Identifying knackered fuel pump or regulator

Post Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:15 pm

The car's been playing up today. It will fire but immediately die.

Thankfully I have a fuel pressure guage fitted in my engine bay with the adjustable regulator which is only a couple of weeks old.

Now I checked the guage and have no fuel pressure which leads me to think that it's either a faulty guage which I think is probably unlikely as it's new or a knackered fuel pump as mine has been whining a lot quite recently and it's been getting gradually louder.

How can I distinguish which is actually the problem as I don't want to order a new pump at great cost and find that all I needed to do was get a replacement adjustable regulator.

Post Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:43 pm

If the pump is whining and getting louder I would say 99% it's knackered.
Those were the symptoms before mine went on both the 323i and my Sport. On the Sport, the engine cut out on fast right hand bends too. That happened to me on track at Rockingham!

Post Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:58 pm

MONSPORT42 wrote:If the pump is whining and getting louder I would say 99% it's knackered.
Those were the symptoms before mine went on both the 323i and my Sport. On the Sport, the engine cut out on fast right hand bends too. That happened to me on track at Rockingham!

Mine too used to splutter on hard cornering, it certainly sounds like it's the pump. It's always the pricey things that go wrong

Post Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:11 pm

E30Adam wrote:
MONSPORT42 wrote:If the pump is whining and getting louder I would say 99% it's knackered.
Those were the symptoms before mine went on both the 323i and my Sport. On the Sport, the engine cut out on fast right hand bends too. That happened to me on track at Rockingham!
Mine too used to splutter on hard cornering, it certainly sounds like it's the pump. It's always the pricey things that go wrong

scrappy.......

Post Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:13 pm

I've still got the pump on my breaker....

But I can't get it for three weeks!

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:06 am

Definatly the pump,i've had the same symptons on my old 325.
A way you can test it is to get someone to tap the pump with a rubber mallet from under the back seat as you turn it over,I did this on mine and manage to drive it home from where it broke down.

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:29 am

yes had this on my 318i it just died in a petrol station! started with the whirring noise which got louder astime went on, this was for months before it went bang. About Ãƒ”šÃ‚£150 for a new bosch one i paid

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:30 am

just a thought adam, that exact sympton also occurs when the afm is disconnected.

i guess you have a fuel problem but have a look at the afm and wiring too. i've lost count the number of times i've forgotten to reconnect the plug after working in the bay, gone to start it and thought i'd done something terminal to it when it fires and immediately dies...

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:43 am

Simon13 wrote:yes had this on my 318i it just died in a petrol station! started with the whirring noise which got louder astime went on, this was for months before it went bang. About Ãƒ”šÃ‚£150 for a new bosch one i paid

I paid Ãƒ”šÃ‚£35 for one from a 535i and modified it to fit!

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:27 am

Toby_Unna wrote:just a thought adam, that exact sympton also occurs when the afm is disconnected.

i guess you have a fuel problem but have a look at the afm and wiring too. i've lost count the number of times i've forgotten to reconnect the plug after working in the bay, gone to start it and thought i'd done something terminal to it when it fires and immediately dies...

No AFM Toby, it's got a MAF and everything is connected.

Cheers lads I think I'll give the scrappy a go!

Post Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:34 am

Spooky, same problem I had Saturday, tapped the fuel tank and it fired,
got my fuel pump from ECP last night Ãƒ”šÃ‚£120 including VAT and she starts first time and doesn't die.
Managed to fit it in 5 minutes....well chuffed.