so years I have to keep thediag machinery and repair manuals updated to at least 3 years behind the current model year... And sometimes that still isn''t enough...The ratio of domestics to imports in this area (which is slowly changing) is about 4:1.. And still the majority of import work I do are those one''s that have gone 150K with no work, and they''re usually just here for maintenence...

the imports I had were the one I compared to, a Suzuki Esteem (actually a nice car, if you can keep people from hitting it), and the one I didn''t even mention, an Acura Legend. The Legend was an awesome car. the only problem was it was black with a non-working AC, power steering pump was dying (well over $200 for that part alone), brake pads were expensive, tires were expensive, just near everything was expensive for that car. And yes, the parts were the same price with Honda stamped on them instead of Acura. That was the car I traded for the Crown Vic. Managed to get about a grand for it in that condition and with 285K miles on it. The Suzuki parts weren''t as bad, but were about half again as pricey as Ford parts.

In the end, I probably spend a little more on gas, but without a car payment, and just taking care of things that break/wear out, I''ve averaged about $300/month without having to carry full coverage insurance. And that includes transmission rebuilds on both cars.

I guess it''s kinda luck of the draw.. Alot of part pricing seems to be based on how common it is... If it''s something used on thousands of cars for years and years it''ll tend to be cheaper..


For instance the Jeep starter I had mentioned was only used for 10 years on the 4.0L onlywhereas the Mercedes starter was used on every diesel mercedes for 20 or so years...


I still like my old junk... It does take more gas on some of them, but no payments and cheap insurance is nice... I''m really thinking of going back to my rule of no cars newer than me..

heh... interesting rule, I don''t think I could do that, but I definitely wouldn''t mind buying something that had no working drive train just to swap out something nice in it... end up with a $4000-6000 tab on the vehicle and parts and have something that will run real well for a long time. Sure beats the hell out of financing something for $20K+ over 5 years and having to carry full insurance coverage.

Not to mention what you have to pay to keep the darned thing running....


I kinda which I woudl have held on to my ''75 Gran Torino.. Power everything and A/C (that all worked! Torino 1, Sable 0) The quarters and fenders were getting prettyrusty (I''m not much of a body man) not to mention the springs and bushings in the suspension were all about shot, and a few other knick nacks here and there needed attention..Hindsight being 20/20 I would have had about the same amount in getting the Torino back to it''s prime that I have in keeping the Sable running...


AS much as I''m not a fan of VW''s I bought an non running 81 Rabbit diesel for $100about a year ago... Probably sunk about $1500 in it, rebuilt engine and trans, suspension all replaced, new clutch, etc.. Other than the need for a paint job some day it''s practically a new car.. And after this summer it paid for itself twice over at 50mpg on diesel and 46mpg on veggie oil.. Probably could have sold it for twice what I had in it back in the summer...

I drove one of those VWs Rabbits a few years way back when. The company I worked for had a fleet of them and they were fun to drive. After awhile I began to feel guilty because it could take so much abuse on a daily basis.

The thing is that was totally cheap to buy those things and it was really cheap to drive. It sat about two inches off the ground so even though it had lousy performance tires and the suspension sucked pretty bad, it handled Ok in spite of itself.
Edited by: nrlanni

I love the thing for zipping around town.. Easy to park too.. Granted it will not corner at 70mph but then again it''''s a 52 hp diesel, it takes a while to hit 70...


People look at me wierd when I tell them what I dumped into it (till this past summer)I figured while I was in the process I was going to address anything that can and may go wrong. So far I''''ve rolled 50K on it and only had the alternator take a crap (original. didn''t think about that).. The PO did nothing but routine maintence till the head gasket blew at 280K


I''m thinking the only thing wierd is I actuallyconsidered replacing the trans in the Sable when it finally does die completely..Edited by: maxfax3

The trans in my Sable still feel pretty crisp at this point, but that goes to show you can never tell with these things - I wouldn''t believe my fuel pump would take a dump at 65k miles.

On that point, what are your thoughts about keeping the tank full all the time. One of my friends is an old time mechanic and he swears if you don''t keep the tank at least half full all the time, your fuel pump overheats and wears out quicker. If that theory is true, maybe the previous owner drove my car with a low fuel tank.

