Fuel Pump Blues

[Duncan]

Hey everyone

Thought of sharing this with you.

Over the past months a friend and I noticed a number of cars arriving at his workshop with failed fuel pumps. These were relatively new cars, so the question of age was not an issue. Also the cars were of various different makes and models so could not blame it on one particular model.

Much later we discovered that the pumps in these cars were located inside the fuel tanks and that all the owners of these failed fuel pumps had a tendancy to run on near empty tanks on a regular basis.

The fuel in which the pump is located, acts as a lubricant and a coolent for the pumps. Pro-longed running on empty drastically reduces the life span of the pump as they tend to run hot and without lubrication.

So, make sure that you do not run your car on empty. Make a habit of filling up when the tak reaches 1/4.

Cheers

[Devinda_Z]

whoa!!!

valuable info - had no idea abt this! but u've got me worried now cu i'm constantly on Empty with the light flashing - i jus pump 5L ...never seem to have cash for more @ a time

but will make sure i beg borrow or steal n pump half at least n keep

[Terabite]

Yes this is true, i got this info from my techo, well from that day onward i have been pumping at least half a tank, also a quick question... When you pump full tank of fuel does the car do better mileage than filling half the tank???

[Devinda_Z]

Yes this is true, i got this info from my techo, well from that day onward i have been pumping at least half a tank, also a quick question... When you pump full tank of fuel does the car do better mileage than filling half the tank???

...i've noticed small improvements myself...but theoretcially it shouldnt be the case based on the argument of that carrying more fuel = more weight

[Terabite]

...i've noticed small improvements myself...but theoretcially it shouldnt be the case based on the argument of that carrying more fuel = more weight

My thoughts exactly

[Pericles]

...i've noticed small improvements myself...but theoretcially it shouldnt be the case based on the argument of that carrying more fuel = more weight

I've heard the story too, apparently something to do with evaporation from the fuel tank or summin.

[Terabite]

I guess i better do some more research on that topic.... if it is true i will share with the forum, the better for al of us....

better get to it ASAP

[Terabite]

little something i found

Does_a_car_use_more_gas_when_the_tank_is_below_half_full ...

appriciate your comments guys

[Devinda_Z]

i guess there no actual way to know how much of fuel is really in the tank unless u have a trip computer or something né...

so just to be safe will take note of what Duncan said n keep it at half... ...somhow

[neXGen]

thanks for the heads up duncan.. but most of the trucks which are in construction etc. run near empty level due to petrol being siphoned.. as most of these models got the tank out in the open..

btw does this apply to the newer cars or the 90-2000 generation vehicles too?

@ terabite - the argument of the car running more on full tank etc. is mostly hearsay man.. from what i heard from me dad it is not always best to run on low fuel for the simple reason petrol over here is quite dirty and most of the dirt gets stuck at the bottom.. n as dat site says yes the fuel injectors could get clogged.. n also the fuel indicator is no precision instrument.. i ve noticed this as when ma car has half tank full and i do a little bumping around the cars the indicator shows different levels at different times despite their been a certain amount of gas.. not sure where or how this fuel sensor works though...

in the end everything depends on how hard ya smash that throttle

Zz

[Pericles]

thanks for the heads up duncan.. but most of the trucks which are in construction etc. run near empty level due to petrol being siphoned.. as most of these models got the tank out in the open..

btw does this apply to the newer cars or the 90-2000 generation vehicles too?

@ terabite - the argument of the car running more on full tank etc. is mostly hearsay man.. from what i heard from me dad it is not always best to run on low fuel for the simple reason petrol over here is quite dirty and most of the dirt gets stuck at the bottom.. n as dat site says yes the fuel injectors could get clogged.. n also the fuel indicator is no precision instrument.. i ve noticed this as when ma car has half tank full and i do a little bumping around the cars the indicator shows different levels at different times despite their been a certain amount of gas.. not sure where or how this fuel sensor works though...

Duncan was talking specifically about vehicles that have the pump in the fuel tank which get lubricated by the fuel. Doubt that it applies to trucks. And thats diesel

And also, the fuel level sensor is a simple float thingy. Park on a grade and watch the level of the tank rise and fall. And stop bumping ur car around.

