How to Replace a Fuel Pump
The fuel pump is an integral part to the modern combustion engine, so you need to take good care of your car’s fuel pump. That being said, you can learn how to replace your fuel pump. Whether you replace your own fuel pump or have a mechanic do the work, check the fuel pump system every 60,000 miles.
Once your vehicle’s fuel pump gets to 100,000 miles, there’s a chance it stops working altogether, so consider an automatic fuel pump replacement around 100,000 miles. Most failing fuel pumps occur, because of the accumulation of dirt and other debris.
Dirt and grime gets into the machinery and clogs it up, making it work twice as hard and being less efficient than it normally would be.
Where to Find Your Fuel Pump
There are two different places where fuel pumps are located in a car: in the tank holding the gas, which is the most common place, and under the car itself.
How do you know your fuel pump isn’t working properly?
The first indication is poor gas mileage. If you’re getting fewer miles per gallon than you should be, it’s probably time for a tune up. If the fuel pump stops working altogether, you need to replace it.
In either case, if you can’t afford the labor, it’s easy enough to learn how to replace your fuel pump and do the work yourself, with the proper precautions. When you’ve located your fuel pump, you need the following tools, to effect repairs.
- Sizable container to catch fuel
- Replacement fuel line
- Eye protectors
- Basic socket sets
- Open-end wrench sets
- Screwdriver (flat-head)
- Screwdriver (philips-head)
- Fire extinguisher
Let’s assume your fuel pump is under your car. Once all your tools are assembled, place wheel chucks behind the back tires. Place jacks near the front tires, so you can jack the car up.
Before touching anything near the fuel pump, relieve any pressure built up within the fuel lines. Fuel sprays everywhere if you don’t. There is also the risk of an explosion, if you don’t remove pressure prior to replacing any fuel lines.
Fuel Pump Replacement Instructions
The rest of this article will guide you through the fuel pump replacement instructions.
Removing the Old Fuel Pump
How to Replace a Fuel Pump
Start-up your car and pull the fuse for the fuel pump. If there isn’t a fuse for the fuel pump, remove the relay that controls the fuel pump. If you do this right, your engine should stall and release all of the fuel from the system.
If the fuel pump is located underneath the car, it’s going to be held in place by several bolts, which can be removed by open end wrenches.
Remove the fuel lines from the fuel pump with open end wrenches. Gas is going to start leaking. The fuel catch container underneath the pump should catch all of this.
Laying down a plastic sheet can also help, since you don’t want any of the fuel to contaminate the ground. Once you have the fuel line disconnected from the pump, remove the electrical connections. There should be two electrical connections: a negative and a positive.
Mark the electrical connections, so when you are reconnect them, you know which is which.
Installing the New Fuel Pump
Now, start installing the new fuel pump. Simply do everything you did before, except in reverse order.
Connecting the electrical wires to the new fuel pump, but make sure you connect the negative and positive wires to the correct spots. Reconnect the fuel pump, making sure that it’s connected properly, so fuel doesn’t leak everywhere, once you start the car engine again.
When everything underneath the car is reconnected to its proper place, reconnect the fuel pump fuse or fuel pump relay, depending on what you had to remove.
In-Tank Fuel Pump
If your car has a fuel pump in the gas tank, take slightly different steps. Check under the back seat or the floor of the trunk to see if there is an access panel for the tank. If there is one, replace it from there; otherwise, hoist the car and remove the tank to get to the pump.
Drain as much fuel as possible, to lighten the tank before removing it. Raise the rear end of the car and remove the tank where the filler neck is. To do this, loosen the clamp that holds the tank.
Remove only the front two or back two bolts at a time, so you can reach the wires and fuel pump and vent hoses. Disconnect the wires and hoses before removing the other two bolts. Lower the tank.
When the tank is on the ground, remove the cover plate. Pull the pump and wires out of the tank. Once you have the new pump in the tank, raise it high enough to can connect the wires, fuel line and vent hoses.
Finish raising the fuel pump all the way, then connect the support straps. Reconnect the filler tube and check the tank for leaks, which is the last step. After finishing these steps, you now know how to replace your fuel pump.