Engine Problems That Are Caused By a Faulty Fuel Pump
A faulty fuel pump can cause all kinds of engine problems. This is because the fuel pump is responsible for the fuel delivery from the tank to the engine. The average lifespan of a fuel pump is 100,000 miles; most pumps last longer than that. Mark’s Auto Service lists signs below that indicate that your fuel pump is the reason why your vehicle is having engine problems.
Dead Engine
As we just mentioned, the fuel pump is responsible for fuel delivery. If your vehicle’s fuel pump has died completely, you won’t be able to get your engine started because there isn’t any diesel fuel or gasoline in it. You may find that it gets more difficult to start your engine before you end up with a dead engine. If you have the hard starts looked into, you may be able to avoid ending up with a dead engine.
Overheating Engine
The fuel pump uses diesel fuel or gasoline to keep its motor cool. If the fuel pump is unable to draw enough diesel fuel or gasoline through the motor, it will overheat. The heat being generated by the motor has nowhere to go but inside your vehicle’s engine. Consequently, your engine will overheat, as well, and your vehicle will stall. This points to a problem with the fuel pump.
Poor Gas Mileage
If the fuel pump is not working effectively, your engine cannot run inefficiently. Consequently, your gas mileage will take a hit. This could be because the fuel pump is pushing too much fuel into the engine or it isn’t pushing enough fuel into the engine. Either way, you will notice that you are heading to the service station more often than normal to fill the tank up.
Stress Power Loss
The fuel pump can also affect how your vehicle performs when it is under stress. For example, assume for a moment that you are towing furniture to your new home. You have not exceeded the maximum weight capacity of your vehicle but it is still struggling to run. This is a sign that the fuel pump is not sending enough gasoline into the engine to power the engine’s performance while it is under stress.
Surging/Hesitation
Finally, another engine performance issue is surging or hesitation. In the case of surging, the fuel pump is pushing too much diesel fuel or gasoline into the combustion chamber and this will cause your vehicle to pick up speed in spurts. If the fuel pump is not sending enough accelerant into the combustion chamber, your engine will hesitate.Mark’s Auto Service in Rockford or Loves Park, IL, can help. Call us today to set up a service appointment.
