Low Fuel: How Does It Impact the Fuel Pump? The fuel pump is cooled and lubricated by the constant flow of fuel. If the tank is not always filled, the pump would be constantly in contact with air instead of fuel, friction and heat increase wears out faster. A survey on fuel pump life span exposed that Keep running down the gas tank well worth underneath a quarter full can eliminate up to 20% of the effectiveness and more than 30% of its overall life is! It does this by reducing the efficiency factor of the pump because fuel acts as a cooling and lubricating agent for the pump itself, which normally operates at pressures anywhere from 40- to 60 PSI in order to provide proper fuel delivery.
With lower amounts of fuel the pump will have to work harder to suck fuel out from the tank, forcing more load on the motor. In reality, statistics suggest that fuel pump issues appear 25% often in cars by which the reservoir is stored very near vacant. Fuel pumps are generally cooled by being submerged in the fuel tank, but if fuel level is too low, this may expose the pump and cause it to overheat, resulting in mechanical failure.
For example, one car company took a step of recalling more than 100,000 cars generated by a pattern of dead fuel pumps that were directly associated with the habits of having less than three gallons in the tank. These contaminated pumps led to overheating due to the need of proper fuel in order to cool a pump, which resulted in catastrophic widespread performance robbing failures.
Or, as the famous inventor Thomas Edison said it, “I have not failed. I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work This is a point that has direct relevance to this post since the fuel level and how it effects the fuel pump are vital in preventable failures. Keeping fuel over 25% tank capacity will keep pump cool and prolong life of the pump.
What does a fuel pump replacement cost? Repairing/Replacing a damaged fuel pump usually comes in between $500 to $1000 depending upon the Vehicle Make and Model. That said, the cost of a tank of fuel and tanks more than compensates for the expense of a new fuel pump. Moreover, fuel starvation resulting from a failing pump can cause decreased engine performance, higher emissions and even stalling — issues that will make driving the vehicle more problematic.
The presence of low fuel causes the internal components to be exposed and reduces the fuel pumps capacity to remain cool and properly lubricated, causing it to wear out much more quickly and therefore increases the chances of fuel pump failure. If you wish to know more specifically about fuel pump maintenance, visit Fuel Pump.