All car gurus,

I like to ask what is usually causing a car's fuel pump to fail? How to prevent it from spoiling?

My car is a Wira 1300CC, which engine failed to start due to fuel pump failure for 2 times already. The fuel pump costs me RM300++, which is a big deal to me.

Appreciate advice from you guys.

ur car is fuel injection or carburetor??... efi n carb using different kinda fuel pump... carburetor (ac pump) doesnt fail often, unless leaking... efi ones however could fail as its electric fuel pump....

da fuel pump u changed is brand new or recond set??... how long u used it before failing??..

My Wira's engine is of fuel injection type.

The original one that comes with the car lasted for about 5 years, then failed out of a sudden. A new one is replaced at a mechanic shop last year, then after about one year this fuel pump fails again few weeks ago. Now this is the third fuel pump at my car.

The fuel pump given by the mechanics should be brand new, unless they wanted to cheat me.

This post has been edited by TYK: Apr 14 2009, 12:50 AM

okla... assume the fuel pump is brand new, i suspect wiring to the fuel pump got problem... unstable voltage or something...
there is possibility dat the fuel pump is not brand new... and check if the fuel pump is oem item from proton and not some cheapskate fuel pump...

I actually asked the latest mechanic I sent my car to few weeks ago, he said if the installation of the fuel pump is not right, like you said wiring problem or something like that, it won't last for 1 month.

I also didn't asked them about the fuel pump manufacturer. Should have asked them anyway.

yea... when problem persists, go to other workshop and get it sorted out...

I will recommend you get the Taiwan OEM one.To prevent fuel pump from premature failing,do not fill up your car when its about to get empty and the fuel signal flashes.Also do not overfill the petrol tank.Only fill up slightly above the half mark.I will always do that and my proton's fuel pump is okay(touch wood).

Oh, I always fill up my fuel tank only when it is almost empty and refill until around the full mark, but not overfilling though.

Guess I should change my habit now.

Now that is half a 'tank' of bullshit. The only correct statement is not to wait until empty to fill up. Most cars have a submerged fuel pump and relies on the fuel to cool the pump. Once the level drops too low and the pump is exposed, it starts to heat up and wears out faster.

As for overfilling and filling over half mark, that has nothing to do with the durability of the fuel pump.

Fuel pump has a limited service life. Most pumps starts to get tired after 100000km and needs to be changed. Most people don't do it until it fails completely. Fuel pumps don't last forever.

This post has been edited by sleepwalker: Apr 14 2009, 10:36 AM

I dun see much problem with this ..
I have been doing that for years .. and my car is still okay with the fuel pump.

Guess there is some wiring issues. Last time i drive a Satria 1.3 as well .. got once i remember .. both the headlight suddenly burnt. then the brake lights behind always burn as well. But driving my putra.. its already 12 years old .. i only remember changing my brake lights once or twice only.

almost empty? warning signal or sometime after warning comes on?
sometimes fuel pump failure can be caused by empty tank, some users drive beyond the warning mark and as a result the fuel pump has to work extra hard to supply a steady supply,
and also possibly without the fuel to take away the heat from the pump, it could overheat

wat brand of the pump? bosch is not bad....

The fuel pump does not have to work extra hard. It just works hotter. Most fuel tanks have a submerged pump, meaning the lowest part of the pump is at the lowest part of the tank. It does not have to fight gravity to suck fuel out thru a pipe since the inlet of the pump is always submerged inside the fuel. However, when the fuel level drops, the top part of the pump gets exposed and heats up. This increases the wear and tear of the pump but does not reduce service life that drastically as what the TS has experienced.

Just before warning signal, when I saw warning signal, I will straight go to refill.

I guess from all the replies here, filling the tank when it is almost empty should best be avoided to prolong the fuel pump's life.

But about the sudden failure of the fuel pump after one year, could be due to bad installation or something.

This post has been edited by TYK: Apr 14 2009, 10:46 AM

what about external fuel pump??... fuel passing through the pump should be able to cool down the pump a little rite??.... i dont need to soak external fuel pump in petrol do i??..

Noobie question but how does 1 know when the fuel pump is failing?

fuel surge... better if got fuel pressure gauge to monitor the fuel pressure...

so best to practice fill up when it shows last bar?>..ok rite?..previously i always run till fuel warning light on...

to me i think that is okay
coz when the warning light on .. u still have like 10 liters ++ fuel .. which is more then enough to submerge the fuel pump .. at least that is my car
coz i normally pump 35 ~ 37 L only ... when the lights on ... but the spec stated it has a 50L tank

Are you sure? A fuel pump is usually about 6 inches in height. Fuel tank about 8-10 inches high. If you have 10 liters out of 50 left in your tank, the fuel level is only about 2 inches high. So how is 2 inches of fuel going to submerge your 6 inches of fuel pump?

...so i guess is best to pump when left 1 bar....(not digital type)

Ops .. i didnt know that the fuel pump is that tall ..
If its 6 inches .. then our fuel tank is 10 inches .. means u have to pump when it reaches 6 inches to allow the fuel pump to be submerge by the petrol. If so ... at "E" .. it has 10 L, full tank 50L .. means i have to pump when the fuel meter reaches the mid (apporx) to allow it to be submerge ..