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How Do I know My Porsche Fuel Pump Is About To Fail?

You already know how important fuel is to your Porsche. But have you ever thought how fuel powers up the engine? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, the fuel pump is one of the main components your Porsche engine needs so as to run. For this to happen, it must always be in good condition. It so happens though, that sometimes the fuel pump fails or even gets damaged. This should not worry you because before the pump fails, it will exude any of the following symptoms.

High Mileage On The Gauge

Electrical fuel pumps do not last forever  so when your Porsche gets older and gets over 175000 miles, chances are that the fuel pump is getting weak and is not going to deliver the pressure that it needs to. This is a sign that your Porsche fuel pump is about to fail. When the figure on the mile gauge is close to 200,000 then the fuel pump should be changed as soon as possible. Basically the fuel pump should be changed when the figure on the mile gauge is between 175,000 miles to 220,000 miles. This reduces the chances of fuel pump failure which may get you stuck.

Takes Longer To Start

A Porsche car is supposed to fire right up but if it takes 3 to 5 seconds to start, it may be an indicator that your pump is about to fail. In some cases you may even have to crank it up again before it starts. An engine requires fuel to start and run  if the car takes a few seconds to start the fuel pump may not be working properly therefore causing a delay when starting the engine. In extreme cases the engine may fail to start at ill and this is an indicator that the fuel pump is not working.

The Porsche Engine Sputters At High Speeds

At times rather than aggressively accelerating, the car tends to stumble and you might be forced to ease onto it. A fuel pump supplies fuel to the engine, and when it is about to fail it struggles to maintain a consistent stream of fuel to the engine. Without this consistent supply of fuel, the engine cannot function properly and smoothly. If you are driving at high speeds and the engine sputters that is a sign that the fuel pump is struggling to supply fuel and it is about to fail.

Loss Of Power

You might experience loss of power when climbing a steep hill or when holding a huge amount of weight in terms of either cargo or a lot of people. The reason behind this is that there is higher demand on the engine and it requires more fuel. If the fuel pump is failing it may not be able to keep up with the increased demand and therefore leading to loss of power. There are other things that may cause loss of power when climbing the hill in a lower gear, but you might need to look into it a bit further if you see this sign.

Check The Fuel Pressure Gauge

If the fuel pressure gauge is showing a different amount than what is needed, that is a warning sign. You should check your Porsche manual to find out what the right amount of fuel pressure should be on the fuel pressure gauge.  If you check the fuel pressure gauge when someone else is revving the engine and the number is less than it is supposed to be according to the manual,  that means the engine does not get enough fuel. This is an indicator that the fuel pump is not supplying enough fuel to the engine. Cars newer than 2001 have a fuel pressure sensor that gives you a warning when a pump is failing by showing low fuel pressure.

Decreased Gas Mileage

Porsche fuel pumps have a relief valve and if it fails to open the engine gets more fuel than necessary. This results in a lot of wasted gas. If you notice a few of the other symptoms together with a decrease in gas mileage then your Porsche fuel pump is about to fail and you may need to check whether the relief valve is actually opening.

Engine Dies When Driving

In extreme cases the Porsche may die out on you while driving or it refuses to start. When you try again it may start or fail to start completely. If you get into such a situation you can hit the bleeder fuel pressure thing and see that fuel drips out instead of spraying out. Sometimes it just locks up and you can no longer hear the hum when you listen under the car or when you listen through the fuel filler.