10 Steps To Fix Your Car's Fuel Pump

If your starter motor cranks but the engine won’t fire up, you could be looking into a couple of different car problems that are causing this issue. You don’t have to take your vehicle to a car repair shop right away. You can figure out what the problem is and even possibly fix it with the help of these step-by-step tips!

1. Check Your Fuel

Before you freak out and assume the worst, relax and check your fuel first. A lot of the time, the problem is the wrong fuel in your tank which is a mistake that happens every now and then at the gasoline station. If that’s not the case, you should check if your fuel gauge is functioning or if you still have fuel inside the tank too.

2. Make Sure You Have Spark

Find the fuel system fuse and take it out of its socket. It should be in a fuse box together with the fuel pump relay. Pull out a spark plug wire, and jam a screwdriver with an insulated grip where the spark plug attaches. Hold the other end of the screwdriver close to but not touching a grounded metal surface. Have an assistant or a companion crank the starter. An electrical spark will jump in the air gap between the ground and the screwdriver attached to the plug wire. If there is none, check the whole ignition system from the plugs, plug wires, ignition coil, and cam position sensor. If the vehicle is equipped with neutral safety and/or anti-theft systems, make sure they are deactivated.

3. Inspect Your Starter Motor

A broken starter is another common reason your car won’t start. A starter is an electrical motor that is connected to the battery. Its role is to set the engine in motion when you turn the ignition switch on. Once the engine starts and is in motion, the starter's job is complete. If the starter goes bad, the engine will not crank properly or may not crank at all when you turn the ignition key on. If you hear a clicking noise when you try to start your vehicle, a broken or weakened starter could be the reason why your car isn't starting.

4. Scan For Diagnostic Fault Codes

If what you’re dealing with here is anything related to fuel pump errors, ECU faults, cam/crank position sensor, or fuel pressure problems, your check engine light is probably glowing. That’s when you whip out your OBD scanner, as it’s a very accurate tool that can diagnose those problems for you.

OBD scanners that are high quality will provide you enough information that you need. It can give you live data from the ECU, fuel pressure readings, voltage supplied to the pump, coil-on-plug individual voltages and more that you’ll find valuable. What’s even great is that these data can be viewed from your laptop or smartphone screen which is very convenient.

5. Check For Compression

Not everyone has a scanner on hand, but you can still make certain inspections without that. If your ignition system is still working, open the valve cover and check the timing belt or chain. If it’s intact and everything looks okay, the crank should be turning and timing cylinder compressions as it should. You can then conclude here that the lack of fuel is the problem.

6. Check Your Fuel System

Do you always experience your car losing power when you try to accelerate? Or you’re having trouble starting your car altogether? Sounds like your fuel system is malfunctioning which is keeping your engine from drawing more fuel to accelerate. Fuel system may malfunction because of a clogged injector, leaking fuel line, or gummed-up filter or kaput fuel pump.

You should be able to hear the fuel pump in the tank humming and the fuel pump relay clicking when you turn the ignition. If you’re not hearing any of those, check the fuel system fuse which you removed earlier when checking for spark. You’ll know you’re looking at a fuel pump problem if you see an intact fuse and a clicking relay. Usually the pump and the tank can be accessed from under the car or under the rear passenger seats. So go under there and see if there are any corrosion in the electrical connectors. While you’re at it, might as well check for continuity and voltage supply to the pump using a multimeter.

7. Confirm If You Have Fuel Pressure

Make sure to wear safety goggles and gloves since you’ll be handling fuel at this point onward. It’s also best to collect spilled fuel in a sealed container. Tap a pressure gauge into the fuel supply hose close to the injectors before you turn the ignition and crank the starter. If the pressure rises to about 20-30 pounds per square inch (psi) then it’s all good. But if it doesn’t then it’s an indication of clogged fuel filter. You should then take it out and replace it with a new one.

8. Pull Out The Pump

If you want to bench test your fuel pump even further or probably thinking of replacing it, you can pull it out from the tank. After that, connect the electrical connectors to a power source to confirm pump operation. Just make sure you do this carefully because you can cause a spark and ignite gasoline fumes while doing this. Avoid that by working in a well-ventilated area and moving cautiously.

