1. Is There Any Way I Can Replace A Fuel Pump Without Dropping The Fuel Tank?

The ease of replacing the fuel pump depends on the design of the vehicle. Almost all vehicles made for the last thirty years or so have a fuel pump located in the fuel tank. There are two basic methods to gain access to the fuel pump:

• In many older vehicles, you have to remove the fuel tank to get to the fuel pump. This is because fuel tanks are mounted tightly to the vehicle frame with the fuel pump inside or near the top of the tank. This is an expensive job for a shop to do because of the labor involved to remove and reinstall the fuel tank. It’s difficult to do at home due to the weight of the tank.
• In many newer vehicles, the manufacturer put in an access panel in the floor of the vehicle’s body to make it easier to get at the fuel tank. The access panel is sometimes located under the rear seat, or may be located under the carpeting in the cargo area (or trunk). This makes getting at the fuel pump a pretty easy job, either in the shop or at home.

Fuel pumps are located in the fuel tank because it helps the fuel pump last longer. The fuel in the tank cools the fuel pump as it is running.

2. Should I Buy A Fuel System Cleaner?

In theory, a fuel system cleaner is supposed to clean fuel injectors and other components of your fuel system. However, most of the time there isn’t much benefit. A vehicle’s fuel system has at least one filter. All vehicles with electric fuel pumps have two filters, one in the tank itself and another one inline. In older vehicles with mechanical fuel pumps usually have only one filter that is located inline. It may be a screen/filter in the fuel tank, or there may be a filter located in the fuel line. If any of these filters get clogged it’s unlikely a fuel system cleaner will fix the issue. Instead, the fuel filter will need to be cleaned or replaced.

3. When Replacing My Fuel Pump, Should I Clean Out My Fuel Tank? 

Cleaning out your fuel tank is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. While it sounds like a good idea, it involves extensive steam cleaning and is not something most shops are equipped to do. This means the repair shop would need to ship the gas tank to a special facility, adding considerable cost and time. Additionally, most of the contaminants are usually removed when the repair shop drains the tank. If you have any doubts about your fuel tank, or are worried about contaminants, it’s usually cheaper to replace the tank than have it cleaned.

About Us

Since 1943, GMB has been one of the largest global manufacturers of OE and Aftermarket automotive products. We offer quality parts including universal joints, water pumps, tensioner & idler bearings, wheel bearings & hub assemblies, fuel pumps, fan clutches, and steering & suspension parts. Each product line has extensive Asian, Domestic, and European coverage that meets or exceeds OE standards. If you have more questions about your vehicle’s fuel system, contact us online or call us at 1-800-421-5019. You can also sign up for the GMB Insider for tech info and other news.

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If the timing set in a GDI engine fails, the engine may put out a diagnostic trouble code for high or low fuel pressure. So that means there may be issues with the timing chain or the chain tensioner. Your shop will reduce comebacks if your techs take the time to check the engine timing set while replacing the fuel pump.

Symptoms Of A Failing Timing Chain Or Chain Tensioner

• Non-smooth rpm increase from idle
• Knocking or rattling sound coming from the engine while idling
• Metal shavings in the oil pan
• Trouble starting the engine

Timing Chain And Chain Tensioner Diagnosis Tips

• Use a stethoscope to listen for noise coming from the engine. Listen for a knocking or rattling noise.
• If the engine runs a little rough, it may have timing set issues.
• Ask about oil consumption and oil change interval history, and check for signs of an overheated engine. Those issues can lead to timing chain failure.

Recommended Replacement Fuel Pumps

Of course, a fuel pressure code may simply mean that you need to replace the fuel pump. When replacing a fuel pump, keep GMB pumps in mind. Our pumps are designed to meet or exceed OEM specifications. GMB fuel pumps:

• Provide OEM grade electric motors that meet OE specs for operating voltage, current draw and resistance.
• Use 99.9% pure copper in the windings of the motor. This helps the pump run cool, and increases longevity.
• Meet or exceed OE specs for pressure and flow rate.
• Use an external aluminum housing to shed heat and improve longevity.
• Come with a 150 micron pre-filter (strainer). The pre-filter uses a long lasting synthetic filter media.

