Car died while driving

[Ronstang]

this is correct. typical design is to place the fuel pump in the tank itself, using the gas as coolant. allow it to run too low too many times (i have no idea what that number would be), and it will fail.

It is an old wives tale. Even a gallon, which is empty for many cars, is enough to keep the pump cool. How long is the pump actually running at this level anyway? Not very long. Maybe if you are one of those idiots like I remember in high school that only had enough money for 1 gallon at a time maybe there would be something to it.

I have never had an in tank pump fail on me and I always run the car down close to empty before refilling. All these cars had more than 150K on them and one 225. Current vehicle has about 130K with no problems.

 

[Lotheron]

It is an old wives tale. Even a gallon, which is empty for many cars, is enough to keep the pump cool. How long is the pump actually running at this level anyway? Not very long. Maybe if you are one of those idiots like I remember in high school that only had enough money for 1 gallon at a time maybe there would be something to it.

I have never had an in tank pump fail on me and I always run the car down close to empty before refilling. All these cars had more than 150K on them and one 225. Current vehicle has about 130K with no problems.

Then there's the other theory that allowing it to get too low will put allow more of the tank crud to hit the fuel pump.

 

[Ronstang]

Then there's the other theory that allowing it to get too low will put allow more of the tank crud to hit the fuel pump.

That theory is complete shit also, unless you are talking about a 40+ year old car with the original tank that has had fuel sitting unused in it for decades. I have taken quite a few gas tanks out of cars and there is never any dirt in them. Gasoline these days is damn clean. This is not 1930. I have even pulled tanks out of cars that have been sitting in junk yards for quite some time to find nothing inside them that would foul a pump. With the pump sock in place it should not make a difference anyway unless there is so much crap that it gets clogged.

 

[BUTCH1]

It is an old wives tale. Even a gallon, which is empty for many cars, is enough to keep the pump cool. How long is the pump actually running at this level anyway? Not very long. Maybe if you are one of those idiots like I remember in high school that only had enough money for 1 gallon at a time maybe there would be something to it.

I have never had an in tank pump fail on me and I always run the car down close to empty before refilling. All these cars had more than 150K on them and one 225. Current vehicle has about 130K with no problems.

Some disagree with you but a lot may depend on the type of system a car uses, my GM does not have a "loop" that returns gas to the tank but a lot of cars do and they might be vulnerable to excessive wear by constantly running low on gas..
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/fuel-pumps.html
http://tankonempty.com/viewstory/71

 

[dust]

I also had the same problem when my old BMW couldn't start. The car was @~ 200,000 kms done by then, so, when the mechanic asked me to change it I didn't think much about it. I did notice him playing at the fuse control and I changed my mind about changing the damn pump right away. Instead, I ran to the nearest spare parts shop and bought all kinds of fuses available for my car. I changed the fuel pump one right then and noticed it was a 15A fuse and it should have been a 25-30A IIRC.

The car is @ 310,000kms right now and the fuel pump never bothered me since. Also I never went to that mechanic again.

 

[BUTCH1]

I also had the same problem when my old BMW couldn't start. The car was @~ 200,000 kms done by then, so, when the mechanic asked me to change it I didn't think much about it. I did notice him playing at the fuse control and I changed my mind about changing the damn pump right away. Instead, I ran to the nearest spare parts shop and bought all kinds of fuses available for my car. I changed the fuel pump one right then and noticed it was a 15A fuse and it should have been a 25-30A IIRC.

The car is @ 310,000kms right now and the fuel pump never bothered me since. Also I never went to that mechanic again.

So you stopped him in mid-repair and drove off?, why would the wrong size be installed??..

 

[EightySix Four]

So you stopped him in mid-repair and drove off?, why would the wrong size be installed??..

Mechanic did it on purpose to get moneys.

 

[dust]

So you stopped him in mid-repair and drove off?, why would the wrong size be installed??..

He wasn't repairing anything at that point, he was just checking the issue. I was on the driver's seat and the fuse control was right in front of me, under the hood. I simply went to a shop like 100m away, didn't drive anywhere.

To change a fuse only is several cents, to change a fuel pump is 50$ labor only and about 80$ for the part. The workshops are NOT charity centers.

 

[BUTCH1]

Mechanic did it on purpose to get moneys.

Sounds like the mechanic was following a logical troubleshooting route, if the fuel pump was dead wouldn't it make sense to check the fuse first?.

