When a fuel pump goes bad
“The symptoms of a faulty fuel pump may be confused with a clogged fuel filter or mis-fuelling”
There are several signs that a fuel pump is on the way out. The most obvious is that the car won’t start, because the pump is unable to get the fuel to the engine. It’s likely that other symptoms will have shown themselves first, though.
These include a loss of power when accelerating, an intermittent stuttering when running at higher speeds and an unexpected surge in acceleration because the pump cannot maintain a constant fuel pressure.
The symptoms of a faulty fuel pump may be confused with a clogged fuel filter or mis-fuelling, so it’s important to get the problem diagnosed properly before you begin work - an error code generated by the onboard computer is a good place to start.
All cars are slightly different, so if it is time to change your fuel pump, use our before-you-begin checklist, and find your car for specific instructions.