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Backstory: For a good few months my car would have intermittent starting problems; it would start just fine, then I’d stop the car and it when I get back in it won’t start for maybe 5 minutes. It would always eventually start up but this was starting to become more and more frequent so I went looking for help and wasted a lot of money on being told the wrong things were the cause. I ended up having the 02 sensor and crank angle sensor replaced and I’m fairly sure there was nothing wrong with either of them.
The problem persisted until one day my car wouldn’t start, in a multistorey parking garage of all places. Had to get a specialist tow company just to be able to fit into the garage (low ceilings). This time my car was starting for a second and then immediately dying and I was told the fuel pump was dead.
So I had a new fuel pump assembly installed. The mechanic told me that my fuel filter was pretty dirty and they replaced that too. I was a little worried about this because I’d put a new fuel filter in myself only a few months prior but the assured me the tank wasn’t dirty enough to warrant having it cleaned/ replaced otherwise they would have suggested it.Well I’ve been noticing a clicking/ knocking sound coming from the back of the car ever since. It happens when I start the car and goes away after a couple of minutes and sometimes returns when I stop the car. The mechanic was stumped, and just suggested it might be part of the exhaust expanding/ contracting. However, I’m convinced it’s coming from the fuel pump/ tank, I’ve never noticed it before this.
So I opened up the access to the fuel pump and took this recording, you can hear me start the car and the fuel pump whirring (the phone was sat right by the fuel pump) and then you can hear the clicking/ knocking.
https://soundcloud.com/statebeats/fuel-pump-start
Have you got any idea what this could be? I’m so paranoid that this new fuel pump is failing too and there’s just no way I can afford to do this again if it dies on me. Thanks for reading.
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hi first do you have built in tank pump
or outside pump?
did you replace pump or did mechanic?
if mechanic- always ask to see your old pump
and take it home with you cause that way you can find out
if it did come from your car.
if you have away to remove new pump and compare with old
it will answer the question.
them again could be something as small as a socket from mechanic tools
fell between spare tyreSounds like they either left something on top of the tank and it’s hitting the bottom of the trunk, or they forgot to tighten something and the torque from the fuel pump is causing it to move. I would ask them what brand fuel pump they used to replace your OEM pump. Make sure it was a good OEM part. It just sounds like something is rattling. Either because the pump is loose or the car uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to control the pump and this possibly not OEM pump is stopping/starting again to supply the correct amount of fuel pressure/fuel volume.
Just my .02
Yeah it’s an in tank pump I’m pretty sure. The mechanic replaced it, I never even thought to ask about the old pump.
The starting/ stopping thing sounds very plausible because the sound only seems to occur in the few minutes after starting the engine, it doesn’t seem to be continuous at this stage. If something was loose, wouldn’t the sound be continuous?
I’m wondering if that is the case and maybe the pump clicks until it reaches the desired pressure and the low thudding sounds are the effects of the changes in pressure on the fuel tank? I lay underneath the car and the thudding definitely seems to be coming from the fuel tank, or near to it, if I put my hand on the tank I can feel it.
Would this be problematic? I honestly don’t know if the new pump assembly is OEM but if I had to guess I would most probably say it’s an aftermarket part.
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