GMB manufactures more than 1600 fuel pumps. You can search for a pump on this page.

Why It’s A Good Idea To Check The Engine Timing While Replacing The Fuel Pump On A GDI Engine

When your shop gets a car with a “low fuel pressure” trouble code, be sure to have your techs also check the engine timing. Whether or not the fuel pump is failing, you want to make sure that the car’s engine timing is good.

A failed chain tensioner or stretched timing chain could cause an increase or decrease in fuel pressure a moment too early or late. This leads to symptoms associated with low fuel pressure. A GDI engine with timing issues may put out a “low fuel pressure” diagnostic code. This occurs when the timing issues haven’t become severe enough for the ECU to recognize them as such. Until then, the issues may be misinterpreted as low fuel pressure. If your shop is working on a high mileage GDI engine that still has its original timing chain and tensioners, it may need a new timing set.

The next time a GDI engine shows a low fuel pressure trouble code, be sure to check the engine timing set in addition to the standard diagnoses for low fuel pressure. It’s possible that the problem is with the timing chain or chain tensioner. If the timing set is found to be faulty, replace it along with the fuel pump. That will help reduce the number of fuel pump replacement comebacks.

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What Is A Fuel Pump Strainer?

The fuel pump strainer is an oblong filter made out of very fine mesh material. Where’s the fuel pump strainer located? It’s fitted over the fuel pick-up tube at the bottom of the fuel pump, which is inside the fuel tank. The fuel tank can get really dirty over time. It’s common for a fuel tank to become contaminated with the following impurities:

• Dirt
• Sand
• Water
• Tank sediment
• Rust particles
• Gasoline deposits and varnish

The fuel pump strainer traps these contaminants before the fuel enters the fuel pump. Its sole purpose is to protect the pump and prolong its life.

The Fuel Filter: Is It The Same Part As The Fuel Pump Strainer?

Sometimes there’s another filter within the fuel system: the fuel filter. It’s not the same as the fuel pump strainer.

The biggest difference between these filters is:

• A fuel filter uses a pleated paper filter
• A fuel pump strainer uses a fine mesh screen

A fuel filter is located in the fuel line between the tank and engine. It is usually found in older cars. A strainer is only found in the fuel tank, in cars that have a fuel pump in the fuel tank.

It’s recommended to replace the fuel filter every 30,000 miles, or every 2 years. You may be wondering if you should replace the fuel pump strainer along with the fuel filter. The answer is no.

The Fuel Pump Strainer Only Gets Replaced When The Fuel Pump Gets Replaced

If you’re wondering when to change the fuel pump strainer, it would never be changed by itself. It’s because the fuel pump strainer is an integral part of the fuel pump assembly. If the fuel pump fails, the new fuel pump will come with a new strainer.

Signs Of Fuel Pump Failure

A good quality fuel pump lasts about 100,000 miles or more. Sometimes a fuel pump can fail early. When that happens, you’ll know. The most common signs of fuel pump failure are:

• Reduced engine power
• Difficulty starting the engine
• The engine “choking out” or dying after running for a while
• A check engine light that returns a lean code from the ECU
• A whining noise from the fuel tank area

How To Prolong The Life Of A Fuel Pump

The fuel pump strainer exists to keep contaminants out of the fuel pump and to prolong its life. Sometimes it’s not enough, though. If the gas tank is too dirty, the strainer gets clogged up faster, and that leads to imminent fuel pump failure.

The good news is there are a few things you can do to prolong the life of your fuel pump. To sum it up:

• Don’t habitually run with less than 1/4 tank of gas.
• Only fill up at newer gas stations
• Don’t fill up when the fuel delivery truck is at the gas station

If your fuel pump fails, be sure to use a high quality replacement fuel pump, like OE-quality GMB fuel pumps.

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What Is A Fuel Pump Strainer?

The fuel pump strainer is an oblong filter made out of very fine mesh material. Where’s the fuel pump strainer located? It’s fitted over the fuel pick-up tube at the bottom of the fuel pump, which is inside the fuel tank. The fuel tank can get really dirty over time. It’s common for a fuel tank to become contaminated with the following impurities:

• Dirt
• Sand
• Water
• Tank sediment
• Rust particles
• Gasoline deposits and varnish

The fuel pump strainer traps these contaminants before the fuel enters the fuel pump. Its sole purpose is to protect the pump and prolong its life.