9. Replace The Pump

Since it’s relatively cheap to replace fuel pumps and it has no serviceable parts, it’s best if you just replace it. Just ensure that you’re purchasing an original equipment (OE) manufactured pump or you can also upgrade to an aftermarket one so long that the replacements you’re getting is compatible with your car. If you’re unsure of the fuel quality or if you find significant loose rust, drain out all the gasoline and clean the tank.

10. Reset Fault Codes

After reassembly, refill the tank with fresh fuel and start the car. With the scanner, you can erase the stored error codes to turn off the check engine light.

When Leasing Is A Better Choice Than Buying A Car

We think that the right financial decision when it comes to a car is obvious—purchase it. While that’s true most of the time, there are instances though that it’s better to just lease. What are those instances? Read more and find out!

Unstable Monthly Cash Flow

If you don’t have a fixed monthly income, it’d be difficult to finance a car because monthly payment is often higher when you purchase it. With leasing you’re basically just paying for the depreciation of the car during that year rather than the entire cost of the vehicle that’s why it’s cheaper.

Inadequate Savings, But Can Afford Monthly Payment

Sometimes, people have a fixed monthly income so they can afford monthly payment. However, you don’t have a lot of savings which will make it difficult to pay for the down payment and other initial fees. If you're concerned about the monthly costs, a lease eases the burden a bit. Generally, the monthly payment is considerably less than it would be for a car loan. Some people even opt for a more luxurious car than they otherwise could afford.

You Don’t Drive That Much

There are people who don’t drive every day because of reasons like their work is just walking distance, commuting is a faster route, or you and your friends prefer carpooling.  In this case where you just use a car occasionally, leasing is a better option than buying because what’s the point if you won’t be able to use it that much but you’ll pay for the entire cost anyway?

You’re Very Meticulous With Car Care

Those who always get their car bumped, scratched, or dented, just buy it because the wear and tear fees will cost way more. But if you treat a vehicle like a fragile glass, this won’t be an issue for you if you just lease.

You Only Drive For Business

For those whose job requires them to drive around a lot, leasing can be great. When you lease, a portion of the car’s depreciation and financing costs can be deducted on your taxes. Interest on loans to buy a car, however, isn’t deductible. That’s because the IRS allows you to deduct both the depreciation and the financing costs that are part of each monthly payment. If you’re leasing a luxury automobile, the amount you can write off may be limited.

You’re Only On A Vacation

Let’s say you’d be staying abroad or a remote location for just a couple of months, it won’t really be ideal to buy a car during your stay there, would it? So leasing it is. Even if you have the cash to instantly buy a car, it doesn’t mean you have to buy one right away. There are other costs like car registration, fuel, and monthly amortization that should be considered first, as well as other priorities that could enter while you’re in a long term commitment of owning a car. Buying a car impulsively can lead to regrets, especially when you’re not even going to be staying in that place for a long time to begin with.

You Hate Dealing With Car Repair

Yes, everyone knows that car repair is a part of owning a car. But that doesn’t mean everyone is really good at handling that part of vehicle ownership. It seems taking your ride to car servicing for maintenance or repair is simple because you’d just have to take it there and someone else would have to deal with it. However, the stress, money, and time that one has to spend on that are not always worth it for everyone. In this case, leasing is your new best friend because several dealerships offer the coverage on the maintenance which can be a huge deal for many. Many new cars offer a warranty that lasts at least three years. So when you take out a three-year lease, most of the repairs should be covered. Leasing arrangements largely eliminate the hazards of a significant unforeseen expense.

No Resale Worries

Are you the type of person who hates to haggle? If so, you probably hate the idea of selling your used car to a dealership or a private buyer. With a lease, you simply return the car. The only thing you have to worry about is paying any end-of-lease fees, including those for abnormal wear or additional mileage on the vehicle.

