In short, a drop in RPM can obviously be caused by a failing fuel pump and this will have serious ramifications on the performance of your vehicle. A Malfunctioning Fuel Pump: The fuel pump is a unit that delivers the required pressure of fuel to an engine, and should it happen to stop functioning, the necessary air-fuel mixture may not be present for combustion. As it turns out, research has shown that an engine needs a fuel pressure of at least 40-60 psi to run reliably. If the pressure drops below this level, drivers may experience a reduction in RPMs especially when accelerating.
An automotive manufacturer, for example, recalled more than a million vehicles in 2019 because of faulty fuel pumps. There were widespread reports of extreme fuguring out rpm on acceleration along with stalling and an increased safety risk in traffic due to the abrupt reduction in speed. Enquiries found almost 40% of these automobiles had gasoline pumps that did no longer meet the necessary strain, making an allowance for engine troubles. According to one tire industry expert, “When the fuel pump lacks flow capacity for a given engine demand, it sets off a chain-reaction of ills including RPM stability.
Bad fuel pump, besides not delivering enough fuel, it can also result in unstable fuel supply which can cause misfire as well. A misfire happens when the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber does not ignite correctly Studies say the efficiency of an engine can decrease by as much as 25% due to a misfire. When this occurs, drivers can often feel a more dramatic drop in RPM — especially under load or acceleration. Take trying to overtake another vehicle, a driver in any of these situations could suddenly find themselves 300-500 RPM down on the situation when you need it most.
Age of the fuel pump is also a key factor to evaluate. Fuel pumps generally last 100,000 to 150,000 miles or more, according to the Fuel Pump Module: Mechanical Operations article in Automotive News_ENCODER (fuel quality and driving habits directly effect life expectancy). Fuel Pressure: Fluctuating fuel pressure may cause RPM drops from worn pumps. One high-profile auto mechanic noted, “You can eliminate all these things with good preventative maintenance and knowing when to replace stuff. While ignoring a bad pump can cause bigger issues at a later time.
Fuel ManagementKeeping an eye on fuel pressure is crucial for car health. Drivers need to look for fuel pressure readings, which are usually viewable with a diagnostics tool. If the pressure is consistently low, that is a very good chance that it points to the fuel pump. Not paying attention to symptoms such as intermittent rpm drops or lack of power, can cause additional damage to the engine which equals more $$$ for a rebuild.
So, for your final clue: If you suffer a massive loss of RPM as we did in our experiment…you may want to inspect the fuel pump and overall fuel system. Detection and early repair is important to avoid further damage and keep vehicles safely on the road. To learn more about how to optimize your ride’s fuel system, browse Fuel Pump.