what happens when your fuel pump goes bad

 

Depends upon when it failed. If car was running fine the day before and then next morning fuel pump fails when you try to start it, residual fuel pressure will allow it to start but then would stall within 5-10 seconds as pressure drops. If it fails while you are driving then you would feel a loss of power, then some rough running and then a stall.

 

while we are on the subject, just for curiosity, do you have to drop the tank to get to the pump? or are there access panels, like under the seat, etc?

 

They might be under the seat, but i have removed the seats in my car before in the back and i did not see any acces to the pump or any fuel system parts. Im gonna look into that and find out were you can access it cause i know you dont have to drop the tank to access pump.

 

yah, well, the service manual says to remove the tank. i have changed out the fuel filter twice, and i KNOW the pump AINT coming out of that access panel in the trunk. from the diagrams/epc, looks like it is to the left of the filter, which means to me the tank gotta come out to get at it. unless there are access panels somewhere else.

 

Mazda unfortunately did not make a convenient access panel to get at the fuel pump.[:@] There is the plate in the trunk just behind the rear seat back to get at the fuel filter as you mentioned kennin. There are two under the rear seat cushion, at least on 97 and later, that allows you access to the #1 and #2 fuel level senders.