When a fuel pump is damaged, it can’t supply the fuel system with enough fueling pressure. It becomes hard for your car to start or move because the required gas is not supplied.
A bad fuel pump is required to ensure you drive safely. Without the required supply of fuel, the car engine suffers. But the question is, How long can you drive with a bad fuel pump?
You cannot drive more than 15 to 30 minutes with a bad fuel pump. This is because, if the fuel pump goes bad, it may not pump enough fuel needed for the engine and car to run, therefore, making your car off at any given time.
What Is A Fuel Pump?
A fuel pump is a part of a vehicle that allows the transfer of fuel from the fuel tank to the carburetor of an Internal Combustion engine.
A fuel pump is also as important as the engine, without a supply of fuel to the engine; it can cut down the life span of the engine.
It ensures enough fuel is supplied at constant pressure without a break, doing this will ensure the engine runs smoothly. As small as it is, your car cannot do without it.
Advantage of a Fuel Pump
There are two types of fuel pumps. It can be electrical or mechanical but either of it you use, there is little importance to using a good fuel pump. They include:
1. The Engine is as Cool as Ever
To avoid your engine experiencing overheating, a high temperature that can keep the engine in good shape, it is required that a good fuel pump is used.
Not that a temperature rise can only be caused by a bad fuel pump, but out of the myriads of reasons, a well-noted reason is a high tension of temperature emanating from your car engine.
2. Accurate Fuel Circulation
When the required amount of fuel enters the engine, it ensures the engine works the best way it can. The only way to render your engine less capable is to have it under the condition of low fuel circulation.
It can cause your engine to overheat and, if not attended to quickly, can lead to the engine shutting down.
Can I Drive With A Bad Fuel Pump?
You should not drive with a bad fuel pump, it will only cause more harm than good.
However, if you wish to drive with a bad fuel pump, you can drive for a few minutes, relax the engine and then drive for another few minutes.
It is stressful and bloodsucking and it is able to bring you into a feeling of terror.
When a car fuel pump is bad, it causes the overheating of the engine, which can cause it to shut down at any time. To prevent this, park safely to ensure the overheating engine cools down enough to avoid the engine shutting down.
How Long Can You Drive With A Bad Fuel Pump?
You can drive a car with a bad fuel pump as long as the engine is in good condition. When driving with a bad fuel pump, the engine works harder than normal, producing more heat, this can knock down the engine completely.
Before your engine can produce enough heat to knock your car out, it can take about 15min or 20min, after which your car cannot start again. You don’t want that.
Is it safe to Drive with a Bad Fuel Pump?
Driving for a short period can be safe, but should we drive with a bad fuel pump? No.
If a car is forced to drive with excessive heat emanating from the engine, it can cause the engine to knock and if this happens on a busy highway, it can confuse other drivers and a collision is likely to occur.
A bad fuel pump can be managed by a mechanic to get it fixed, but driving with a bad fuel pump is more dangerous than what we can imagine.
Consequences of a Bad Fuel Pump
A bad fuel pump isn’t good for any car; it can cause the following to your car:
1. Your Vehicle Can Turn Off Light
Your vehicle is likely to shut down while driving. It means it has taken too much stress and it can’t go further unless it may cool down for a few more minutes.
This can be embarrassing and stressful if while you are traveling on a picnic with your family and suddenly your car stops along the way, it can be because of the engine not being fed with the required fuel quantity which can cause the vehicle to turn off light or never start at all until the fuel pump is fixed.
2. The Vehicle Doesn’t Start at All
Starting your car shouldn’t be that hard. Once you find it difficult to start, you need to check the fuel pump. Without a free flow of fuel from the fuel tank to the engine, kick-starting your car may likely be more difficult than before.
What Happens If You Don’t Repair Your Bad Fuel Pump?
If you intend to manage your bad fuel pump, it can cause your engine to shut down because the engine overworks when fuel isn’t supplied.
Sometimes you might get lucky, instead of your engine shutting down; your car refuses to start. Overheating of the engine will cause it to shut down, which is more expensive than replacing the fuel pump.
It is better to spend less and have your car returned to normal than to manage the problem and then spend more than you can ever imagine.
Spending to get a new engine or repair because of overheating and no supply of required fuel isn’t a good way to manage money.
How Expensive Is It To Replace Fuel Pump?
Fixing a car fuel pump can vary, but the replacement can be between $220 and $1,062 depending on the car model and who is doing the replacement. This is just an estimate, and it is likely to vary with time and who is involved.
Finding the best price for yourself depends on what model is your car and how expensive is the services of the repairer are. These things determine what price it will cost you to repair or replace your fuel pump.
Final Thought
Driving with a bad fuel pump won’t blow up your engine immediately, nor will it cause you an accident, but it can do more than just blowing up your engine if you leave it for too long without replacing it.