Purchased vehicle new, have been meticulous w/maintenance. I am about to take on fuel pump #5. Anyone else getting only 50k / fuel pump? Averages out to a new pump every 2 years.
Mechanic says pressure is all over the map.
First one was under warranty, after the fuel sending gauge issue... the rest have been customer pay warranty.
Do you regularly run your tank low? The fuel pump is cooled by fuel in the tank. Constantly running the tank low creates some heat in the pump, shortening it's lifespan over time.
Spdloader
Say what????
Once you are below 3/4 of a tank the fuel pump is sitting in the air. It has a pickup tube to reach into the gas.
The cooling jacket around the pump is fed by the fuel return line that comes back from the engine.
The only way to burn out a pump from heat is to block the fuel return line.
I would suspect the OP has a bad regulator, not a bad pump.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Either the pump works or it doesn't. I'd suspect an electrical problem/bad connector or even the pressure regulator/filter before the pump. You don't happen to be running E85 or an ethanol blend? That stuff will eat the seals.
snip: (Once you are below 3/4 of a tank the fuel pump is sitting in the air. It has a pickup tube to reach into the gas.)
Not on any Cherokee I've ever worked on, unless it was carbureted. I've done a couple dozen or so over the years.
That comes directly from a mechanic friend of mine who is a Chrysler/Jeep mechanic of over 20 years. He ascertains that Chrysler recommends not letting the fuel in the tank drop below the 1/4 mark, due to submersion being the only way it's cooled. I've personally been told that too, when purchasing new fuel pumps, not just for Jeeps, but GM products as well.
Plus, the spare pump I have in my workshop for my step daughters XJ has a
1-1/4in suction neck on it that fits directly into the sock/screen/filter. The pump resides at the bottom of the tank in the sump of the fuel tank. The return line does not circulate back through the pump, but empties back into the tank unimpeded.I agree, a bad regulator can cause premature pump failure as well. I was only suggesting one possible cause.
Spdloader
You are correct, I should have looked in the book, the last few I have had to mess with are Chrysler ones that sit up top, not Jeep ones that sit in the sump.
Even so, that sump they fit into is 'supposed' to be filled full via the return line. It isn't supposed to be splash filled or to need a full tank of gas.
If the dying pump is a heat related problem, then I think I would look at the regulator that controls the return line pressure.
Mike
Spdloader wrote:
Fords are famous for this for some reason. I'd change out the pressure regulator as well this time around. And only use OEM parts. Most aftermarket stuff is junk, this item included.
Be sure fuel filters are changed regularly as well, if equippped. I've heard that frequently running less than 1/4 tank of fuel can cause overheating, though most newer designs have overcome this problem.
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