The Fuel Filter: Is It The Same Part As The Fuel Pump Strainer?

Sometimes there’s another filter within the fuel system: the fuel filter. It’s not the same as the fuel pump strainer.

The biggest difference between these filters is:

• A fuel filter uses a pleated paper filter
• A fuel pump strainer uses a fine mesh screen

A fuel filter is located in the fuel line between the tank and engine. It is usually found in older cars. A strainer is only found in the fuel tank, in cars that have a fuel pump in the fuel tank.

It’s recommended to replace the fuel filter every 30,000 miles, or every 2 years. You may be wondering if you should replace the fuel pump strainer along with the fuel filter. The answer is no.

The Fuel Pump Strainer Only Gets Replaced When The Fuel Pump Gets Replaced

If you’re wondering when to change the fuel pump strainer, it would never be changed by itself. It’s because the fuel pump strainer is an integral part of the fuel pump assembly. If the fuel pump fails, the new fuel pump will come with a new strainer.

Signs Of Fuel Pump Failure

A good quality fuel pump lasts about 100,000 miles or more. Sometimes a fuel pump can fail early. When that happens, you’ll know. The most common signs of fuel pump failure are:

• Reduced engine power
• Difficulty starting the engine
• The engine “choking out” or dying after running for a while
• A check engine light that returns a lean code from the ECU
• A whining noise from the fuel tank area

How To Prolong The Life Of A Fuel Pump

The fuel pump strainer exists to keep contaminants out of the fuel pump and to prolong its life. Sometimes it’s not enough, though. If the gas tank is too dirty, the strainer gets clogged up faster, and that leads to imminent fuel pump failure.

The good news is there are a few things you can do to prolong the life of your fuel pump. To sum it up:

• Don’t habitually run with less than 1/4 tank of gas.
• Only fill up at newer gas stations
• Don’t fill up when the fuel delivery truck is at the gas station

If your fuel pump fails, be sure to use a high quality replacement fuel pump, like OE-quality GMB fuel pumps.

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What Does A Fuel Pump Strainer Do?

The sender/hanger design is one of the greatest fuel pump innovations of our time. The fuel pump strainer is an integral part of this design.

The fuel pump strainer is not a moving part. It’s a very, very fine mesh filter that covers the fuel pick-up tube. That’s where the fuel pump sucks in fuel from the tank. With the presence of the fuel pump strainer, only clean fuel can enter the fuel pump.

The fuel tank can collect many different impurities, including:

• Dirt
• Sand
• Water
• Tank sediment
• Rust particles
• Gasoline deposits and varnish

If these contaminants enter the fuel pump, two things can happen:

1. The fuel pump gets damaged. The fuel pump would have to work harder to pump fuel to the engine. If enough contaminants enter it, the pump will fail eventually.
2. The fuel gets dirty. This will affect the fuel injectors, and may wear them out over time.

The fuel pump strainer is the first line of defense against fuel system contamination. That’s why it’s an important part of the fuel pump design.

Is The Fuel Pump Strainer The Same As A Fuel Filter?

The fuel pump strainer is sometimes called a “fuel pump filter”. This leads some people to wonder if it’s the same part as a fuel filter. The answer is no. The fuel pump strainer and the fuel filter both serve the same purpose: to trap contaminants. Yet, these are two different parts. The fuel pump strainer is attached to the fuel pump. The fuel filter is usually fitted into the fuel line.

GMB Fuel Pumps Come With High Quality Fuel Pump Strainers

It’s common for low quality fuel pump strainers to clog up over time. That can get pretty expensive. A clogged fuel pump strainer restricts the flow of fuel into the pump. This forces the fuel pump to work harder and draw a much higher current. This leads to premature fuel pump failure. A clogged strainer is one of the top causes of fuel pump failure.

