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Fuel Pump life


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One key to long fuel pump life is to always fill the tank when getting gas. That provides the greatest amount of cooling protection to the pump motor. By adhering to this I have had a factory pump for 185k in my folks pickup (that I previously owned).

 

How hot can a fuel pump get? I mean it's sitting in the tank surrounded by gasoline. At least that's what I understand.

Wouldn't it be kinda dangerous when the pump heats up so much that it could get damaged?

Is there any "scientific" proof that the pump life is shorter because of not filling the tank all the way?

Why doesn't show the gauge "empty" as soon as the tank is only half full?

Or is this just a tale like you get square eyes when you watch too much TV?

 

so long

j-ten-ner

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Gas in the tank is same temp. as ambient air.

It doesn't keep the pump cool anymore than a full crankcase of oil keeps engine internals cool. It yields lubricity, which prevents friction / heat.

Keeping the pump's inlet flooded provides sufficient lubrication to pump's internals. You just don't want pump running dry, which could happen if running tank very low under bumpy conditions / hard cornering.

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Gas in the tank is same temp. as ambient air.

It doesn't keep the pump cool anymore than a full crankcase of oil keeps engine internals cool. It yields lubricity, which prevents friction / heat.

Keeping the pump's inlet flooded provides sufficient lubrication to pump's internals. You just don't want pump running dry, which could happen if running tank very low under bumpy conditions / hard cornering.

An engine immersed in 100 degree water will run cooler than one at 100 degree air. The liquid provides a much better temperature transfer/heat sink.

 

Here's this:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/05/running-on-empty-low-gas-in-the-tank-can-be-costly/index.htm

 

I think the cooling piece is for real, however, for the pump cooling to be compromised the tank must be extremely low.

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  • 1 month later...

Had a new to me 2008 Silverado for 3 months and the pump quit without warning. Had to have it towed to repair shop, new pump, new control module (no fuse or relay any more) and was

able to get it back from mechanic for the paltry sum of $1300. Now runs great but had to go back 'cause fuel guage is not working. Wife is discombobulated without her favorite vehicle!

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Had a 2003 Yukon Denali XL, pump went out last year at around 165,000 miles with no warning, though i guess that was time seeing as we ran it until the tank was bone dry on a regular basis (oops lol). Still, had to get it towed home from 3 hours away, very expensive ordeal.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update on post #35- truck went back to shop for non-functioning fuel guage. Turned out that the pump is only one of three components that should be replaced. The FCM was bad, as was the sending unit.

When the mechanic put the new pump in, the sending unit shorted out. The ECM also needed to be reflashed. Back to the GM dealer and more $$$. Why didn't the dealer replace ALL of the components at once?

Probably because they could make more from a return visit. The shop I was working with complained to the dealer- to no avail. I ended up paying $400 more and the shop gave me a break on labor.

Good news is that the truck is now running great and the wife is happy again.

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This is an article from Federal Mogul Technical Center and Carter fuel Delivery Systems. Document #1608



COMMON CAUSES OF ELECTRIC IN-TANK

FUEL PUMP FAILURES

CONTAMINATED FUEL


Fuel tank contamination is the number one cause of in-tank electric fuel pump failures. This

contamination is often the result of moisture in the fuel tank leading to fuel tank oxidation,

causing rust to form in the fuel tank. The rust is then ingested by the fuel pump, ultimately

bringing about pump failure.

A widespread misconception is that the fuel pump strainer or sock on the inlet side of the fuel

pump will prevent these contaminates from ent

ering the pump. WRONG! Fuel pump strainers

will not stop moisture or particles of contamination smaller than 70 microns (on average). Why

not simply use a finer filter strainer and elim

inate these problems? If a strainer was made fine

enough to keep out all of the contaminates and still allow proper fuel flow volume, it would be

too large to fit in the fuel tank. The strainers used today are a middle-of-the-road balance be-

tween allowing adequate fuel flow and maximum fuel filtering. Original Equipment and After-

market replacement pumps are built to supply high pressure fuel to injection systems and are

engineered with the assumption of a clean, cool, fuel supply to the pump at all times.

Injection systems are even more sensitive to contaminants; that’s why the industry standard

is in-line fuel filters that capture, on average,

particles approximately 30 microns or larger.

Further downstream in the fuel system, fuel injector f

ilters capture particles as small as

10 microns.

So it becomes obvious that any contamination in

the fuel tank can cause premature fuel pump

failure. (See TEC Bulletin #1620 for proper fuel tank removal and cleaning procedures.) If you

find you are replacing a fuel pump that has a di

scolored strainer, properly dispose of the fuel

you drained; it is contaminated too. If you put the same fuel back into the tank after the pump

is replaced, you are reintroducing contaminants

immediately! Always replace the fuel pump

strainer and fuel filter with new units when replacing a fuel pump.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

Electrical connections are the second most common causes of fuel pump replacement. In real-

ity, the fuel pump is still quite capable of providing pressure and flow well within specifications,

but because of poor electrical connections the output is diminished, giving the appearance of

a failed pump.

To identify fuel pump electrical problems, use a high quality digital volt/ohm/meter to test for

voltage drops and continuity. This test must be done with the pump running. (See TEC Bulle-

tin #1620 for how to test for voltage drop.) NOTE: In a 12-volt system, fuel pumps are de-

signed to run at 13.5 volts. Maximum voltage drop of more than .2 volts will affect the fuel

pump operation.

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  • 1 year later...

Our 05 Silverado's pump has whined for the past 100,000 miles. It's at 220,000 now. Guess I better get a pump on order soon....

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