Talk:Fuel pump

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If submerging the pump in liquid gasoline is safe because the liquid does not explode, what if your tank is getting empty? Is it not as safe then?

My question exactly. I recently took an electric fuel pump apart because it wasnt working. The fuel actually flows through the windings and brushes of the pump which is actually just a tiny motor. I cannot believe anyone would invent such a device. When the tank is almost empty it is full of explosive vapors. The tiny fuel pump itself is sealed on each end by crimping the outer casing against o-rings. If the top o-ring were to fail and the fuel was at a level below thw top of the pump, the pump motor would spark when turned on. I am going to go read up on intank fuel pump explosions and see just how common it is.

The almost empty tank is not technically full of explosive vapor - the air, or oxygen supply, is probably far too low to create an appropriate mixture. In fact, if the cap has not been removed, the fumes should all be gasoline and no air/oxygen at all, due to modern sealed fuel systems developed to reduce emissions of volatiles. Still, I agree that it seems scary, especially when you have to work in an opened fuel tank to replace or repair the pump! human 20:08, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] fuel pump damaged?

this has been happening for about a year now. After we would be driving along the freeway for a while, all of a sudden the engine would start to lose power. Then after we would stop and shut off the car and restart it, it would work fine for a bout 10 minutes and then it would do it again. after the first time it started doing this, she got it to a mechanic and found out that the fuel filter was so clogged that the mechanic couldn't even blow through it. And it's still doing it today, only when were driving on the freeway, but not on other roads that are not as fast. would that indicate damage to the fuel pump?

I don't think this is the appropriate venue for asking car repair questions. Might I suggest searching for discussion groups focussed on your particular brand/model, where there will be people familiar with its quirks and the venue will be intended for solving such problems? Such sites abound, and many are incredibly helpful. human 20:08, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

PS, please sign your comments with four tildes (shifting the key to the left of the "1" usually makes a ~ tilde).

[edit] Sources

I'm not adding these as footnotes since I'll probably botch the formatting, but here are a couple of places to look at. Most of the descriptive text seems to be lifted wholesale (copyvio!) from http://dragtimes.com/fuel-pump.php

There is also some info about safety circuits at http://www.misterfixit.com/fuelrlay.htm human 20:13, 19 November 2006 (UTC)