2000 Mercury Mystique while idling, started to idle ruff then died. and would not start. Mechanic said it is the fuel pump. $600 to install. I see that the Internet shows that the fuel pump is accessable from the back sit. Is this true, if so then the labor to change the fuel pump should not be so high?

Yes, I would say that such a price is outrageous. I replaced the fuel pump myself and compared to lots of repairs, it is a piece of cake. The fact that to access the fuel tank, all you have to do is remove the backseat, is HUGE. I could understand that dropping the tank might justify alot more money, but you don't have to drop the tank. Personally, I slowly inched the metal lock ring out with screwdrivers, a hammer and some cursing. It is slow going, but you can do it.

I was a little confused about how to hook up the new fuel pump, filters, etc. So, I called the support line listed on the company's web site - I called the one that was intended for auto mechanics. The guy I talked to said it was just fine to call the mechanic line. This guy said he had been on the company's assembly line for 25 years and he truly did know this pump frontwards and backwards. He said that the Mystique had a history of fuel pump problems for a couple of reasons.

The plastic housing that the pump is fitted down inside of was an existing design that did not really fit the pump that was used. The little filter bags did not have enough room to stretch out and really wasn't as large as it should have been, so they tended to get clogged. I think he said that it also could have used more circulation area underneath it. At any rate, Mercury eventually designed a new housing and retrofit it at dealerships. This guy said that it would probably not be too hard to find one in the junkyard. There are other sites that talk about how to take out the old one and put in the redesigned housing. Apparently this involves removing the metal tabs that hold the old one in place on the floor of the fuel tank. Me, I just used the old housing and the old style filter and if it clogs up in the future, I guess I will do it again.


I drove my car until there was very little gas in the tank and then just siphoned it out of the tank into a gas can. Yes, I would say that such a price is outrageous. I replaced the fuel pump myself and compared to lots of repairs, it is a piece of cake. The fact that to access the fuel tank, all you have to do is remove the backseat, is HUGE. I could understand that dropping the tank might justify alot more money, but you don't have to drop the tank. Personally, I slowly inched the metal lock ring out with screwdrivers, a hammer and some cursing. It is slow going, but you can do it. I was a little confused about how to hook up the new fuel pump, filters, etc. So, I called the support line listed on the company's web site - I called the one that was intended for auto mechanics. The guy I talked to said it was just fine to call the mechanic line. This guy said he had been on the company's assembly line for 25 years and he truly did know this pump frontwards and backwards. He said that the Mystique had a history of fuel pump problems for a couple of reasons. The plastic housing that the pump is fitted down inside of was an existing design that did not really fit the pump that was used. The little filter bags did not have enough room to stretch out and really wasn't as large as it should have been, so they tended to get clogged. I think he said that it also could have used more circulation area underneath it. At any rate, Mercury eventually designed a new housing and retrofit it at dealerships. This guy said that it would probably not be too hard to find one in the junkyard. There are other sites that talk about how to take out the old one and put in the redesigned housing. Apparently this involves removing the metal tabs that hold the old one in place on the floor of the fuel tank. Me, I just used the old housing and the old style filter and if it clogs up in the future, I guess I will do it again. I drove my car until there was very little gas in the tank and then just siphoned it out of the tank into a gas can.