Hey everyone, I have a 2012 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5 v6. Recently I went to turn it on and the cranks for a much longer period than normal and won’t start. It has a full tank. Battery tested good at 12.4v. Fuses all tested good with a multimeter and look intact. I was able to plug my Blue Driver in and pull a code P0230-14: Fuel Pump Primary Circuit Short To Ground or Open. I did some research, and my year does NOT have a frame mounted fuel pump driver module that could be easily replaced.
Should I try buying a new relay for in the fuse box, or accept the fate of having to replace the fuel pump; which is like one piece with the module inside the fuel tank? Also, guys at work tell me maybe the crankshaft position sensor is bad, but I’m guessing with the trouble code I got, I’m probably up the fuel pump creek. Thanks.
Battery tested good at 12.4v.
Simply measuring voltage at rest is not a reliable way to test a battery. Use a proper battery tester (the battery dealer or parts store will have one). And your voltage is low anyway. Fresh battery should have 12.7V
P0230-14: Fuel Pump Primary Circuit Short To Ground or Open....
fuel pump driver module that could be easily replaced. ...
buying a new relay for in the fuse box...having to replace the fuel pump....
Instead of throwing parts at the problem, diagnose it. The problem could be none of those parts anyway, like a broken harness wire.
At least put 12V on the pump at see if it spins. You can also take some voltage measurements along the circuit.
Service manual:
Description: DTC P0230: Fuel Pump Primary Circuit
circuit testing the fuel pump:
Hard start troubleshooting:
@imperator ok, so other news: I took the battery to orileys and they said it was good. When I turn the key on, I can hear the fuel pump “whizzz” on for a few seconds. I hooked up my charger/maintainer, it does say the battery is low so I’m going to let it charge and try later. I only changed the starter because I cranked too much and it was smoking thick white smoke when I put a jump starter on, so I figured I burnt the starter out. What other actions should I take once the battery charges and fails to turn over?
my year does NOT have a frame mounted fuel pump driver module that could be easily replaced.
according to the service manual, the FP control module is located behind the RH C-pillar trim panel.
What other actions should I take
the ones I already posted.
Does the FP code come back if you clear it? Have you measured fuel pressure?
@imperator still waiting on the battery to charge. I’m a bit a mechanic so I don’t have half the tool is probably need to do all those tests. I did find the module in the panel like you showed. I swapped it out and I’ll try clearing the codes and cranking again once battery is charged. If no luck, I’ll replace the original module. And then, idk.
given your DTC, the module is not a suspect. I don't know why you're looking for it. Read the DTC description I posted and look under "Possible Causes". Everything you need to fix the problem should already be here. Use logic , not luck. It's a lot more efficient.
@imperator I’m just praying easy parts fix it because a new fuel pump for this car is a pain and not worth the expense. I guess I’ll grab a multimeter and try all those DTC steps. Is there a guide or how-to videos out there?
Read the links I posted. there are step by step instructions.