Characteristics of a Weak Car Fuel Pump and How to Overcome It
As a fuel pump for car engines, the condition of the fuel pump must always be monitored. If not, the engine performance will be suboptimal. As a vehicle owner, you need to understand the signs of a weak fuel pump so that you can address fuel pump issues appropriately. Below, the signs of a weakened car fuel pump and how to address them will be explained. For more details, please pay attention to the following review.
Signs of a Weak Car Fuel Pump
There are several signs you need to know when the car fuel pump is weak. Here are the complete signs:
1. The car engine is hard to start
The first sign that your car's fuel pump is weak can be noticed when starting the car engine. The car engine will be difficult to start if the fuel pump is weak. This happens because the fuel pump cannot supply fuel according to the needs of the engine's combustion process. As a result, the engine performance will be very weak due to a lack of energy supply needed to start the engine.
2. The check engine light keeps blinking
The second sign is that usually the car's check engine light will blink blinking. This occurs because the check engine light is designed to blink when engine components have problems. For example, when the fuel pump is clogged with dirt, or the performance of the fuel pump weakens.
3. The car stutters while driving
The third sign is that when the car is moving, it will stutter. Especially if the car is moving fast, the condition will worsen. This usually happens because the fuel pump is clogged with dirt.
Read Also: 5 Causes of Cars Shaking and Stuttering While Driving
4. The fuel pump fuse is burnt
The fourth sign can be checked on the fuel pump fuse. If the fuel pump is weak, the fuse will burn and char. The burning of the fuse is due to a blockage of dirt in the fuel pump, causing the fuse to work harder than before.
5. The fuel tank hums
The fifth sign can be noticed when the car engine is running, but the car has not moved, a humming sound will come from the fuel tank.
6. A strong fuel smell from the exhaust smoke
The sixth sign can be noticed when the car's exhaust smoke emits a strong smell like burning fuel. This condition occurs because the fuel pump cannot supply fuel to the engine's combustion chamber according to the needs.
7. The car's performance decreases, but fuel consumption is wasteful
The last sign of a weak car fuel pump can be seen from the increasing fuel consumption, but the car's performance is declining. This happens because the engine lacks fuel supply, causing the engine to work harder and require more fuel consumption.
How to Address a Weak Car Fuel Pump
To address a weakened car fuel pump, you can follow some of the following methods.
1. Maintain the cleanliness of the tank
The first method is to maintain the cleanliness of the fuel tank. Make sure no water or foreign objects enter the fuel tank.
2. Regularly drain the fuel tank
Next, you need to drain the fuel tank regularly at least every five years or every time the car travels 50,000 km. This can prevent dirt blockages in the fuel pump.
3. Use the appropriate fuel
Using fuel with an RON that matches the car's specifications, or a higher RON can optimize the performance of the fuel pump and the car engine.
4. Service the car regularly and periodically
The last method is to have regular and periodic servicing at a professional workshop like Daihatsu. Here you can safely replace the fuel pump fuse because the parts used are guaranteed to be original. The mechanics here will also check the fuel pump resistance, wiring harness, and fuel pump relay thoroughly.
