Hi Ok so i have this maybe stupid question but i need some of you technical guys to confirm or rebate my theory. I have been blowing my mind this past week over an issue regarding the Fusion.

The car, a 2006, is powered by the duratorque 1.4 diesel engine and from the begining it has been a pain, when i replace the fuel filter, to bleed. Recently i changed the filter again and it did not want to start. to make things short I bypassed the filter with some clear tube where it started easily but i noticed that air was being drawn from the tank. Tank off and checked the tank unit and found it's filter nearly blocked with sludge. Cleaned and fitted back but air still kept coming with less frequency but the car could be driven. I changed also the fuel lines from filter to tank to no avail.

Here is the dilemma, when i opened the tank unit i found out that an electric pump is fitted to the unit. I found this strange and checking it with some technical staff at the local dealer and other sources including the internet all gave a result that there should not be any electrical pump fitted to the unit of a diesel engine vehicle.

Now the stupid question, could the production line had fitted the car with a petrol unit, with the electrical pump, instead of the diesel unit without the pump?

It seem that when the engine is on, the restriction made by the presence of the electrical pump is making air to build up in the system.

I have checked the unit outside the tank with the engine on and you can see air coming up from the top of the electric pump. I also eliminated the pump and started the engine were it worked without any bubbles of air being drawn.

What is your opinion and knowledge.

The picture shows how i found in the tank unit with the electrical pump quite visible.

If my theory is right what would be the next step?

regards

the fusion diesel has a integral venturi pump in the tank sender unit from the info i have,( ive not had a sender unit out of fusion),the retuning fuel sucks up additional fuel into the housing by this pump. how i dont know.lol

how many wires on the connector to tank unit?

the usual culprit of air in the fuel lines after replacing fuel filter was the primer pump and pipes connected letting air in especially if left for a while before starting.( they deterioate with age and priming can then make them let air in). im assuming this is ok

hi checked unit out of tank. I put it in an open container with diesel in it for visual inspection whilst engine running. the air in pipe is visible from outlet of electrical pump going into the rest of the fuel line system.

There are 4 wires entering the unit 2 for the sender and 2 for the pump. A fuse and a relay seem to be in place in the fuse box. But there is no current going to the pump. I connected it manualy giving current whilst it was on test in the container and after few seconds operation you would notice diesel going out of the unit with an amount of pressure on it.