Error code P0172

I have a 1999 Dodge Intrepid with a 2.7 engine. It has started having problems starting. It will take a little bit to get started. Sometimes if I push the gas pedal down just a touch it will start. Just recently the engine light came so I bought a code reader and it says P0172. According to the book the fuel is rich. Someone suggested that it could be the fuel pump with the hard starting and rich fuel.
Could this be the problem and if so how hard is it to drop the fuel tank to replace the fuel pump?

What else could possibly be the problem?

Thanks for any information you can give me.

Dave

My 2001 Intrepid R/T recently gave me that code, along with P0404 (I think), which was the code for the EGR valve. My car ran fine and started fine, but died when slowing down from high speeds and rumbled when I was idling. New EGR Valve, no problems.

I doubt yours is the same problem, and a fuel pump sounds right for what you're describing, but I thought I would at least share my experience with my problem since I had the same error code. BTW, I also had the error code P0175 (I think), which I think is the error code for Fuel Too Rich in Bank 1. Nevertheless, both banks were getting fuel that was too rich.

Hope this helps...

Anything will help. I priced out a fuel pump and at 224.00 I want to make sure that this is my problem and not something else.
Thanks for the repsonse.

I am sure you should keep that 220 bucks for something else that a fuel pump. YOur car is not starving....and you can have a pressure test done on the fuel supply if you want to be sure but rich mixture is rather a sign of poor fuel management, mostly due to faulty information from sensors or, quite often, a blocked fuel injector.
THe fact that moving the throttle has some effect lets me think of a faulty Throttle Position Sensor, but that should send an additional error code too...ALso, faulty MAP sensors rarely generate an error code but MAP is not involved in first second of starting the car.
In fact, some more info is needed before any serious conclusion is brought before. By the way, as suggested in previous post, EGR is an easy culprit and should ALWAYS be suspected, well, checked first in any stalling problem...and it is easy to take it out of the circuit to have that option cleared.

hi this mando
I have a code 172 on my dodge intrepid,, also had a code p0300,, replaced crank sensor its been a week this far,, 300 is gone , but p0172 keeps comming back,,
Any suggestions,,
2002 dodge intrepid 2.7
Thanks mando
diazman200@hotmail.com