That’s why it’s so important to use high quality fuel pump strainers. With GMB, you don’t have to worry about any quality issues. All GMB fuel pump assemblies (and some GMB fuel pump kits) include a high quality fuel pump strainer. All our strainers come with a 150 micron rating. We also produce them with the best non-paper filtering material available.

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1. Keep Your Fuel Tank Full As Much As Possible

The fuel pump is inside the tank. It is submerged in fuel. The fuel helps cool and lubricate the pump. It’s not always the case, though. When your fuel tank is running low on fuel, the fuel pump is no longer fully submerged in fuel. It has to work harder to pull the fuel from the bottom of the tank. There’s also not as much fuel to cool the pump. Over time, the extra heat in the pump motor will cause it to wear out faster.

If you have a habit of keeping your fuel tank nearly empty, then your fuel pump may not last as long. To keep your fuel pump cool and lubricated – and to avoid overworking it – try to keep your fuel tank full as much as possible.

2. Only Fill Up At Newer Gas Stations

Many people don’t realize this, but the type of gas station you use can affect the longevity of your fuel pump. An old gas station could have dirty and/or rusty tanks. The rust and impurities in those tanks will contaminate the fuel. When you fill up your vehicle with contaminated fuel, the impurities can wear on your fuel system, including the fuel pump. So, try to stick to newer gas stations.

3. Don’t Fill Up When The Fuel Delivery Truck Is At The Gas Station

If you see the fuel delivery truck filling the tanks at the gas station, move on to the next gas station. Dumping fuel into the underground storage tank stirs up the sediment in the tank. If you fill up then, you’ll get sediment in your fuel. The sediment will settle back to bottom of the storage tank in a few hours.

4. Use A High Quality Replacement Fuel Pump

When it’s time to replace your fuel pump, the quality of your new pump plays a big part in how long it will last. A cheap aftermarket fuel pump won’t last as long as an OEM or OE-quality pump (like GMB fuel pumps).

A quality fuel pump is:

• Durable
• Built with quality materials
• Designed for your make and model

GMB fuel pumps are as high quality as they come. We design our fuel pumps to OE specs, and we only use high quality materials. Our fuel pumps perform well and last a long time. Learn more about GMB fuel pumps here!

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The electric fuel pumps used today are quite different from the electric fuel pumps in the late ‘60s. Let’s go over the biggest changes we’ve seen in electric fuel pumps over the years.

Solenoid Fuel Pumps

The first type of electric fuel pump was the electric solenoid fuel pump. In the infancy of electric fuel pumps, people saw the solenoid design as innovative. By today’s standards, it’s a bit basic. Solenoid pumps have very few moving parts.

Designers of the earliest electric fuel pumps borrowed the design from mechanical fuel pumps. Instead of a camshaft, an electric fuel pump used a solenoid to move the diaphragm. Just like in a mechanical fuel pump, the diaphragm would pull fuel from the fuel tank and then send it to the engine. One advantage to the electric fuel pump was that it could be placed anywhere in the engine compartment. Mechanical fuel pumps were usually mounted on the engine.

A Little Bit About Solenoids

A solenoid uses an electromagnet to move a metal rod. When current is switched on, the bar moves in one direction. When the current is turned off, a spring returns the rod to its starting position. The technology has been around since the early 1800s. That’s when French physicist Andre-Marie Ampere discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields. A solenoid in a fuel pump uses the relationship between electricity and magnetism to pump fuel.

The solenoid is a great innovation. Solenoid fuel pumps were sufficient for carbureted engines, and the first generation of fuel injection. As fuel injection evolved, higher fuel pressures were required. That’s why the electric fuel pump evolved past the solenoid design.

Sender/Hanger Assembly Fuel Pumps

Fuel pump engineers realized that solenoid fuel pumps couldn’t keep up with the demands of the ever-evolving fuel system. This realization resulted in the invention of sender/hanger assembly fuel pump design. The new fuel pump design had the fuel pump mounted inside the fuel tank.

