Griff fuel pump?????
Discussion
After a 15 min burst down the motorway on XmAS Eve, I pulled off onto a slip road and onto a roundabout. Just as I was exiting the busy roundabout, the engine suddenly cut out. I didn't think it was a fuel delivery problem, as it didn't cough and splutter. In fact as soon as I had come to a hault, it started up again straight away!
Today, after a short trip into town for a KFC, I turned on the ignition and had a very strange deep whining from the back of the car. I can always hear the fuel pump when I turn the ignition on, but this was a totally new, seperate sound, which continued even after turning the ignition off again. Anyway the engine, which usually fires instantly, took about a minute to come to life. Then whilst driving home along a duel carrige way, it appeared to lean out for an instant. I made it home with no further problems, but now feel reluctant to take it out, in case it lets me down!
Does it sound like an ECU problem, or the fuel pump on it's way out? Any advice would be great!
Today, after a short trip into town for a KFC, I turned on the ignition and had a very strange deep whining from the back of the car. I can always hear the fuel pump when I turn the ignition on, but this was a totally new, seperate sound, which continued even after turning the ignition off again. Anyway the engine, which usually fires instantly, took about a minute to come to life. Then whilst driving home along a duel carrige way, it appeared to lean out for an instant. I made it home with no further problems, but now feel reluctant to take it out, in case it lets me down!
Does it sound like an ECU problem, or the fuel pump on it's way out? Any advice would be great!
Blimey, that's a hard one.
I'd check the obvious - like is the fuel cap on too tight (perhaps the breather pipe is blocked).
Is the HT lead connected OK, same for low tension wires
to / from coil distibutor. Are cables OK (not cut).
Has the car got fuel in tank....
Have you got water in the tank (this can happen if the petrol station has water in their holding tank !)
- I check this by removing the fuel pipe (where
access is easy) and put pipe in a empty glass milk bottle. Turn on pump (ignition) or turn over engine.
Water will be at bottom on the glass jar - if present.
After that - is not easy to diagnose fuel pump problems with out a diagnostic kit (pressure meter) - take it to a good garage for diagnosis.
Good luck.
I'd check the obvious - like is the fuel cap on too tight (perhaps the breather pipe is blocked).
Is the HT lead connected OK, same for low tension wires
to / from coil distibutor. Are cables OK (not cut).
Has the car got fuel in tank....
Have you got water in the tank (this can happen if the petrol station has water in their holding tank !)
- I check this by removing the fuel pipe (where
access is easy) and put pipe in a empty glass milk bottle. Turn on pump (ignition) or turn over engine.
Water will be at bottom on the glass jar - if present.
After that - is not easy to diagnose fuel pump problems with out a diagnostic kit (pressure meter) - take it to a good garage for diagnosis.
Good luck.
Thanks for the responce Alan
I will check for water in the tank this afternoon. You asked if my petrol cap was on too tight and if the breather pipe is blocked! Well when I take the cap off it seems like a massive vacume has been created in the tank, as it makes a loud sucking noise!
I take it that this is not normal then? The tank also makes alot of banging sounds, as if the air is being sucked out!
I will check for water in the tank this afternoon. You asked if my petrol cap was on too tight and if the breather pipe is blocked! Well when I take the cap off it seems like a massive vacume has been created in the tank, as it makes a loud sucking noise!
I take it that this is not normal then? The tank also makes alot of banging sounds, as if the air is being sucked out!
It would help if you said what car it is as the 4.x Griffs have a totally different breather system compared to the 500s. The cat cars have a breather that goes through a carbon cannister. This has been known to fill with water! The car stops and never goes though.
If the breather was blocked then the car tends to splutter before dying. It has been known for the breather pipe to get pinched round the back of the fuel tank and cause the dying problem. Some level of vacuum in the tank is normal BTW...
If the pump dies then the car will die pretty quickly as there is no fuel pressure. The sound could be the pump complaining or overheating - it relies on the fuel to cool it down. If the filter is blocked or punctured then crud can cause problems. As for checking if there is water there is no glass jar to look at... you would need to drain the tank and see. Not an easy job either and there is a fire risk as well.
I would get the car checked over. If there was a fault, it would show up (probably) on the ECU fault reader. The rest of the system can be checked including the fuel pressure.
If I was a betting man, I would suspect the fuel pump and or filter.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
If the breather was blocked then the car tends to splutter before dying. It has been known for the breather pipe to get pinched round the back of the fuel tank and cause the dying problem. Some level of vacuum in the tank is normal BTW...
If the pump dies then the car will die pretty quickly as there is no fuel pressure. The sound could be the pump complaining or overheating - it relies on the fuel to cool it down. If the filter is blocked or punctured then crud can cause problems. As for checking if there is water there is no glass jar to look at... you would need to drain the tank and see. Not an easy job either and there is a fire risk as well.
I would get the car checked over. If there was a fault, it would show up (probably) on the ECU fault reader. The rest of the system can be checked including the fuel pressure.
If I was a betting man, I would suspect the fuel pump and or filter.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve, thanks for the advice! The car is a Griff 500 (late '96)
The cannister that you speak of, appears ok, as do the breather pipes! Looks like I will have to take it to my local dealer for the diagnosis!
If it does turn out to be the pump playing up, how easy is it to change? Is it mounted somewhere along the fuel line, or is it a tank out job?
Think I will have to invest in one of your books, to stop me asking such novice questions!!!
The cannister that you speak of, appears ok, as do the breather pipes! Looks like I will have to take it to my local dealer for the diagnosis!
If it does turn out to be the pump playing up, how easy is it to change? Is it mounted somewhere along the fuel line, or is it a tank out job?
Think I will have to invest in one of your books, to stop me asking such novice questions!!!
Having changed more pumps than I have had TVRs, it is not difficult but just messy. The pump is external and mounted at the back of the car. If yo are going to change the pump, change the filter and check the fuel piping. Be prepared for petrol everywhere and if you do not feel comfortable with this - it is a major fire risk, get a dealer/specialist to do it.
I would get someone to chcek it out first because you could end up rebuilding the car by trial and error. The pumps are not cheap 120-150 pnds so you really do need to know what is going on before paying out.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
I would get someone to chcek it out first because you could end up rebuilding the car by trial and error. The pumps are not cheap 120-150 pnds so you really do need to know what is going on before paying out.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Hmm, my Griff has shown similar symptoms but*only* when theres not much fuel in the tank ie when I've been driving with the warning light on for a while. It gave me quite a fright the first time this happened when it cut out while trying to power through a bend!!! Also seems to occassionally try to run without a few cylinders.
I put it down to fuel starvation as the solution seems to be to keep a decent amount of fuel in the tank.
Graham
I put it down to fuel starvation as the solution seems to be to keep a decent amount of fuel in the tank.
Graham
The fist time it cut out, the tank was very low.
Since my last posting, I have covered about 100 miles with no problems at all (touch wood!)
Hopefully it was just fuel starvation, but if the same problem does return, i'll be sure to write back once rectified!
Thanks for all the advice
Mark
p.s watch this space!
Since my last posting, I have covered about 100 miles with no problems at all (touch wood!)
Hopefully it was just fuel starvation, but if the same problem does return, i'll be sure to write back once rectified!
Thanks for all the advice
Mark
p.s watch this space!
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