Non-game related tip

[Sgt_Sl@ughter]

Hey guys,

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with gaming, PC's or anything fun and exciting but it is something I just found out and may extend the life of you vehicles fuel pump and save some money (which in turn you can spend on games, PC's, etc :D )

Apparently the newer fuel pumps (2000 and up) are cooled and lubricated by fuel in your fuel tank. When you run your tank below the 1/4 mark, on many makes, the pump is exposed and begins to heat up.

Given the extreme fluctuations in fuel prices, I have been running the car at 1/4 and less lots (waiting for the one single moment that prices drop slightly). This combined with the hot temperatures here in Kamloops (38 - 40 degrees celsius, 100 - 104 F) have toasted my fuel pump!!!

Moral of the storey....don't run your vehicle below 1/4 in high temperatures or else pay the price of a shortened fuel pump life..:(

Many of you may already know this but for those like me that were not aware of the impacts of running below 1/4 tank at high temperatures, I hope this will save you money and the embarassment of a stalling car in traffic.

Cheers,

PS I own a 2002 Ford Focus SE, but have talked to a co-worker who owned a 2000 Toyota Pickup and had the same problem.

[Squad57]

Sorry to hear about your fuel pump. But, That's what you get for driving a Ford!!!

LOL J/K,, but seriously....J/K

I think it's stupid they put the darn fuel pump inside the tank anyway, plus they have gotten alot more expensive.

[Sgt_Sl@ughter]

LOL...no worries SQUAD I can take it! In fact I would expect a bit of harassment from most Ford haters :D


but on a more serious note....it isn't a problem unique to Ford. This quote was taken verbatim from Popular Mechanics......

"While on the subject of pump fatalities, another reason pumps burn out is because immersion in gasoline is necessary for cooling, yet people run around on "E." So, try to keep your tank at least half full."

[Iowabrit]

I had no idea that was the case, thanks for sharing

[Ninja]

Already knew that one. Here's another good tip to save a bit on gas and wear on your vehicle. When you're driving around town shift into 3rd instead of OD. OD is only necessary at speeds exceeding 50-55mph. Driving in OD in town causes your RPM's to drop low which makes the engine labor trying to maintain speed with such a low gearing. Keeping it in 3rd maintains higher rpms making it easier for your engine to maintain vehicle speed. It also helps to slow you down using engine braking when you let off the gas.

[Roo]

Hey, my first car was 81 firebird, second was a 94 Ford F150, 3rd was a 98 Dodge Ram, and I now have a 2004 Chevy 2500......Who do I rip on? Honda?

On the OD note, should I turn my OD off while in town then? I thought that was only for towing?

[odrater]

Damnit i gotta go buy gas now....and the crap just jumped 6 cents

I usually fill it full and bring it all but 2 gallons short of dry. (18 gallons to fill up)
Sucky thing is i been watchin my fill up since january use to be around $43 to fill it up...now it'll be just shy of $50 for the same dam thing.

i don't know if that hurts the fuel pump on an older vehicle but thanks for sharing.(88)

[SaskNewfie]

I guess running on fumes as I usually do isn't good...thanks for the tip, didn't know that! I'd poke fun at the Ford thing, but I drive a Kia...lol...I have a Toyota as well though...

[Iowabrit]

quick question......if the pump gets hot enough to fail...how come the fuel doesn't ignite? specially since, if the tank is almost empty there will be a lot of fumes....

[Ninja]

quick question......if the pump gets hot enough to fail...how come the fuel doesn't ignite? specially since, if the tank is almost empty there will be a lot of fumes....
Flash point. Gasoline probably has a fairly high flash point, at least high enough to not have the pump ignite it in tank, and the fact that there is no open flame in the tank.

[Sgt_Sl@ughter]

Hey Brit,

I was surprised when the Service Rep told me that he has seen the fuel almost at the boiling point in the tank....particuluarly since the unburnt fuel is recycled back to the tank!!!

I asked him if that is safe and he explained that it is because it is in a closed system?!?

PS got the stupid car back $520 later...OUCH :(

[Iowabrit]

so, when you pull into the gas station with a red hot fuel pump and you take the filler cap off.................??????

hey, I'm sure you are all right.I'm just being the devils advocate.. :-)

[Pongo647]

The fuel won't ignite if the mixture (fuel / oxygen) is too rich or too lean. It has to be in that magic area to have ignition. That's why it'll ignite outside your fill point when it's mixing with air, but not in the tank where it's extremely vapour filled. There's a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and an Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) for liquids like these, you can read it on the MSDS.

Want the numbers?

[Iowabrit]

wow, thanks pongo..I'm totally ignorant about such stuff.

All I know is, we'ed scare the s*** out of new recruits by dropping a lighted match into a fuel tank (only we wouldn't tell them it was diesel) another favorite was to get them to paint tire pressure data above each roadwheel on a chieftain tank (which has solid rubber tires for those of you who are not armour)

oh my, the fun we had, the days simply flew by..............sigh

[Ninja]

so, when you pull into the gas station with a red hot fuel pump and you take the filler cap off.................??????

hey, I'm sure you are all right.I'm just being the devils advocate.. :-)
The fuel pump doesn't get nearly that hot. :D

[Roo]

Ninja and Pongo explained it all about why it won't ignite. We had a guy ignite himself on fire, it was suicide, but he poured gasoline all over the house. He took a match and POOF!!! Anyway, typically it wouldn't ignite, but he got lucky, or unlucky, depends on how you look at it.

Also, we had a house exploision couple of years ago, we I got on the scene it looked like it was snowing from all the insulation falling to the ground. Anyway, once the gas company got there, they got their monitors out. We had crews in the house next door checking it out. When they went in with the monitors, the entire house was full of vapors. Fortunately the fuel/air ratio was off otherwise we'd have blown 4 more people up. Turns out it was nat gas leak underground. When the gas goes through dirt, it loses it's odor, so noone could smell it.

[Squad57]

Hey Roo- We have a pipeline pumping station in our fire district, It seems as tho I remember them telling us that they can add the rotten egg type smell at different times or after it arrives to the destination or something like that. They have warned us that we may not be able to smell a gas leak at their pumping station. Of course, that was quite a few years ago and it may have changed by now, meaning I didn't really even need to say anything. Oh well....(I hate working on a Saturday that I am suppose to be off)

Glad to hear you didn't lose your firefighters in a blast.

[SaskNewfie]

The fuel won't ignite if the mixture (fuel / oxygen) is too rich or too lean. It has to be in that magic area to have ignition. That's why it'll ignite outside your fill point when it's mixing with air, but not in the tank where it's extremely vapour filled. There's a Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) and an Upper Explosive Limit (UEL) for liquids like these, you can read it on the MSDS.

Want the numbers?

You'd almost think he was a Water/Fuel/Environments Technician or something...lol.

[GOAT]

Hey Odrater I'll trade you fill ups! I never let my Avalanche get less than half cause it hurts to damn much when I fill it up. I do need it for my lift on the back but it has a 32 gallon tank. Calculate that one several times, lol! Especially on a trip to Vegas like I am going on next month?

[McFeely]

It costs me $75 to fill up my Escalade. I did replace my fuel filter last year. Thank god for Onstar and free towing. The Caddy dealer gives me a loaner and it was covered on my warranty. Of course now the warranty has run out. I paid $800 for new waterpump and hoses in June.