I never bought the argument because I feel the pump doesn''t need to be submerged to stay cool. Even with a low fuel tank, the fuel pump would be cooled by the fuel running through it inside.

generally, as long as you don''t run the tank to near dry all the time (causing possible air suction) you shouldn''t have any trouble. sucking air makes liquid pumps wear out faster (that''s why you should always keep water or washer fluid in the washer reservoir). I generally go by the low fuel light. it comes on when I''m down to a quarter of a tank. My wife''s vic turns on at about 1/4 of a tank too. I would think that as long as you''re not sucking the tank dry, there shouldn''t be a problem unless your fuel tank cap won''t vent air into the tank as the pump is sucking fuel out. that can also put excess wear on the pump. The cap should work like a one-way valve allowing air in, but not out.

One of the things the repair manual said to check was the passive anti-theft alarm system to make sure it wasn''t cutting off the fuel.

My car has the passive anti-theft system and you can normally see a flashing light on the dash panel when the car is not running, which is the case now. However, I was never able to verify for sure the system hadn''t accidentally set itself. The other questions is how can I make sure I have properly re-set it.

I find it very unlikely this is the problem since I had fuel pump power at the inertia switch in the trunk, but I just want to make sure I''ve turned over every stone before I replace the fuel pump this weekend.

good call. I have no clue what the procedure for resetting the anti-theft system is short of just hitting the lock and unlock buttons on the remote. If you don''t have the remote, you may have to call a dealer to get the info on how to reset it.

As long as you don;t run the tank dry alot the pump should be fine.. The fuel flowing through it is what cools and lubricates the pump...


The passive alarm should reset as soon as the proper key is in and turned... However if mind serves me right the alarm doesn;t kill the fuel pump, it just won;t allow the PCM to fire the injectors.... Since you have power at the inertia swich I would bet your 2000 is like that...


The trans in my car shifts great, never slips, fluid looks beautiful and is changed every 25K... But just after it turned 90K starting at about 45mph (it''s in OD and the TCC is applied) it bucks... Feels like a miss. Tuned the engine up checked compression (good compression but the damn thing uses oil ?????) Had the thing on the scanner and ignition scope, couldn;t look any better..


It''s most noticable when going up a slighthill and not gassing it enough to down shift... Butit only is noticable after the TCC engauges. Over on the Tarus/Sable message board there were many people with the 3.0 DOHC and AX4N trans that commented about this then the trans taking a dump within 10K.. I suspect it''s a TCC problem.. Then about 120K it stopped.. Now at 140K it''s starting to do it again.. I maybe could get away with just replacing the torque converter but that''s alot of work to have the trans take a dump anyways... At this point I just don;t care and can deal with it, I just rely on something else if I''m traveling any distance...





Edited by: maxfax3

I''m going to replace the pump in the morning.

Just in case, how can I check the alarm status? I put both of my keys in the ignition switch and cranked it, unlocked the doors with the remote and the key, etc. The in dash alarm light seems to be flashing at the same rate as before so I suspect it hasn''t been triggered, but so far I haven''t been able to know for sure.

Probably after I get this problem straightened I''m going to trade it for something else. My 1988 Sable finally ran pretty good after I solved all it''s little problems. But when I took it in for a smog check it wouldn''t pass because the transmission was too inefficient. The state paid me $1000 to give it the wrecking yard so I used that money to buy my 2000 Sable. I just don''t like this car repeating the same pattern as before.

And what state may the be... LOL


Looking through alldata (they give great diagnoswtic info but not much on how the end user is to operate it) I believe the passive alarm is disabled as soon as it reads the correct key... IF the wrong key would be used, or if it just doesnt read the key it will reset itself as soon as it does read the proper code off the key...


The Active (or Perimeter?) alarm can be disabled by unlocking the doors with the key in the driver door, entereing the proper code in the key pad to unlock the door, or unlocking with the remote... The door has to be closed when doing so...


Once aganialldata is not real clear (and copied right from the Ford manuals too go figger) I think it''s the Active the disables the starter too..


Both systems disable fuel (pending on make/model how the engineer felt that day, etc) some disable only the injectors some diable the pump and injectors.. THe pump is disabled by simply not turning on the relay out under the hood.. So bypassing that relay even with the alarm triggered the pump should run (For on last ditch effort)

California gave me a $1000 to take it to a salvage yard. I was told at the time the Feds were giving them some matching funds because they wanted to get the old polluters off the road. It worked.

It had to meet the following criteria: Active vehicle registration for the prior year, Recently failed a smog test, You had to be able to drive it to the salvage yard, The car had to ninety percent complete. Even so I was able I take some things off the car that had worth.

Thanks for the info on then alarm.