Gremlins in my F-150

When Ants Attack

I realize now that there are some things beyond even my awesome ability to predict. Normally, on a good day, that doesn't mean much but let's face facts:  my sanity is hanging by a thread. Practicing the Zen method of car repair helps me keep what little sanity is left to me.  

Ok, sermon over.  What has this to do with Ford F150's and ant?  Everything. As I was minding my own business, driving down the road in my 150, it shut off.  No engine lights, no sputtering, no misfires just a complete shutdown.  Coasting to the side of the road, I sat there baffled.  I realized that a multitude of problems could be the result of my truck's abrupt death but where to start.  Sitting there for a minute, I decided to try restarting it.  It started right up and off I went.  Got it back home and it dies in the parking lot. Great.

I checked the computer which showed no codes, and no real problems.  Even better. I went back to the basics and decided to check for fuel, spark and compression. Fuel being the easiest, Zen practice here, I checked the fuel pressure. Zero upon turning the key on. Bingo.  Turned the key and listened to the fuel pump and it didn't make a sound. There was my problem:  fuel pump dead.  I started making preparations to pull the tank and replace the fuel pump.  

Then it hit me.  There are other things besides a faulty fuel pump that can shut it off.  Just to be sure, I decided to check the fuel pump relay.  This is what I found:

Apparently, ants had gotten into my fuel pump relay and their bodies were making the contacts....um...not contact.  A simple matter of replacing the relay and my truck was as good as new.  The relay would make contact intermittently which is why it started up again but the ants were definitely ruining it. If I hadn't seen an ant going into the relay I might have missed out on a unique opportunity for Mother Nature to screw with my mind.  The real lesson for me here wasn't pest control (I'm sure you are all thinking that but forget it).  No, the real lesson here is that past knowledge is no guarantee that you wont be thrown a confusing situation by the uncontrollable universe of randomness we live in.   Keep your Zen mindset and try to stay calm if at all possible.  I mean if one of natures smallest creatures can stop a 2 ton truck, who am I to say that everything is under my control???