The fuel pumps of vehicles carry fuel from the gas tank to the engine. If there is any damage to the pump, there can be a large impact on the vehicle. So you need to understand the warning signs that will indicate an issue with the pump. You need to get it checked by a mechanic immediately and sometimes the issues can signal the need to replace the pump completely.
A common sign of failure in fuel pumps is when the engine stutters and jolts when you are driving at a consistent speed. This happens when the pump is unable to provide a sufficient amount of fuel to the engine. Therefore, the engine is unable to maintain a constant speed. This can affect the control you have over the vehicle and it can be a safety hazard to the passengers of the vehicles and other vehicles and people on the road.
If you notice this happening, you need to get the vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible. When the fuel pump is not working well it can affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The vehicle is not able to function at its peak when this happen. With time, the engine is going to burn more fuel than required to match its optimum performance levels. This will cause you to see a decrease in the car’s mileage without any change in the way you drive other factors. You will have to incur more costs as you will be filling up on fuel more frequently.
Sometimes you will experience sudden surges in speed when you are driving because the pump provides excess fuel to the engine. This can also be a dangerous situation. Your engine can flood or even stall when you are on the road. It is best to have the contact numbers for several mechanics in your location so that you can get in touch with them in an emergency.
You can also hear some squealing coming from the engine when you drive if there is something wrong with the fuel pump. However, there are other issues that may cause this high pitched whine so make sure that you don’t overlook any issues. The squealing of the engine is because the components inside have undergone a lot of wear and this can indicate mechanical failure in the near future.
Issues with the engine can indicate a malfunctioning of the pump. When fuel cannot be sufficiently moved to the engine, it will need a lot of cranking to start. And sometimes the engine will not start at all. Sometimes the engine will die after running for some time. When you are carrying a heavy load such as people or cargo, there will be a lack of power from the engine. You need to first check whether your vehicle has a mechanical or electrical pump.
With a mechanical pump, you will not experience intermittent failure. This is something that you experience with electric fuel pumps. To diagnose whether it is actually the pump that has the issue, you can fix a fuel pressure gauge to the common fuel rail. You can then check whether the reading comes within the accepted range for the vehicle.
