If your vehicle has an electric fuel pump, you can use a fuel system cleaner to clear any sediment buildup or blockage. If you have a manual one (usually found in older model vehicles), you can actually open the pump to clear debris out of its internal filter, though that isn't an option in most modern vehicles.
Fuel Pump. Finally, your fuel pump can get clogged by gas sediment, dirt, and rust. The fuel pump is susceptible to clogs because it draws the gas out of the tank.
The most common sign of a clogged fuel filter is trouble starting the car, since it depletes the oil supply going to the engine. Although a dirty fuel filter leads to ignition difficulty, a fully-clogged filter will fail completely, and the engine won't start at all.
Fuel pump failures can be caused by electrical faults, old age (wear) or fuel contaminants (dirt, moisture or bad gas). Fuel pump failures often occur without warning. Fuel pumps, injectors and pressure regulators are the three most commonly replaced fuel system components.
The basic operating system for an electric fuel pump is relatively simple. When the key is turned on, the powertrain control module (PCM) closes the fuel pump relay, which activates the fuel pump for about three seconds to pressurize the fuel injectors.
Sputtering Engine
Your fuel pump doesn't stop pushing gas through to the engine once you've started your vehicle; it also pumps gas to meet your vehicle's speed. If the pump cannot produce a constant stream of gas at higher speeds, your vehicle's engine will sputter and threaten to stall.
Fuel System Part Failures
A clogged fuel filter prevents the correct amount of fuel from reaching the engine. The fuel pump will try to compensate for a bad fuel filter, placing undue pressure on the fuel pump motor causing the pump to fail prematurely.
Noise. Your fuel pump always makes a low humming sound, but usually, you can't hear it. If you hear a loud whining noise coming from your gas tank, the fuel pump is going bad. This is also a sign that the gas tank is dirty and contaminated.
Bad Fuel Pump, Fuel Pressure Sensor Can Trigger 'Check Engine' Light, P0087 Code. Your car's “Check Engine” or “Service Engine Soon” light can flash on for more than 1,400 different reasons.
Your Engine Won't Start
A clogged fuel filter may prevent fuel from pressurizing the same in the section between the filter and the engine. Your engine may not fire up since it's starved of fuel, or it might fire up for a second and die again.
Fuel pump failures tend to be sudden and unpredictable, with few symptoms to warn the motorist that trouble is brewing. And the higher the mileage on the vehicle, the greater the risk of a fuel pump failure.
Can a fuel pump go out without warning? Absolutely! A car fuel pump will fail without warning more often than you may think. All things related to a car fuel pumps like the injectors, the pressure regulator, and the car fuel pump itself are the part that are most replaced with the fuel system.
Check by blowing, not by poking anything through the hose which may damage it. Repeated blockages may be caused by dirt or rust in the fuel tank. If so, the tank must be removed, cleaned and flushed out, or replaced.
Just because you hear the fuel pump run does not mean it is pumping the correct pressure to the injection system. If the pressure is real low or the filter is plugged solid, then the pump may not get enough fuel to the fuel rail. The only way to know is to test the fuel pressure at the fuel rail test port.
The typical cost for a fuel pump replacement is around $900 to $1,100, depending on the vehicle, its age, and your region. Labor costs range from about $500 to $600, and parts for fuel pump replacement are about $400 to $500.
The average fuel pump lasts for more than 100,000 miles and sometimes longer, so more than likely, you won't have to worry about it failing for quite a while. But the more miles your car accumulates, the more liable you are to run into a failed fuel pump.
In general, the fuel filter is difficult to open, but it can still be cleaned to remove various dirt that has settled. If the dirt accumulated is too bad, you should replace a new air filter because the dirt that has settled for too long will be tough to clean and usually takes a long time.
The flipside to not enough fuel is too much fuel and a fuel pump that is going out can send too much fuel to your engine, too. You'll notice your engine surging when this happens and the surges can make driving dangerous. Surges mean the vehicle picks up and then drops speed. Not good on the road.
A bad fuel pump may overheat and inadequately deliver gas to the engine, causing it to run hot and turn off while on the road. In this scenario, your vehicle may start back up after overheating and shutting down, only to do the same thing a half-hour later. This scenario is a common sign of a bad fuel pump.