With low fuel in the tank, a Fuel Pump may fail because the pump depends on being submerged for good operation and cooling. If the tank is low, then instead of being submerged in fuel it is exposed to air, forcing the pump to work extra hard which can lead to overheating and premature wear. Many pumps are designed to operate at their best performance with fuel around it, which provides cooling and lubricating properties for the running internal parts of a pump.
Pump failure caused by overheating due to low-fuel conditions. The motor of the pump runs under low load, which exposes it to heating due to insufficient fuel. According to research, constantly running with less than a quarter of fuel in the tank increases the chances of pump failure by as much as 30% since the motor is working harder yet receiving suboptimal cooling.
Another problem is contamination of the fuel. With low fuel, there is a greater chance of pump being feed sedan and other debris on the bottom of the tank. That clogs up the filters and internal parts, which makes the pump have to work harder. According to mechanics 20% of fuel pump failures are directly related to running the car low or empty on petrol.
There was one notable such event, the 2021 Texas winter storm. By October 2023, otherwise prudent drivers become mired with running on fumes when errant pumps simply stopped pumping or plummeting fuel was contaminated by groundwater contaminants freezing in tanks and lines. And these issues were only exacerbated by the lack of enough fuel to keep them running and vehicles unable to run.
And running on low tank conditions consistently over time is also a source of early pump wear due to moving parts. Eventually, this stress manifests as integrated inefficiencies in fuel delivery, with pressure drops and incomplete combustion. In our vehicles, if a fuel pump stops being able to maintain that 40-60 psi pressure, you experience things like sputtering, hesitation or outright stall.
A simple step to check pump health is confirming fuel pressure using a gauge. Pressures should commonly indicate mechanical damage after overheating or contamination. Avoiding or at least reducing sediment-related issues could be as simple as keeping the tank one-quarter full for at least some of the time, replacing fuel filters in a Honda every 15,000 to 30,000 miles and so on.
A cost-effective way to overcome the performance and durability issues due to a damaged pump is by installing Kemso Fuel Pumps as they score high on reliability. Designed to operate in extreme environments, these pumps deliver reliable fuel supply under all operating conditions.
Check Fuel Pump for the more details and reliable alternative options. Good fuel supply; good components prevent high cost repairs later on.