Your car, truck, or SUV may not always perform as expected. If your vehicle is sputtering, hesitates when you press on the gas, or feels like there’s insufficient power, your fuel pump may be to blame.
Signs of a Bad Fuel Pump
The signs of a failing fuel pump are varied, but your driving experience is the best place to start diagnosing the issue. If your car feels less powerful and responsive, checking the fuel pump’s performance should be on your list.
A fuel pump can’t always be fixed, but there are things you can do to remedy poor performance. If the fuel pump is faulty, there’s a good chance it’ll just need to be replaced.
Some signs of a bad fuel pump are painfully obvious, while others might lead you to believe something else is the root cause of your problems. These are some signs your fuel pump may need to be replaced.
- Your Car Won’t Start: A car that won’t start is often caused by a faulty fuel pump.
- Your Vehicle has a Whining Noise: Car whining noises are often attributed to the belt system, but that’s not always why your car whines.
- Your Car is Stalling: A car stall is frustrating, embarrassing, and can be dangerous.
- Your Vehicle’s Performance is Lacking: Do you feel like your car isn’t as responsive or quick as it used to be?
- Your Vehicle’s Performance is Better than Expected: Conversely, your fuel pump might not be regulating fuel delivery properly, leading to excess fuel delivery to the engine.
- You’re Experiencing Loss of Power, Especially when the Vehicle is Stressed: If you’re going up a hill or trying to overtake someone on the road, but your car won’t speed up appropriately, or at all, this could be because the fuel pump is faulty.
- Decreased Fuel Efficiency: Your car’s fuel efficiency is directly tied to the fuel pump’s performance.
You can test your fuel pump with a fuel pressure gauge. It’s also suggested to have a friend available, as diagnosing your fuel pump issues will require someone to read the gauge while another person steps on the accelerator.
A fuel pump can’t truly be repaired. If you’re experiencing issues that are found to be caused by the fuel pump, replacement is necessary. Keeping your car’s fuel filter clean is the best way to avoid a costly fuel pump replacement.
The cost of replacing a fuel pump depends on the vehicle, but fuel pumps typically cost between $400 and $1,000.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
