If your car is overheating and there is nothing wrong with the cooling system, it’s possible that your fuel pump is overheating. As diesel fuel or gasoline flows through the pump, it cools down the fuel pump motor. If you are driving on empty, or there is a problem with the fuel pump and it’s not drawing enough fuel through it, the motor can overheat and this heat will be transferred to your engine. Trinity Auto Care advises this is just one sign that you have a bad fuel pump. Here are the other signs.
Dead Engine
If the fuel pump has died completely, you won’t have any gasoline in your engine and you won’t be able to get it started. The fuel pump is responsible for pumping the fuel out of the tank and moving it through to the fuel injectors. One sign that your fuel pump is going bad is difficulty starting your car. Eventually, you won’t be able to start it at all.
Low Fuel Pressure
If you purchase a fuel pressure gauge at the auto parts store, you can test your fuel pressure and this, in turn, tests your fuel pump. You’ll need someone to help you test the fuel pressure. The first thing you should do is check your owner’s manual to see what your fuel pressure should be. Then, check to see if the gauge registers this number when you test the fuel pressure.
Poor Fuel Economy
A bad fuel pump can also reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy. This can happen because of one of two things. First, if the fuel pump isn’t drawing enough gas and pushing it through to the engine, your engine will struggle and burn what little gas it has quicker. Second, if the fuel pump is stuck in an open position, your engine will get a constant flow of gas that it will burn away.
Sputtering Engine
The former of the two conditions just discussed can make your engine sputter and your acceleration lag. This is because the engine doesn’t have enough diesel fuel or gasoline in it to produce the power that you are demanding when you press down on the accelerator.
Stress Power Loss
A struggling fuel pump will also cause your vehicle to lose power when it is under stress. Stress can mean that you are towing something behind your automobile, and it can also mean that you are driving up a steep incline that requires more power.
Surging Engine
Finally, a fuel pump stuck in the open position will make your engine surge. What this means is that it will pick up speed unexpectedly and then drop back down.
If you are experiencing any of these problems, call Trinity Auto Care in Blaine or White Bear Lake, MN, to schedule an automotive service appointment.