 

[BUTCH1]

He wasn't repairing anything at that point, he was just checking the issue. I was on the driver's seat and the fuse control was right in front of me, under the hood. I simply went to a shop like 100m away, didn't drive anywhere.

To change a fuse only is several cents, to change a fuel pump is 50$ labor only and about 80$ for the part. The workshops are NOT charity centers.

Wow, I would be pissed of if I were your mechanic, he probably thought the pump was dead but was checking the fuse to make sure, you let him diagnose the issue then walked off without paying him a dime. Usually fuel pumps are a lot more than a $130 repair, more like $300-500, even if he just changed a fuse he has to charge something to stay open, you should have offered him $20 for finding the problem..

 

[dust]

^ Oh, really? What about the fact that the fuse was actually the wrong one and he didn't say anything, about it. In case you didn't know, they are keeping sometimes the part taken from your car to sell it to some other sucker as new or lightly used, so forgive me if I don't care much about his feelings at the time. "

As for the "logical troubleshooting route", that's the reason I went to him, because I was hoping for this. What I did mind was his conclusion, was that logical too? I never had an issue paying extra even for the work, if the result was satisfactory, but to "reward" him for trying to rip me off? I think you haven't thought that through.


And the fuel pump is actually 87 USD, original and new, I don't know where you service your car.

 

[BUTCH1]

^ Oh, really? What about the fact that the fuse was actually the wrong one and he didn't say anything, about it. In case you didn't know, they are keeping sometimes the part taken from your car to sell it to some other sucker as new or lightly used, so forgive me if I don't care much about his feelings at the time. "

As for the "logical troubleshooting route", that's the reason I went to him, because I was hoping for this. What I did mind was his conclusion, was that logical too? I never had an issue paying extra even for the work, if the result was satisfactory, but to "reward" him for trying to rip me off? I think you haven't thought that through.


And the fuel pump is actually 87 USD, original and new, I don't know where you service your car.

He probably realized the pump was dead and was just checking the fuse, if you had let him do his job he might have just changed the blown fuse and let you go for a small fee, doesn't sound like you gave him time to even check to see if it was the correct one. LOL about "keeping" a burnt out fuse and re-selling it and FYI the most expensive part of a fuel pump replacement is the labor, most cars require the tank be dropped to replace it..

 

[dust]

He probably realized the pump was dead and was just checking the fuse, if you had let him do his job he might have just changed the blown fuse and let you go for a small fee, doesn't sound like you gave him time to even check to see if it was the correct one. LOL about "keeping" a burnt out fuse and re-selling it and FYI the most expensive part of a fuel pump replacement is the labor, most cars require the tank be dropped to replace it..

You don't seem to understand this: he checked the problem, he tampered with the fuse panel -and then- he told me to change the pump. FYI the fuel pump in my car can be easily enough reached if you remove the back seat. If you feel like paying 300-500 bucks for a five minutes job, by all means, do it, but keep it to yourself.

I'm starting to believe you're just bored and like controversy. Nice point about re-selling the burnt fuse, I thought it was obvious I was talking about the pump. Whatever dude, the thread was derailed long enough.

What I was trying to say was not to dismiss the fuse and simply change the pump just because the mechanic said so. OP's pump died at 72k, seems possible but not probable to happen so soon.

 

[EightySix Four]

You guys are misreading drivenbyvoltage. The mechanic already knew it was the fuse but was telling him it was the fuel pump that needed to be replaced. Drivenbyvoltage noticed the mechanic going to the fusebox *after* being told it was the pump. So drivenbyvoltage realizes the mechanic is trying to screw him and goes and purchases a fuse and swaps it in.

The mechanic was trying to charge him for unecessary work, and then likely going to resell the used fuel pump. Make sense?

 

[BUTCH1]

You don't seem to understand this: he checked the problem, he tampered with the fuse panel -and then- he told me to change the pump. FYI the fuel pump in my car can be easily enough reached if you remove the back seat. If you feel like paying 300-500 bucks for a five minutes job, by all means, do it, but keep it to yourself.

I'm starting to believe you're just bored and like controversy. Nice point about re-selling the burnt fuse, I thought it was obvious I was talking about the pump. Whatever dude, the thread was derailed long enough.

What I was trying to say was not to dismiss the fuse and simply change the pump just because the mechanic said so. OP's pump died at 72k, seems possible but not probable to happen so soon.

Well that clarifies things, In that scenario he was gonna gouge you for sure. My Ford also had a fuel pump that could be accessed below the rear seat, so it depends on the car but if they have to remove/drop the tank to get at it they kill you on the labor..