What Are the Signs of a Bad Fuel Pump?

The engine is considered the heart of any car that requires continuous fuel to keep it running. A fuel pump helps flow fuel from a tank to the car’s engine. Supplying fuel at constant pressure ensures that your car’s engine runs smoothly. Once the fuel pump is faulty, the engine impacts your vehicle’s performance. 

Although average pumps have a life expectancy of a 200,000-mile mark, fuel pumps begin to fail after the 100,000-mile. Now you may think about the signs of a faulty fuel pump. Typically, when a pump is bad, the engine starts misfiring due to insufficient fuel supply. For your convenience, we will discuss some common signs of a bad fuel pump. 

How Does A Fuel Pump Work?

Typically, fuel pumps extract fuel from the bottom of the fuel tank using the speed of a revolving turbine. After that, the fuel passes through the pump and enters the fuel line to deliver to the carburetor or fuel injector. At this point, the pump manages the fuel pressure with the help of a series of pressure relief valves. Once you accelerate, your car demands more power, and the pump boosts fuel flow through the system. 

A properly functional fuel pump maintains the ideal fuel pressure level to run your vehicle’s engine smoothly. But excessive or lower pressure can lead to the engine running rich or lean. In that case, you can get notified about the fuel pump faulty using the FIXD device. 

According to the FIXD reviews, it will enable you to know whenever any part of your vehicle functions improperly. However, some signs will help you understand whether your fuel pumps are having any problems. Some common signs of your fuel pump bad have been demonstrated in the section below. 

What Are the Signs of a Bad Fuel Pump?

Once your car’s fuel pump does not function properly, you will encounter several problems. Here we have explained some common signs that will help you know your car’s fuel pump is bad.

Car Jerks Or Sputters At High Speeds 

Your fuel pump may be faulty if you notice that your car’s engine is crashing and shaking despite driving at freeway speeds. When the fuel pump cannot deliver smooth fuel to the engine, it simply receives air. As a result, the engine avoids several power strokes, pushing the engine to sputter and jerk.

Loose Power When Accelerating 

Once your car has a bad fuel pump, there are chances you may often face loss of power when accelerating the vehicle from a stop. Accelerating your vehicle needs more fuel, forcing your fuel pump to function harder. If your fuel pump is bad, it can’t increase the required demand starving your engine to accelerate.

Losing Power While Driving Uphill Or Towing A Load

Towing a load or climbing a hill with a car requires additional engine pressure.  Such activities demand more fuel to supply the same performance. When your fuel pump isn’t working properly, it can’t deliver the demanded fuel to the engine, causing a loss of power.

Engine Won’t Start

If your fuel pump fails to supply fuel to the engine, you may hear spark plugs firing when starting the car. This is because the engine can’t turn on without fuel. To confirm whether your fuel pump is bad or not, check the pressure in your fuel with a fuel pressure gauge. If it’s read as zero, your pump is likely dead.

Whining Noise From The Fuel Tank

While a fuel pump functions properly, it will make a slight humming noise.  If you hear any whining noise coming from your car’s fuel tank, the fuel pump is maybe starting to fail. This sign also indicates you are running on low fuel or have any contamination in the tank.

Reduce Gas Mileage

If you suddenly discover filling up your fuel tank more than before, consider a faulty or failing relief valve in the fuel pump. Typically, excess fuel can pass into the engine system when the valve doesn’t function properly. Unfortunately, extra fuel isn’t stored or used by the engine. The engine burns the excess fuel, lessening gas mileage.

How Long Do Fuel Pumps Last?

A fuel pump is responsible for passing fuel from your car’s fuel tank to the engine.  Your vehicle will not start without this pump, even if your fuel tank is full. Typically, there are two primary types of fuel pump: electric and mechanical. Electric pumps can create high pressure within the fuel lines to pass fuel to the engine. 

On the other hand, mechanical fuel pumps contain a diaphragm or plunger to stick and move the fuel to the engine. Both of these fuel pumps offer an average life expectancy of around 100,000 or above, depending on your driving style. In some cases, fuel pumps can last over 200,000 miles, but after 100,000 miles, they will start failing.  

What Causes A Fuel Pump To Break Down? 

Several factors contribute to the break down of your car’s fuel pump. We have demonstrated some common causes of having your car’s fuel pump bad.

Wear and Tear

Whenever your car runs, the fuel pump starts working. The fuel pump components wear out evenly due to their working pressure. In particular, the metallic parts of a pump become rusty, and the plastic gets damaged over time. 

Contamination

There is a chance of entering dirt and debris on the fuel tank when the tank cap isn’t properly shut. Although filters can resist reaching the dust and dirt in your engine, they can clog the fuel lines. That makes your fuel pump function hard and accelerates its depletion.

Driving With A Low Gas Tank

If you drive your car with a low fuel tank, it will affect the health of your fuel pump. Typically, the pump works more efficiently when the tank is full of fuel. It can supply fuel to the engine adequately. But with constantly low fuel delivery, the pump needs to function hard, causing it to dry out and heat up in some cases.

How To Maximize Fuel Pump Lifespan?

Changing a fuel pump is not affordable sometimes. So, if you want to make your fuel pump last longer, you should maintain it properly. Here are some great strategies to keep your fuel pump running for as long as possible.

• Keep your car’s fuel tank filled all the time. Running on lower fuel leads to extra heat in the pump and causes wear out faster.
• Only fill up fuel at newer stations because old stations could have contaminated fuel. Impurities in fuel can damage your fuel pump and the car’s engine.
• Avoid filling up fuel when the fuel supply truck is at the fuel station. Filling fuel into the underground storage tank could mix up the sediment, which is terrible for fuel pumps.
• You should change the fuel filters every year. Changing filters at the right time will help resist entering debris into the pump. 
• Add some anti-ethanol agent if you don’t utilize all the fuel in the tank within two weeks. Otherwise, problems with the fuel system may arise.

Conclusion

Every part of your vehicle contributes together to make your car run smoothly. The fuel pump is one among them. When it’s not operating properly, it can cause significant problems to your driving performance. So, it is crucial to know whether you’re driving a car with a bad fuel pump. 

For your convenience, we have tried to let you know some common signs of having a bad fuel pump through this context. If you encounter any signs with your car, take the vehicle to the mechanics. However, you can make the lifespan of your fuel pump longer following some simple tips discussed above. 

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