fuel pump problem?

[r055]

cut out yesterday in Hawick after a couple of hours driving...

Engine feels starved of fuel and eventuallly splutters and cuts out.
If you take key out and leave for 30 or so seconds then turn ignition on again in order to get the pump priming noise, it sounds like the pump is laboured - not the usual hum.

In past few weeks I assumed it was to do with the fuel cap/ vacuum issue, but i have my doubts with that one now after hearing the pump make that noise.

I had similar problem 2 years ago and the tank was full of gunk - pump was replaced and tank was cleaned out. surely the pump cant be fecked already? wiring fault?

[roadboy]

How much fuel was in the car at the time?

Dan

[r055]

25L-ish

[robin]

I would expect the wiring to be the fault. You need to trace the fuel pump wiring - there are many posts on here and SELOC where the fuel pump wiring is discussed ...

Cheers,
Robin

[roadboy]

Why would that make the fuel pump grumble though Robin?

Dan

[fd]

If there is a power supply problem to the pump it may run slower, that may be what is being heard, most of the time they just stop working when the wiring fails, often at the inertia switch . . .

I would wonder what 'gunk' got in the tank the last time and whether this is a repeat problem, if it's rust it could well be for example . . . symptoms could certainly match a blocked inlet strainer to the pump . . . aka the gunk returns . . .

S1 fuel pump are not hugely unreliable so to have two fail in very few miles suggests there is another root cause . . .

Fd

[r055]

Dan,

can you remember what the gunk looked like? would you have put it down to corrosion?

car just picked up and heading to MMC - they told me durham was too far!

[r055]

I have been told by the garage that it is the ignition Coil to blame. It is heavily corroded
Does that stack up? I've never even checked it before TBH.

Would it not be misfiring if this was the case? It runs fine up until it cuts out completely

[roadboy]

Dan,

can you remember what the gunk looked like? would you have put it down to corrosion?

car just picked up and heading to MMC - they told me durham was too far!

Yup, just flakes of rust. Quite common in Elise tanks when you take them out. As FD says, they block the strainer and overheat the pump causing early failure.

Dan