P38 in tank fuel pump how long have I got :(

Hello. I have a 2.5 diesel with a issue.

I've travelled to Newcastle this weekend to see some friends about 150 miles from my place. I started out with over half a tank of fuel.on my way up the A1 the truck sort of jolted once but the revs didn't drop and there were no strange noises or flashing lights on the dash so I carried on. It then happened again about 10 miles later. I carried on, when I got into Newcastle it really was struggling and cut out all together at some traffic lights the fuel level now was about a quarter of a tank. I got it started and filled up to just over half and all was well again.

I've ordered a new in tank pump but how long have I got before it fails on me completely can I nurse it home? I need to get back to mine tonight.

Any advice greatly appreciated

I think as long as the tank is over half full you can get away with it however someone more knowledgeable than me will confirm that...

I'm really hoping so lol :/ thanks for the reply.

The pump is already dead by the sounds of it.
Brim the tank and it should stay running until it gets down to half maybe more.

Thank you for your reply Datatek. Ill brim it.

t's just typical It went when I was this far from home.

Littelwill said:

Thank you for your reply Datatek. Ill brim it.

t's just typical It went when I was this far from home.

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Always safer to run a diesel with a full tank, less strain on the pump and less risk of bacterial growth in the tank in winter

Well there you go I didn't know that.

Speaking from experience, dont take to easy route by cuting a hole in the floor to change the pump! Best to drop the tank then you can check the over tank break pipe and replace if necessary.
Cos you never know when it will fail as it cant be seen on mot! And you might...just might, be doing 70+ on the m62 coming up to some stationery traffic when you relise its split and you've got no breaks!!!






#brown trousers

I did the tank mod... changed 4 now I think, as for the brake pipe, think its not a singe system, so if it fails you still have brakes

how easy is it to drop the the tank might have to change the pump on mine before long

We done the hole in the floor method....very easy and simple to do.

Ok update...

I'm back home now after 3 hours fighting to keep her going. And two fuel stops.

I found that trying to cruise at 70 worked fine for a few miles but the pump couldn't keep that up for long so I had to keep dropping to 55/60 for a few miles then back to 70.

Thank you for your replies.

I'm not embarrassed to say that I did kiss it as we pulled into the drive.

It sits awaiting either boot surgery or a tank drain. Considering it's brim full I'd better find some very clean barrels.

If its full maby the hole in the floor is best for you but I would pencil in a thorough check of the brake lines over the tank

mutsnutz said:

how easy is it to drop the the tank might have to change the pump on mine before long

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Not a bad job to do, filler pipe connection and balancing a tank that has fuel in on a trolley jack are the worst bit's. Get new nuts and olives for the two pipes before you start the job as the old nuts will probably be rusty.

I live in the North East and my pump packed up completely about a month ago, maybe its the driving up the map that does it?

The indy that fixed mine said that sometimes you can get an extra kick out of the pump by bashing the base of the tank with the heel of your hand. And if it starts it usually keeps running with the FIP drawing fuel through. Make sure your filter is OK as part of the pump change so the FIP isn't sucking hard against that as well. The other bit of advice was to get a quality replacement, cheap ones don't last and this isn't a job you want to be doing every Tuesday fortnight.

Unpredictable things pumps. The one in my RRC V8 has made a slight rattling noise at idle for the last five years & 10,000 miles (not a daily driver) but the engine has never missed a beat, even at prolonged motorway speeds. On a long trip I carry a NOS pump & gaskets with me, in the hope that a local indy will have the knowledge to cut out the floor, as I don't fancy the idea of dropping a 27 year old tank

norseman said:

Unpredictable things pumps. The one in my RRC V8 has made a slight rattling noise at idle for the last five years & 10,000 miles (not a daily driver) but the engine has never missed a beat, even at prolonged motorway speeds. On a long trip I carry a NOS pump & gaskets with me, in the hope that a local indy will have the knowledge to cut out the floor, as I don't fancy the idea of dropping a 27 year old tank

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Tank is plastic, you may have a problem with the mounting strap nuts being corroded. From memory they are 17 mm, a bit of heat will shift them. If the tank has not been off before then its time to change the brake pipes that run behind it.

Hi guys just a update.

Decided to cut the boot floor rather than drop the tank. Really simple job to do. Took me about two hours start to finish. I really recommend removing the back seats tho massive improvement in working space!

Will

How much / best place to but a pump from guys ?

Mine needs doing at some point , get down to a quarter of a tank it needs a couple of starts to fire up , its slowly getting worse

Local guy said pump around 175 and 125 labour to drop tank and do it properly - 300 all in , that sound about right ?