[harshansenadhir]

this is true.. and when you run nearly empty tank and often go to the gas station, you waste some additional time on the queue or may be near the pump.. for 40 ltr fill up if you do it by 5 ltr X 8 times how much you additionally wasted.. even pulling out of drive way to the gas station and back to the road, even small amount counts a lot when cumulative. so run on full tanks... you'll save time+some gas

[Terabite]

YEP i guess all depends on how your Right leg works with your Brain..

thanks guys

[nira74]

...i've noticed small improvements myself...but theoretcially it shouldnt be the case based on the argument of that carrying more fuel = more weight

Something we all experience when filling up. Lot of theories about this..... and let me add my own.

I feel it has a lot to do the way the fuel gauge is calibrated. In most japanese cars you would observe the first half tank to go down very slowly and the second half finishes much quicker. You would also observe that it takes less fuel to fill your tank from Empty to Half than it does from Half to Full.

That means what our fuel gauge shows us as half tank is actually a little less than the real half-tank point.

[6208]

usually the petrol pump is mounted on the inside of the top of the tank so the motor is likely to be in the middle or the upper portion of the tank. so if you run with half tank will this lubricate or act as a cooler? do petrol has any lubrication characteristics?

[neXGen]

Duncan was talking specifically about vehicles that have the pump in the fuel tank which get lubricated by the fuel. Doubt that it applies to trucks. And thats diesel

And also, the fuel level sensor is a simple float thingy. Park on a grade and watch the level of the tank rise and fall. And stop bumping ur car around.

Diesel vehicles does not have fuel pumps? car ve bumped by me dad.. gotta a slightly dented bonnet and fender.. so no bumping around..

Zz

[Pericles]

Diesel vehicles does not have fuel pumps?

I was trying to point out that u had mentioned that petrol was being siphoned, and that should be diesel.

and the fuel pump on a truck might possibly be located somehere other than IN the tank in a large truck. Don't large trucks generally have more than one tank? Big rigs and such?

[Duncan]

In almost every modern car today the fuel pump is located inside the fuel tank. Its about the size of a 350ml fizzi drink can and in most cases located at the lowest point in the tank.

Its more the cooling effect of the fuel than lubrication that is important.

[neXGen]

Hey duncan, i ve heard of people who ve pumped diesel into a petrol tank including me dad despite all ma pleadings that it WAS diesel.. how would it be the most easiest way to clean out the entire tank? Is there a release opening at the bottom of the tank? and also the issue of dirt at the bottom of the engine.. how could it be cleaned?

Zz

[Duncan]

"Bottom of the engine" - I assume that was meant to be "bottom of the tank".

Diesel in a petrol car is not a problem. But if it was the other way around, it would be a disaster!!

The simplest thing to do, is drain the tank and then pour in petrol and run then engine. The little bit of diesel that will remain in the system will quickly get pushed out through the engine. Infact it might even work as a mild lubricant.

As for dirt in the tank, the most effective way is to remove the entire tank and then have it throughly cleaned.

there should be a drain plug at the bottom of the tank.

...or remove the fuel line from a convenient place and then run the fuel pump. However, don't keep the pump running for too long. Stop and then run again.

[Hola]

Hey everyone

Thought of sharing this with you.

Over the past months a friend and I noticed a number of cars arriving at his workshop with failed fuel pumps. These were relatively new cars, so the question of age was not an issue. Also the cars were of various different makes and models so could not blame it on one particular model.

Much later we discovered that the pumps in these cars were located inside the fuel tanks and that all the owners of these failed fuel pumps had a tendancy to run on near empty tanks on a regular basis.

The fuel in which the pump is located, acts as a lubricant and a coolent for the pumps. Pro-longed running on empty drastically reduces the life span of the pump as they tend to run hot and without lubrication.

So, make sure that you do not run your car on empty. Make a habit of filling up when the tak reaches 1/4.

Cheers

Duncan is there any device where we can measure the contnents digitaly?

[neXGen]

"Bottom of the engine" - I assume that was meant to be "bottom of the tank".

Diesel in a petrol car is not a problem. But if it was the other way around, it would be a disaster!!

The simplest thing to do, is drain the tank and then pour in petrol and run then engine. The little bit of diesel that will remain in the system will quickly get pushed out through the engine. Infact it might even work as a mild lubricant.

As for dirt in the tank, the most effective way is to remove the entire tank and then have it throughly cleaned.

there should be a drain plug at the bottom of the tank.

...or remove the fuel line from a convenient place and then run the fuel pump. However, don't keep the pump running for too long. Stop and then run again.

oops.. seems like me typing aint going in tally with my mind lol. yeah dude.. i meant bottom of da tank.. apologies

thanks for the info!

Zz