Loss of power after filling up with fuel

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phil

New Member
Firstly, sorry for keeping on posting new threads.
I filled up with fuel earlier, to the brim purely by mistake. About 2 minutes after leaving the forecourt my car lost all power like it was being starved of fuel. When I stopped where I could find somewhere safe, the problem vanished! Can anyone explain why? Would the fact I put in fuel to the brim with literally no room for expansion have caused a problem?
 
It did it again. The fuel filter was full of fuel but I think the float chambers were empty. Reason is after flicking the key on and off a few times the electric fuel pump went bonkers and was clearly pumping fuel so I think I either have a new faulty fuel pump or my earth connection isn't good enough. As the pump is new I'm going to give it a better earth and try again.
 
Hi Phil

Filling to the brim shouldn't cause any problems. I always fill mine right to the brim. Does sound like it might be a problem with the fuel pump.

Hope you get it sorted.

Dave
 
I made sure I had a good earth at the pump again. All seems good. Went for a run. All seemed fine. Then I encountered a driver who shouldn't have been on the road so on the duel carriageway I accelerated hard to pass him. After this it lost all power. I carried along the road at about 50 mph pressing the throttle any harder caused the engine to run very rough. At the end of the carriageway I stopped at the traffic lights and it was as if nothing had happenned?! When it started messing about yesterday or Friday, I forget which I stopped very quickly as I was only doing about 15 mph and I could not hear the fuel pump clicking but the filter was full of fuel. I think the fuel pump is at fault as on that particular occasion after a little while of the engine being off the pump started clicking like crazy. I could see a few bubbles rising through the fuel after which it started and ran home fine?!
 
Sounds a bit like it's starving off at high throttle openings. Is your filter clean? Also, it may be the stand-pipe in the tank getting crud around the strainer that is slowing the flow down.
You could try blowing back down the pipe to the tank and if it clears it however briefly, then you may have your culprit...as long as you don't mind the taste of petrol....
 
Have you tried both positions of the reserve tap when it does that, Phil? They draw through different systems, the reserve drawing from the true bottom of the tank, whilst main draws a bit further up through a plastic gauze filter (which has been known to collapse onto the outlet). The symptom you describe sounds a bit like how the car behaves when you are about to run out of fuel in main tank and need to switch to reserve. This happens surprisingly early on mine, at around 1/4 full on the gauge.

Chris
 
Thanks guys. I will try it on reserve. The trouble is it rights itself before I have the chance to troubleshoot it.
 
The seller of the pump wants me to try fitting the pump somewhere else and trying again. Although I am still of the opinion that as it wasn't clicking it is a faulty pump. He said he would send me another but to be fair to him I will try his suggestion first.
 
Hi, is the pump getting an electrical supply all the time? You said at one time
that you kept switching the Ign switch on and off until the pump started
clicking. So is it the Ign switch? Where are you getting the pump electrical
supply from?

Colin
 
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That is where the power comes from. Not what I have tapped into, that wire fed the fuel pump fitted by the previous owner, that didn't work.

When I said switching the ignition on and off.. I didn't mean repeatedly but maybe a few times whilst trying to start it. I fitted the pump on it's side like the seller said and it did it again. I completely forgot to try pulling reserve, I might go and try to break down after I've had my tea.
 
Pulling reserve makes no difference. When it cut out finally at the traffic lights the fuel pump was clunking quite quickly with the engine off. Obviously building up pressure. I still think the pump is faulty.
 
Hi Phil
Just a thought . As you said this first happened after brimming the tank is it possible a breather is blocked causing a vacuum in the tank ?
stina
 
hi chris,
the main feed ( which is higher ) has no gauze filter around it, just a hollow tube. if you think about it, it is needed at the bottom ( which is reserve ) to stop the crud being sent down the line.

looks like to me that the seller has been helpful, but i would say you need a new pump.

ian
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Stina, good thought. Do you know where the breather is located? I could try driving with the cap open but it hasn't stopped raining for ages. I think ruling the breather out is a good idea. I have worked out how to replicate the problem reliably now. Boot it up to 70. I don't mean rev it hard just let it get up to 70 staying in top.
I think it is a pump issue but want to be fair to the seller. It's only done about 500 miles since fitting. In 15 years of selling them I am the first with a problem the seller said.
 
Hi Phil
sorry don't know where breather is ( or even if it's built into cap ! ) Not had mine long ,still getting to know it . I did have a cavalier SRI years ago that had blocked breather . It sucked it's fuel tank nearly inside out before it stopped ! So worth a look before you go further .stina
 
Tried running with fuel cap off, still the same. I have ordered a new pump to fit tomorrow. Dont think it can be anything else. I think it's just a case of the pump cannot keep up with the engine.
 
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Is that easy to understand? I have video'd it to show the seller as he said to me he had never had one fail in 15 years of selling them, I have two seemingly faulty ones. Not very happy about this, not just wasted time and effort involved but the inevitable disbelief of the seller I'm going to have to face.
 
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