Fuel pump according to AA

[Seamus]

Car would not start after getting to work today. I though it was because it was low on fuel so emptied the gallon can in but still would not start. Called AA who arrived in 40 mins. He whacked the tank underneath while I cranked the engine but no joy.
He then took a pipe off in engine and said there was no petrol there. He then proceeded to get at the fuel pump under the floor panel in the boot. Did some tests on wiring and said its probably the pump. He said he would try and get it out but managed to break one of the hose connectors so that didn't sound good for getting me going again. He then put a direct feed to the pump which did nothing.
He tried to get the big plastic ring to turn without any joy so decided that it would need to go in for repair to a garage. My local who is not a Saab expert could not touch it until next week so the AA guy recommended All SAAB in Oldham and after a phone call I agreed that he could take it there for me as they could get on it straight away.
Anyone have this experience before and has anyone had dealings with All Saab in Oldham?
Any ideas on what it will cost for a new fuel pump fitted?

[Seamus]

Job done and car back on the road.
Thanks to All Saab. Oldham.
£190 less £25 for pipe damaged by AA engineer

[Doive]

Glad you got it sorted, sounds like a decent price too from All Saab. I'm expecting my pump to go sometime soon as it's got 165k on the clock, so it's great to hear of an easy and straight forward pump replacement that didn't break the bank.

[trollbooster]

The AA Patrolman obviously hadn't read my tip on 'hot water'


Bit of a rant here, guys. Where exactly did this patolman get his engineering degree from? At best he will be a mechanic or technician - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a mechanic or technician either.

A few years ago the AA were advertising for patrolmen, the entry requirements were not high, not even experience of having worked in a garage required - granted it might have changed now.

Engineer is the most misused term going. Plumbers became "Heating Engineers"? Why? Plumbers earn more than Engineers, nothing wrong with being a plumber either.

rant over.

[Doive]

Bit OT, but I totally agree TB. I'm an Electrical Engineer by trade, and when I tell people they associate me with sparks (which I used to be - nowt wrong with a spark) and plumbers etc. Not the same thing. Cleaners have now become domestic engineers, binmen are refuse engineers, washing machine repairmen are service engineers - it's all a load of nonsense. Engineer has become the most over used and devalued term in modern times. I'd like to think that calling out an AA patrolman would bring someone who knows more about cars than me, or at least would have the tools on board that would enable me to fix it myself!

[trollbooster]

This is the second new topic this week on AA Patrolmen messing up on a 9000........

[Gizmo-sam]

Hi all

Just in case Doive that your pump does go, there are some really excellent references on this forum about the fuel pump. I was convinced mine had gone the other week (IT was the Map sensor, in the end), but I spend a long time trying to get the pump out, but Trollbooster showed the way.

You need o use a pair of Water pump pliers, (they come as part of the tool kit, or a fiver from a hardware store), use the LEGS, not the teeth to act as a brace against the inside of the ring, and a bit of leverge seems to do the trick

Withou it I spent a good couple of hours swearing. With it, it took about 5 minutes.

Hope this helps
Steve

[fisherb]

Maybe a bit slow on the uptake here, but I'd just like to second (third?) TB and Doive's comments on engineering. There is nothing winds me up more than the local mechanics boy who struggles to breathe and hold a spanner at the same time being called an engineer when I've spent 4 years of hard study to actually become one and seem to receive no recognition for it outside of my work! In most other countries that I visit with my job engineers are held in much more social standing and respect than they are here. No one would even consider calling anyone an engineer that clearly wasn't, it would be like calling a hospital cleaner a doctor! Rant over.

Anyway, take a look at my post of last week re the removal of the plastic ring, I'm sure the water pump pliers work well but just another idea. And once again, many thanks for the hot water tip, invaluable!

[BertieBentnose]

Maybe a bit slow on the uptake here, but I'd just like to second (third?) TB and Doive's comments on engineering. There is nothing winds me up more than the local mechanics boy who struggles to breathe and hold a spanner at the same time being called an engineer when I've spent 4 years of hard study to actually become one and seem to receive no recognition for it outside of my work! In most other countries that I visit with my job engineers are held in much more social standing and respect than they are here. No one would even consider calling anyone an engineer that clearly wasn't, it would be like calling a hospital cleaner a doctor! Rant over.[/b]

It may surprise all and sundry that I too am an engineer by degree only, am currently a house husband, do not claim to be an engineer by practice and am always needing advice when my little automotive mechanic projects get me foxed at the first hurdle!
I would worry if AA or similar employed me to be a patrol man!

I agree with the comments that the engineer status in this country is a lot lower than in others.

Bertie

[nlaero9000]

hot water works every time, a tap with a wooden dowel gets it spinning and replacing the pump unit ( rather than the whole bucket) only costs about £70
Ref: Engineers I too would like a rant on this, i,m surrounded by so called mechanical engineers with lots of letters to their names and I dare say in theory they can calculate when and why a bit will fail, but can they change a light bulb and could someone explain to them that a vernier caliper is not an adjustable wrench
On the other hand I can go down to my local smiddy, who probably is somewhat limited on the qualified academic front, but tell him what you need and he,ll "engineer" a solution and deliver it with nothing more than a piece of marker chalk and sound imagination
So yea, too many unskilled trades men call them selves engineer,s, but so do too many college graduates who think the letters buy them the right, hayho rant also over