A faulty Fuel Pump can make your car lose power when accelerating because of improper fuel delivery to the engine. The Fuel Pump sends fuel from the tank to the engine and keeps the proper fuel pressure inside for combustion. If the Fuel Pump goes bad, it may not be able to deliver adequate fuel, thus causing a loss of power. This condition is more pronounced during acceleration, where the engine requires more fuel in order to gain more power. In fact, some studies by Automotive Service Excellence claim that a failing fuel pump or fuel delivery system is responsible for around 30% of the loss in engine power in older vehicles.
When the Fuel Pump is faulty, it can either deliver fuel inconsistently or fail to supply the proper pressure. That would mean it disrupts the air-fuel mixture necessary for smooth running. A failed or weak fuel pump reduces pressure and allows lean fuel conditions to develop, creating hesitation and stuttering when accelerating. In extreme cases, it might be possible that not even a single drop of fuel would reach the engine by the action of a bad Fuel Pump, causing it to stall. A report from AAA highlighted that over 25% of engine stalls in vehicles older than 10 years were linked to fuel delivery issues, with Fuel Pumps being a primary culprit.
Additionally, a weak Fuel Pump leads to inconsistent fuel pressure, causing the fuel injectors to deliver less fuel. This creates a scenario where the engine isn’t receiving enough fuel to maintain its power output. Where the acceleration of the car is concerned, the proportional requirement of fuel, too, becomes necessary; the faulty pump is not able to deliver. Like trying to drink with a straw that does not draw up enough liquid-the straw through which your car “breathes,” in simple terms-it will just simply lose power.
Fuel pumps are designed to operate within a pressure range. In most vehicles, the range is usually between 30 and 60 psi. Once the pump fails, this pressure falls, and the flow of fuel becomes intermittent. This will cause hesitation in the car’s acceleration, causing a loss of power. One such model of Chevrolet Silverado 1500 also had a complaint of loss of considerable power while acceleration due to a failure of Fuel Pump. The Fuel Pump failed to supply adequate fuel to the engine under high-demand conditions, leading to hesitation and reduced acceleration.
“Most people overlook the Fuel Pump until it causes major performance issues,” says Emily Thomas, a service technician at Advanced Auto Service. “When a pump starts to go bad, the car’s power-especially during acceleration-is often the first thing you’ll notice.”
In cases where it is extremely degraded, a Fuel Pump may cause fuel starvation, which again causes knocking, rough idling, and even misfires of the engine. According to Car and Driver, a faulty Fuel Pump leading to low fuel pressure may activate engine codes regarding air-fuel mixture problems as another telltale sign of an issue with the fuel delivery system.
First, power loss during acceleration can be checked in the fuel system, including the fuel pump. Replacing a faulty Fuel Pump can restore the fuel delivery to optimum, which can improve acceleration besides improving the overall performance of the engine. For example, a high-performance fuel pump like the ones provided by Kemso can ensure that your engine gets a steady flow of fuel, preventing any power loss during acceleration.