This fuel pump design is much more elaborate than the simple solenoid fuel pump design. It involves:

• A fuel pump hanger assembly that seals the fuel tank opening and serves as the mount for the fuel pump
• An electric rotary fuel pump
• A sending unit that “sends” the fuel level to the ECU and dashboard
• A fuel strainer
• A fuel pump/sending unit harness
• Return lines

The setup may be more elaborate, but it’s much more efficient. Electric rotary fuel pumps can create and handle higher fuel pressures. They also offer a larger variety of flow rates and pressure outputs. Mounting the fuel pump in the tank allowed it to be cooled by fuel, virtually eliminating vapor lock. All of these improvements created a more reliable fuel system.

Modular Fuel Pump Assemblies

Fuel pump engineers decided that vehicles needed a more “streamlined” fuel pump assembly. So the sender/hanger design evolved into the modular fuel pump. It has the same basic components as the sender/hanger design, but has the following improvements:

• Less cost to manufacture
• More compact
• Easier to install on the assembly line
• Added fuel pump reservoir around the pump to help prevent overheating

High Pressure GDI Pumps

GDI stands for “gasoline direct injection”. GDI engines require more highly pressurized fuel, which is injected directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder. Many car owners consider GDI a better system than the standard fuel injection system because:

• It meets stricter emissions standards
• It is more fuel efficient
• It creates more power than conventional fuel injection

GDI is a relatively new technology that has been around since the mid 90s. However it is just now starting to enter the mainstream of the auto market. Auto makers are switching to it to help meet ever tougher fuel economy standards.

There are a variety of GDI fuel system designs, but one version includes:

• A conventional low pressure fuel pump in the fuel tank
• A high pressure pump in the engine compartment
  • This pump is usually mechanically driven by the camshaft
  • V engines may have two high pressure pumps.

A GDI fuel system is a rather elaborate and expensive setup. This is why it’s only starting to become more common now.

It has been fascinating watching the fuel pump evolve from having a basic mechanical design to having high-tech designs like the GDI system. We look forward to seeing more incredible fuel pump innovations crop up in the future!

Read more about the Evolution of Electric Fuel Pumps

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1900-1920s: Fuel Was Supplied To The Engine Via Gravity

The fuel pump didn’t come into the picture until a couple of decades after cars were invented. So how did they manage to pump fuel into engines during the early years? One word: gravity.

Image Credit: Victor Wilfred Pagé via Wikimedia Commons

The diagram shows that they put the fuel tank above the engine. The design allowed fuel to trickle down to the carburetor via the feed pipe. Some car owners back in the days would insert a homemade fuel filter in the feed pipe.

While this design was practical, it was also not safe. It’s dangerous to keep the fuel tank so close to the engine. If there’s a fuel leak, and if the engine is hot, a fire could occur. In fact, the term firewall dates back to the era where the fuel tank was mounted above the engine.

1920s: The Mechanical Fuel Pump Became Commonly Used In Cars

In the 1920s, automakers finally moved the fuel tank to the back of the vehicle. There was a problem, though. The design didn’t enable gravity to supply fuel to the carburetor. The solution? A mechanical fuel pump.

How Does A Mechanical Fuel Pump Work?

The design of the mechanical fuel pump did not evolve much over the years. Here’s a general overview of how mechanical fuel pumps work:

The mechanical fuel pump is bolted to the engine. Either the camshaft or the crankshaft powers it. There’s a pivoted lever near the shaft. As the shaft turns:

1. A cam on the shaft causes one end of the lever to move up or down.
2. A rubber diaphragm is attached to the other end of the lever. The diaphragm moves up and down with the lever.
3. When the lever pulls down the diaphragm, enough suction is created to draw fuel into the pump through the fuel pipe.
4. When the lever isn’t pulling down the diaphragm, a spring pushes it back.
5. When there’s fuel in the pump, it can’t go back through the fuel pipe because there’s a one-way valve. So the pump can only expel the fuel in one direction: toward the carburetor.
6. Considering how fast the shaft turns, this process occurs many times per minute.

Mechanical fuel pumps operate at a low pressure – about 4-6 psi. It’s enough pressure to pump fuel to the carburetor float bowl. Once the fuel is in the carburetor float bowl, gravity enables it to mix with air. The pump doesn’t continually pump fuel into the carburetor. Rather, a check valve in the carburetor allows it to draw in fuel only when it needs to.

