Surging of a fuel pump can cause havoc on engine performance and be very expensive to fix. One of the biggest perpetrators, though, is a failed fuel pressure regulator. This results in a pump surging and lowers the efficiency of delivery for fuel in your system because it fluctuates by +/-10 to 20 psi. Fuel system problems are the second-leading cause of auto breakdowns in a typical year[1], and almost 30 percentage of such incidents occur when pressure regulators go bad, says Automotive Repair Association (ARA).
A dirty fuel filter is another big one. When that filter gets clogged, it can prevent fuel from flowing at all, even up to the point of a 50 percent reduction in flow. Uneven fuel delivery with restricted flow leads to surging Regular servicing, which includes the timely replacement of filters, is believed to improve engine efficiency by 15% — a fact that is often overlooked when both are vital to maintain.
Environmental conditions certainly have a significant effect on fuel pump performance. For instance, the extremes of temperature expands fuel viscosity can change, causing fuel flow to vary. Fuel properties can differ significantly across temperatures, affecting to the ASTM (ASTM, 2014) the way of combustion efficiency and performance.
Another cause of surging is your electrical system. Supplying variable voltage to the fuel pump causes fluctuations in pressure created by the pump. This data shows that variability of voltage can cause up to 25% of degradation in fuel pump efficiency, leading to surges problems. That underscores the reason for electric system assessments during regular maintenance.
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely — Henry Ford Knowing the reasons behind fuel pump surging helps you in better troubleshooting and solution to this problem. These checks, if completed regularly and replacements made as needed can go a long way to alleviate them and maintain high levels of performance. Should you notice any fuel pump issues, be sure to always refer them back to the condition of your fuel pump and check it against these normal causes. For additional information on taking care of your fuel pump, visit Fuel Pump.