The fuel pump is a critical part of the modern car or motorcycle. If it becomes damaged or malfunctions it has to be fixed immediately. Finding a fuel pump replacement depends on how sophisticated you car’s fuel system is. If you have fuel injection you’ll need a pump that can be controlled electronically by the car’s fuel system.
Although most cars and motorcycles need a fuel pump some don’t. Internal combustions engines work by mixing gasoline with air to create a highly volatile mixture which is ignited with a spark plug to cause a explosion. The force of the explosion is used to drive pistons up and down and via a crankshaft this linear motion is converted to rotary motion used to turn the axels and therefore the wheels. A fuel pump is used to pump the gasoline from the fuel tank to the combustion chamber but some older designs, particularly on motorcycles, gravity is used to feed the fuel into the chamber.
A problem with the fuel pump can cause the car to have difficulty starting or if the pump fails completely you won’t be going anywhere. The cost of replacing the pump varies a great deal depending on your car. Some pumps are easily accessible when the car is raised but others require the tank to be drained and removed and it can also be inside the tank as well. Changing the pump is one of the harder jobs for the home mechanic and should not be attempted by the inexperienced. Fuel pressure is an issue for cars with a fuel injection and the pressure on the fuel line has to be relieved first. After that you’ll need to disconnect the power (on electric pumps) and also one or more fuel lines (depending on it’s location). Also, be wary of the fire risk from any spilled gasoline. Overall, not a job for the beginners.
It’s important to get the right kind of pump for your vehicle. Amazon have a large range and you can usually find then on ebay but be warned, this is one component that you don’t want to take any risks with. If the pump fails you’ll need a tow to get home. You local auto dealer can of course supply you with the pump and install it but because of the variability of the pumps location you could be looking at some hefty labour changes and on top of that several hundred dollars for the pump itself.
The most common type is the electric fuel pump. These are situated inside the tank and push fuel to the engine. Although it sounds crazy to put anything electric in the tank it is the safest place. The fuel is cool and it’s fuel vapour that causes explosions, (vapours are created with the intention of exploding them in the combustion chamber after all) and there are no vapours when submersed in fuel.
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