mrfixiter

With a fortunate pull in the right place, I finally got the panel off. I took me a while to figure out how pop the connector out but it wasn't too bad. From there I was able to release the individual wires and then crimp the ends just enough so that now there's a solid connection to the pins of the scan tool. I used this video to figure out how to remove the wires from the plug. Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

I'm not sure which direction, "back," is and how do you get access to the plastic clips? It would really be helpful if I could figure out how to pull out that lower panel. This video shows the panel already removed.but it's difficult to tell what was holding it in place: yours may be similar.. I have honestly never had the need to actually pull one, so not positive on how. That article you quoted is identical to the page I linked to in my opening post, https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/51253/how-do-i-disconnect-my-obd-port-from-my-lower-dashboard .It's quite a reach to be able to locate the back of the OBDII connector under the dash and then attempt to pinch the ends to release the connector. Thanks for your replies. 🙂 mrfixiter

I have a 1997 Legacy GT wagon whose OBDII port is getting very temperamental. I have to hold the end of the scanner cable in a certain position or the display goes blank. The scanner works fine on other cars so I know the fault is in the car's port. I've watched several videos on how to repair/replace the pins but I could only find one description on how to remove the connector from the lower dashboard. I was wondering if there was a simpler way to access the port. This photo of the port shows one of the two Philips screws which I removed on either side of the panel thinking the panel might easily pop out but that didn't happen. Do I have to remove other pieces of the dash before the lower panel will pop out or do I just need to pull harder on the panel to release it? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

I bought the fuel pump assembly from the salvage yard, swapped out the pumps and purchased a new fuel strainer. Car is running again. I do have some other problems which are a prior, failed smog test (before the pump failed) and an intermittent OBDII connector which I will ask about in a new topic. Thanks for all your help. 😃 mrfixiter

When I took out the pump assembly to bench test it, I thought the tank looked very clean. I'll have another look to make sure. Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

Thanks for your input about used and new aftermarket fuel pumps. I have a couple of questions: I've seen this posted in many places that sell fuel pumps: In your opinion, how accurate is that statement? If I decide against buying from the salvage yard, what aftermarket brand(s) would you suggest? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

Yesterday, I reinstalled the old fuel pump assembly in an attempt to see what, if anything, was coming out of the fuel pump right at the pump's output. I thought I had the correct diameter hose to connect the pump's output line to my gas can but it was too narrow and I didn't want to take an hour out of the day hunting down the correct hose. Instead, I removed the hoses from the fuel filter and connected them to the fuel pump pressure gauge. Then I connected my bench power supply to the input plug of the fuel pump assembly. I turned up the voltage slowly and when it got to about 5 volts I could hear the pump chattering. I hadn't heard that sound before when the car wouldn't start or when the key was turned to on during the priming process. It was at that point that the current draw on my power supply had maxed out (2 amps) so I shut off the bench power and checked the fuel pressure gauge. I was a bit surprised to find that the gauge was registering about 10 psi when such a low voltage was applied. Then I removed my bench supply and reconnected the plug from the car to the fuel pump assembly and turned the key on and off several times. With each cycle, the pressure kept increasing. Next, I cranked the engine and after a few seconds, it started up. I let it run for a few minutes and then turned it off.The fuel pressure went from about 28 psi to 20 psi with the car off and held that pressure for about 20 minutes. That seemed quite good to me. I then removed the fuel pump gauge, reconnected the fuel filter and when I cranked it up again, it started right away. In summary, I think there was a dead spot in the motor that may have been cleared up when I tested the pump outside of the car. When the pump has no gas to pump, it is much easier for the pump motor to spin as indicated by the current readings, 12 volts, 1 amp outside the tank, 5 volts, 2 amps, inside the tank. I'm happy that the pump is working now but I'm sure it won't be long before it fails again so I'd like to replace it. I contacted the local salvage yard whose website said they have the part and asked about a warranty. I was told the part can be returned within 7 days. Does that sound like the industry standard? Should I pay a few extra bucks for an extended warranty? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

Hi again. 😀 I finally had a chance to do some more troubleshooting. I pulled the connector to the fuel pump assembly and monitored the voltage (open circuit) at the plug. My helper turned the key to on and my meter peaked at the battery voltage and then quickly went back to zero as expected. I repeated the test but this time I added a 20 ohm load resistor across the same plug. The voltage dropped ever so so slightly. It was very hard to tell the difference because my meter doesn't have a peak hold feature. I believe whatever the difference was, it was negligible. Next, I removed the fuel pump from the tank and connected it directly to my 12 volt bench power supply. My bench supply has a 2 amp current limiter so when I applied voltage to it, the overload circuit on the power supply kicked in however when I brought up the voltage slowly, the current flow was a bit erratic at first but when it finally reached 12 volts, the current leveled off to about 1 amp. The only complaint that I could report was that the motor seemed a little noisy. Since this is the only fuel pump I've ever tested, I don't know how much noise is too much, what the average input current should be or what the input resistance of the motor is. It also occurred to me that even if the motor is spinning, that doesn't mean the pump is working properly. From here, I'll reinstall the same pump and attach a long hose to it and see if it is able to pump out gas into a gas can. Thanks for your reply. mrfixter

Hi jonathan, Thanks for sharing your picker/wrecker experiences. I have a question about viewing these forum posts. Recently, the left frame of my screen has been overtaken with viewing stats. It lists who the top posters are, the most popular days, etc. I can't find any way to remove that from the display. In other words, is it possible to see the posts full screen without them being scrunched to one side by the stats? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

I like your advice: "And I’d pull it from a vehicle with the most amount of dirt etc around the fuel pump plate." 😀 I suppose I should ask the proprietor of the salvage yard what the warranty is on a 25 year old fuel pump. The price quoted to me over the phone was $100. I think that price should include some implied warranty with it. I mean if it works at all, then it's probably in good shape, right? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

I'll keep that in mind when I go shopping. Thanks for your reply. 😀 mrfixiter

Thanks for those suggestions. 👍 mrfixiter

Now I'm really wondering if they're that reliable, I'd better make sure that the old one is defective! Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

No Pick 'n' Pulls nearby but I did search for salvage yards in my area and found one 30 minutes away which does have the part. The next question is, how can I make sure the fuel pump in the salvaged car is an OEM pump? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter

While I'm waiting for another opportunity to resume my troubleshooting, I was wondering, where do you go looking for a reliable, used, OEM Subaru fuel pump? Thanks for your reply. mrfixiter