The Pros And Cons Of Mechanical Fuel Pumps

Overall, mechanical fuel pumps are:

• Simple
• Reliable
• The perfect solution for carbureted engines

That being said, mechanical fuel pumps have a major con. They’re located in the engine compartment, so the fuel line between the tank and the pump is susceptible to vapor lock. This occurs when fuel turns into vapor before it reaches the pump. This can happen when there’s excessive heat from:

• The engine
• The exhaust system
• Outside

When the fuel vaporizes in the lines, you’ll experience:

• Loss of power
• Stalling
• Difficulty restarting the engine

The Late 1960s: Electric Fuel Pumps Became Common

In 1925, a Swedish engineer named Jonas Hesselman invented the concept of fuel injection. The technology didn’t catch on until the late 60s, though. Prior to the late 60’s and early 70’s:

1. Fuel injection systems were more expensive than carbureted fuel systems.
2. Fuel injection wasn’t needed to increase the performance of engines. Other methods were cheaper.
3. Emissions standards were lax or non-existent.
4. Gasoline was cheap, so fuel economy didn’t matter.

Of course, all this changed in the 70’s. Automakers adopted fuel injection technology to address the changing market. Electric fuel pumps were implemented because they better met the needs of fuel injection systems. Electric fuel pumps can create much more pressure than traditional mechanical fuel pumps. They usually operate at about 60 psi. That’s enough pressure to atomize the fuel when it’s injected into the cylinders.

How Does An Electric Fuel Pump Work?

On most vehicles, you’ll find the electric fuel pump in the fuel tank. For that reason, the camshaft obviously does not power it. The vehicle’s electrical system powers it. A solenoid actuates the diaphragm. This draws the fuel into the pump. Next, the pump sends the fuel down the fuel line to the fuel injectors.

Some electric fuel pumps remain on the whole time the ignition is on. Other electric fuel pumps are switched on by the ECU whenever the engine needs fuel.

Many people wonder if it’s safe for electric fuel pumps to be submerged in gasoline. It’s absolutely safe. Liquid gasoline is a hydrocarbon, and hydrocarbons do not conduct electricity. In fact, gasoline helps keep the fuel pump cooler, so it’s better to keep your tank more than half full at all times.

The Pros And Cons Of Electric Fuel Pumps

Here are some pros of electric fuel pumps:

• Electric fuel pumps are simple and reliable.
• Vapor lock cannot occur with electric fuel pumps.
  • It’s because electric fuel pumps pressurize the fuel line from the tank to the engine.

Now, let’s talk about some of the cons of electric fuel pumps:

• Electric fuel pumps can be very hard to replace.
  • To replace a failed electric fuel pump, you have to drain and remove the fuel tank.
• Sometimes electric fuel pumps do not have effective filters.
  • There’s no way to easily change the filter. So the filters that come in electric fuel pumps are typically simple screens.
• Electric fuel pumps can be sensitive to sediment or rust in the fuel.
• Heat can cut the lifespan of an electric fuel pump.
  • When the tank is low on fuel, the pump won’t be fully submerged, so it won’t be cooled by the fuel around it.
  • When the engine is at less than full power, it doesn’t need all the fuel that the pump provides. The unused fuel is returned to the fuel tank. But, the trip to the engine compartment causes the fuel to get warmer.
  • Heat from the above situations can ruin the electric fuel pump.

Mid 1990s: Almost All Vehicles Used Electric Fuel Pumps

After fuel injection caught on in the late 60s, it became increasingly popular over the years. By the time the mid 1990s rolled around, almost all vehicles had fuel injection system. That means virtually all vehicles had an electric fuel pump, and mechanical fuel pumps are now obsolete on production automobiles.

The post Major Innovations In Fuel Pump Design Since 1900 appeared first on GMB North America, Inc..

1. Loose fuel pump
2. Contaminated fuel filter
3. Low fuel tank level
4. Contaminated fuel

A Low Humming Sound Is Normal

Is your fuel pump making a low humming sound? If so, you have nothing to worry about. A fuel pump should make that noise. Most people never notice it, because they’re not trying to listen to it. The pump is driven by an electric motor, so of course it will always hum softly when in use.

