Your car, truck, or UV will have engine problems if the fuel pump is bad. The fuel pump is the pump that pulls the gasoline or diesel fuel out of the tank and introduces it into the motor. The average lifespan of a fuel pump is about 100,000 miles. Righter’s Auto Repair can replace your fuel pump if it has gone bad. Here are six signs that it has.
1. An Overheating Engine
If your fuel pump is mechanical, and most of them are these days, the motor will overheat if the pump is not drawing enough fuel out of the tank. This heat is transferred to your vehicle’s engine, and, consequently, your engine will overheat and stall.
2. Fuel Economy Reduction
You will also notice a reduction in your vehicle’s fuel economy if the fuel pump is malfunctioning. This is because the engine is having to work extra hard due to the lack of fuel. Unfortunately, this causes the engine to burn through the fuel more quickly.
3. Hard Starts/Dead Engine
It may also be difficult to get your car started, or you may not be able to get it started at all. If the fuel pump has died completely, you don’t have any gasoline or diesel fuel in the engine. Naturally, without fuel, you cannot get your vehicle started.
4. Low Fuel Pressure
A faulty fuel pump will reduce your vehicle’s fuel pressure. We can test your fuel pressure here at our shop, or you can test it at home with a fuel pressure gauge. The fuel pressure must be within the range indicated in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
5. Sputtering at High Speeds
The faster you go the more gasoline your engine needs to maintain the speed. If the fuel pump is malfunctioning, it may not be pushing enough gasoline or diesel fuel through to the engine and, consequently, your vehicle will sputter at high speeds.
6. Stress Power Loss
Finally, your vehicle also needs extra fuel when it is under stress. Stressful conditions include driving up steep inclines or towing a trailer behind your vehicle. If the engine loses power under these conditions, your fuel pump is not pushing enough gasoline into the engine.
Righter’s Auto Repair in Lansing and Grand Ledge, MI, can help. Call the shop closest to you if your vehicle is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above. Chances are, the fuel pump is going out and it needs to be replaced, especially if you drive a high-mileage automobile.
