Wayne's service tip - Fuel Pump
Posted by Wayne Watson on Wed, Jan 11, 2012 @ 09:04 AM
Seems more times than not when a no start vehicle gets towed in and it turns out to be the fuel pump the gas tank is full. Why is that? Well it is known that a full tank of gas helps cool and lubricate the fuel pump. When the tank is run low the fuel pump tends to run hot which can be hard on an old pump. Another thing to consider is the fuel filter, cut apart a fuel filter and you will see what I’m talking about. They plug up and are real hard to blow through. Grab a straw and blow through it, then put your finger on the end and try blowing. A lot harder to blow right? Well that what happens with your fuel filter, causing the fuel pump to work a lot harder.
So here is the theory; Turns out most of these vehicles that get towed in with a faulty fuel pump and a full tank of gas have around 100,000 miles on them with a fuel filter that has not been changed. The fuel filter is plugged up which has caused the fuel pump to overheat. An overheated fuel pump gets blasted with some cold gas as your filling the vehicle which gives it the knockout punch.
How to prevent; Change your fuel filter every 30,000 miles and avoid running your gas tank low. Consider filling it when you get around ¼ tamk instead of empty. This will help you get the most out of your fuel pump.