Buying a car is hardly a decision you can make on a whim, even when it’s not your first time buying it. So make sure to canvass from different dealers to see different price ranges and different cars available if you do. This way you can compare which dealer offers the best deal for you.

If ever you’re considering to opt for a used vehicle, don’t forget to get the full history of the car. Don’t fall for a pre-owned car just because “it still looks good and yet so cheap”. I tell you what; cars in good condition don’t come cheap even for a pre-owned one. Test everything! Ask the seller if the car crashed before, if there are any current liens, if it has been customized. Rule of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Or better yet, you may want to consider leasing for the time being until your situation becomes more secure enough to make a big purchase.

Fix Radiator Leak With These Simple Steps

As your car’s cooling system, radiators prevent engines from overheating and engine blocks from cracking with heat. So if you start noticing signs indicated below, make sure you take your vehicle to the car servicing shop right away to prevent the damage from getting worse and car repair costs starts pilling up.

There are different signs that will tell you if your radiator is starting to fail. One would be overheating. When dirt, bugs, or road grime gets stuck and accumulate in your radiator, it becomes harder for the air to flow through it. As a result, it’s harder to cool the engine especially when the vehicle is stopped and the radiator have to rely on just the fan to keep it cool which is why it overheats even when idle.

Another sign is sludge in the radiator. The coolant in your vehicle should be yellow or green or red normally. As the radiator goes bad, contaminants discolor the fluid making it a rusty or oil color. This turns into sludge and the fluid will not be able to cool the engine efficiently because it will not drain properly and remain in the radiator. This can be from a failing radiator for vehicles that contain a transmission cooler inside the radiator. The barrier between the coolant and transmission fluid fails and the fluids mix. If you or a mechanic notice sludge in your radiator, it will need to be replaced as it can cause extensive damage to the engine and transmission.

It could also be the frequent low level of coolant. If the level is below the minimum line, top it up to the maximum line and monitor on a daily basis. If you have to top up the coolant reservoir each time it is checked, this could indicate a leak. If it seems that you vehicle is always low on coolant then it’s reasonable to suspect that your radiator have gone bad or at least failing.

Now speaking of leak, the coolant, as the name suggests, helps the radiator to cool down.  However, when there’s a leak or crack in the radiator, you’ll see coolant leak on the floor underneath your car, since the coolant flows through the radiator. If the leak is more of the issue that you’ve been encountering lately, you can actually fix this problem easily. If you’ll use any stop-leak products, follow the instructions carefully and it could delay a permanent fix for a later time. 

Step 1: Drain The Old Coolant

Usually, not replacing the water coolant mixture is the reason you’re having leakage issue in your radiator. So the first thing that you must do if you’re trying to fix it is to drain the old coolant.

Step 2: Flush The Cooling System

Once you managed to drain all the old coolant, it’s now time to flush the cooling system. To do this, you need a lot of distilled water to rinse the radiator and the whole system. But make sure to activate the thermostat and the AC heater before you do so. Keep in mind to use only distilled water for this step. Tap water contains minerals that can cause sedimentation which is why it’s no good for rinsing the radiator and the whole system using it. You’ll know you’re done with this step if the water being drained have becomes clear and rust-free.

Step 3: Pour In The New Coolant Mixture

Before you pour in the new coolant mixture, make sure that the ratio of distilled water and the manufacturer’s recommended coolant type is right. Measure properly and then pour all of the mixture in the reservoir.

Step 4: Burp

After pouring in the coolant, you need to get rid of possible air trapped in the system. If air gets trapped, it will cause it to boil over and produce steam that is trapped within. Heat and pressure build up; cooling efficiency goes down. Sustained overheating will melt the head gasket, leading to an expensive engine teardown and rebuild.

To do this, you just have to park at a slight incline, or jack up the front with the engine higher than the rest of the vehicle while filling up the radiator.

Step 5: Add Your Stop-Leak Product Of Your Choice

When you’re done burping it, time for the last step which is to add in your choice of stop-leak product. Run the engine up to operating temperature, and check the previous leaking location for oozing. Observe for a few days.