What about other noises like whining, sputtering, or buzzing? There’s something wrong with the pump, fuel, or related parts. Read on for a list of the most common issues with brand new fuel pumps that could cause strange noises.

1. Loose Fuel Pump

Most common noises: whining, droning, wet sputtering

Was the pump properly installed and tightened? A fuel pump that’s a little loose can make a lot of noise. If you suspect that this is the reason your fuel pump is making noise, you can see if it’s loose. If it is, tightening it (or reinstalling it) should get rid of the noise.

2. Contaminated Fuel Filter

Most common noises: buzzing, loud humming

Did you replace the fuel filter while installing the fuel pump? If not, you may be dealing with a clogged filter that’s blocking the fuel flow. This causes the fuel pump to work harder than normal, which creates a loud buzzing or humming noise. Other signs of a clogged fuel filter include:

• Engine starts hard
• Engine running rough
• Sluggish acceleration

The only way to find out if a contaminated fuel filter is the root of the issue is to check the filter. If you find that it’s clogged, replace it. The fuel pump noise should go away.

3. Low Fuel Tank Level

Most common noises: whining, buzzing

Do you have a habit of driving on empty? If you rarely fill your gas tank to the top, the pump may overheat. That is why the fuel pump is inside the gas tank. The fuel helps keep the fuel pump cool. When your gas tank is chronically empty (below 1/4), the fuel pump will wear out faster from excessive heat.

Do you suspect that your fuel pump is making noise because it’s overheated? Keep your gas tank full and see if the noise goes away over time.

4. Contaminated Fuel

Most common noises: whining, buzzing

Fuel that contains impurities such as dirt, metal shavings, or rust will have a negative affect on the fuel pump. The fuel pump can only handle liquid, not dirt or any debris. Have you noticed any of the following signs besides high-pitched whining or buzzing noises? You may have contaminated fuel in your tank.

• Engine running rough
• Poor fuel economy
• Difficulty starting the engine
• Misfiring

If this is the case, then it’s possible that your fuel pump has already gone bad (especially if it’s a cheaply built one). If you end up having to replace it again, our condolences. We recommend getting a high quality replacement fuel pump that’s designed to OE specs, like a GMB fuel pump. A high quality fuel pump has a much lower chance of failing so soon.

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When major automakers like Toyota announce plans to electrify their entire vehicle line-up, the auto industry takes note. Electrification raises the issue of phasing out gas-powered vehicles, as well as the parts that are specific to gas-powered vehicles. If Toyota – and other automakers – are selling a completely electrified fleet by 2030, does that mean we’ll no longer need exhaust systems, fuel pumps, etc.?

While Toyota’s plan to electrify their new vehicle line-up is bold, the details of their plan show that gas powered vehicles – and fuel pumps – aren’t going away anytime soon.

Toyota’s i-Road. Photo Credit: Wikimedia

100% Electrification Isn’t The End Of Gas Engines

At the end of 2017, Toyota announced a plan to electrify their entire new vehicle line-up between 2020 and 2030. At first blush, this would mean “curtains” for the venerable gasoline engine. However, the text of the official announcement explains that Toyota’s electrification plans will rely heavily on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and partial hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to meet this goal:

“By around 2030, Toyota aims to have sales of more than 5.5 million electrified vehicles, including more than 1 million zero-emission vehicles”

Parsing that statement, it’s clear that Toyota plans to sell 4.5 million vehicles in 2030 that will burn gasoline and use fuel pumps. Rumors of the death of the gasoline engine, it seems, would be greatly exaggerated.

Nissan has also made plans to work on electrification worldwide. Photo Credit: upenn.edu

Toyota Is Just Part Of The Story

While we’ve focused on Toyota, other automakers have announced similar goals. Ford, GM, Honda, et al have announced commitments to electrification. However, a deep dive into all of these plans shows that HEVs and PHEVs are going to be a big part of every automaker’s new vehicle mix for the foreseeable future.

No one in the auto industry should dismiss the notion that the gasoline engine will eventually disappear. However, electrification announcements from Toyota and other automakers show that the end of the gasoline engine is at least a couple of decades away, if not longer.

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