Fuel pump

[Odd Erik]

My loving car again.... When fuel pump is burning out, the car stops randomly when drivning. sometimes it will start right away after stopping, but sometimes not. When the car doesn't start right away I can hear a buzzing sound from the fuel pump (bzzz, bzz, bzzzz) This is every time when car won't start. Is this a sure sign for the fuel pump is about to burn out? Since I'm a student I don't want to buy a new pump without beeing sure if it's the problem.. All messages I've written in the forum is related to this problem.. search for them for a complete background of the problem.

I need an answer fast since I've got to get my car running by saturday when I'm going home from college in it.. I don't want to take the chance of driving it home when it's as unrelibable as it is now.

thanks
Odd Erik

[bjarke]

Try and loosening the hose from the pump just a little, if it is squirting then it is ok.

[David Hanson]

My Thema Turbo used to cut out on left hand corners when the fuel tank was less than quarter full. But only after it had been running for a few minutes ie wouldn't cut out when cold. Pulling the pump apart I found a split in a hose that only opened up when the rubber softened from the petrol flowing through it. The hose in question was the short rubber hose connecting near the output of the pump (inside the petrol tank) - the split was quite hard to see. Replacing the hose solved the cutting out problem and improved the vehicle starting problems I had also been experiencing.
I was later told (by a Fiat/Lancia mechanic) that this splitting of hoses in the fuel pump is a fairly common problem.

[Paul]

David,

I was interested in your comments on the fuel pump problem and particularly interested when I saw the xtra.co.nz email address.

My V6 Thema can be a bitch to start when hot - sometimes I have to wait for an hour for it to cool down. It starts ok when cold, sometimes immediately, but mostly it needs to wind over for awhile.

Ital Tune in Christchurch say its a fuel pump problem but I'll try your idea before fitting a second hand unit

Regards

Paul Bacon
paulbacon@paradise.net.nz