Fuel pump problem

[tomsugden]

I collected my 1989 350i from the garage today, and they left it with very little fuel in it. On the way home it ran out of fuel, and the engine died. I went to the garage and filled up a can, returned to the car, and poured £5 worth of optimax in. The engine turns over, but it will not start. I can't hear the fuel pump working at all. Do I need to do something else, or could the fuel pump have failed ?

>> Edited by tomsugden on Friday 26th May 15:27

[rev-erend]

Worth checking the pump fuel.. other possibliity is the pump has stuck with rubbish in it.

You will have to take the filter off and check for bits in it..

[badredwedge]

Have a read through this lot Tom it may help

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=249265&f=12&h=0&hw=fuel+pump

[combine]

Just had mine pack up two weeks ago . Sounds ominous. £86 from any fast parts people , numbers on side of pump .

[GreenV8S]

See if you actually have power at the pump. As a final act of desperation you could reverse the connections at the pump for a moment and see if you can unjam it.

[Wedgetarian]

Almost 100% of fuel-pump failures I have heard about in RV8 cars (including Rover EFi) have followed within a week or two of running out of fuel.

The moral of this tale is to keep the tanks at least 1/4 full and don't try to run on air.

Russ

[badredwedge]

Wedgetarian said:

Almost 100% of fuel-pump failures I have heard about in RV8 cars (including Rover EFi) have followed within a week or two of running out of fuel. The moral of this tale is to keep the tanks at least 1/4 full and don't try to run on air. Russ

is it to do with the fact that the fuel lubricates the pump and if you run it dry it burns something out ?

[rev-erend]

And rubbish jams it up..

[combine]

If it is the pump put a new filter on too or ....

[adam quantrill]

I just don't agree with this 'last bit of fuel in the tank' having a load of crud in it. Unless you drive your car round corners like a undertaker on mogadon, the stuff in the tank all gets mixed up all the time.

[tomsugden]

Thanks for all your help on this. After a process of elimination, it seems the fuel pump is broken. A new one is nearly £150 . Does anyone know what they are out of ? I'm sure I could get one on fleebay for less than that, if I knew what to buy. The car is a 1989 350i. The car is in the garage at the moment, and the mechanic tells me the fuel pump 'looks like a bottle' ????

[tomsugden]

Could this be what I need ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-Morgan-MG-R

[rev-erend]

That pump will be fine - please put a new filter on too..

[combine]

New ones are £86 , as stated previously !

[matt-man]

definatly put a filter on!