Testing to see if the fuel pump has failed (or not) on your Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, or 5.8L multi-port fuel injected pickup/van isn't hard.
Mar 05, 2019 Fuel pump problems are hard to diagnose sometimes. So you may not be able to tackle every fuel system issue on your car without some experience in car repair. Still, you can take on some common pump problems using one or two inexpensive, special diagnostic tools: a fuel pressure gauge and hand-held vacuum pump. 015F Fuel System Malfunction Affecting Toxic Emissions. 0259 Short circuit to the on-board network of the injection pump control circuit.
Ford was kind enough to install a Schrader valve on the fuel injector rail and it's to this valve that you and I can connect a fuel pressure test gauge to see if the fuel pump is working or not.
In this tutorial I'm gonna' explain the two methods used to check for a ‘no fuel' condition causing a no start condition.
One method involves using just starting fluid and the other involves using a fuel pressure gauge. One method is a very accurate way of diagnosing a lack of fuel condition causing a no start. The other method is not that accurate.
- Symptoms Of A Bad Fuel Pump.
- TEST 1: Using Starting Fluid.
- TEST 2: Fuel Pressure Test With Gauge.
- Checking The Fuel Pump Inertia Switch.
- Where To Buy A Fuel Pressure Gauge.
- Where To Buy The Fuel Pump And Save.
- More Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, 5.8L Tutorials.
IMPORTANT: Gasoline is extremely flammable. Be careful and take all necessary safety precautions. Use extreme care when using starting fluid since it ignites as easily as gasoline. Accomplishing both tests indicated in this article, without any unhappy consequences, is more than possible if you're careful and use common sense.
Symptoms Of A Bad Fuel Pump
A bad fuel pump will make your 4.9L, 5.0L, or 5.8L multi-port fuel injected pickup (van or SUV) crank but not start. Here are some more specific symptoms:
- The ignition system is creating and delivering spark to the spark plugs. So you know that the ignition system is not at fault (in other words: the ignition control module is OK, the ignition coil is OK, etc.).
- You've sprayed starting fluid (or carburetor spray) into the throttle body and your vehicle started, even if only momentarily.
- You don't hear the fuel pump making a buzzing sound as you turn the key to the On position or crank the engine.
- You don't see the fuel injectors spraying gasoline.
- You've checked and confirmed that the fuel pump inertia switch HAS NOT activated.
Although the above list is a not a very complete list of symptoms, the theme that runs thru' them, and any other related symptom, is that the engine will crank and crank, but not start.
IMPORTANT: You should first check the fuel pump inertia switch before starting your fuel pump diagnostic. For more info go to: Checking The Fuel Pump Inertia Switch.
TEST 1: Using Starting Fluid
Spraying starting fluid (or carburetor cleaner spray) into the throttle body and having a helper crank the engine is usually the very first test that's done at an automotive repair shop to see if the no start problem is due to a lack of fuel.
In a nutshell, if the fuel pump isn't supplying fuel, then the starting fluid will get the engine to start and run for a few seconds.
CAUTION: You'll be working around a cranking engine, so take all necessary safety precautions and think safety all of the time.
OK, to get this show on the road, this is what you'll need to do:
Remove the intake air duct hose from the throttle body.. You don't have to completely remove them completely.
- 2
Spray starting fluid down the bore of the throttle body. When you have sprayed a good squirt of starting fluid, quickly place the air intake duct hoses back on.
IMPORTANT: Placing the intake air ducts back on the throttle body is important because it'll prevent any back-fire, that may occur, from spouting flames out of the throttle body. Have your helper crank the engine once the intake air ducts are back on the throttle body.
- 4
You'll get one of two results with this test:
1.) The engine will start momentarily and after a few seconds will die or.
2.) The engine will only crank but not start at all.
OK, let's find out what your results mean:
Testing to see if the fuel pump has failed (or not) on your Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, or 5.8L multi-port fuel injected pickup/van isn't hard.
Mar 05, 2019 Fuel pump problems are hard to diagnose sometimes. So you may not be able to tackle every fuel system issue on your car without some experience in car repair. Still, you can take on some common pump problems using one or two inexpensive, special diagnostic tools: a fuel pressure gauge and hand-held vacuum pump. 015F Fuel System Malfunction Affecting Toxic Emissions. 0259 Short circuit to the on-board network of the injection pump control circuit.
Ford was kind enough to install a Schrader valve on the fuel injector rail and it's to this valve that you and I can connect a fuel pressure test gauge to see if the fuel pump is working or not.
In this tutorial I'm gonna' explain the two methods used to check for a ‘no fuel' condition causing a no start condition.
One method involves using just starting fluid and the other involves using a fuel pressure gauge. One method is a very accurate way of diagnosing a lack of fuel condition causing a no start. The other method is not that accurate.
- Symptoms Of A Bad Fuel Pump.
- TEST 1: Using Starting Fluid.
- TEST 2: Fuel Pressure Test With Gauge.
- Checking The Fuel Pump Inertia Switch.
- Where To Buy A Fuel Pressure Gauge.
- Where To Buy The Fuel Pump And Save.
- More Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, 5.8L Tutorials.
IMPORTANT: Gasoline is extremely flammable. Be careful and take all necessary safety precautions. Use extreme care when using starting fluid since it ignites as easily as gasoline. Accomplishing both tests indicated in this article, without any unhappy consequences, is more than possible if you're careful and use common sense.
Symptoms Of A Bad Fuel Pump
A bad fuel pump will make your 4.9L, 5.0L, or 5.8L multi-port fuel injected pickup (van or SUV) crank but not start. Here are some more specific symptoms:
- The ignition system is creating and delivering spark to the spark plugs. So you know that the ignition system is not at fault (in other words: the ignition control module is OK, the ignition coil is OK, etc.).
- You've sprayed starting fluid (or carburetor spray) into the throttle body and your vehicle started, even if only momentarily.
- You don't hear the fuel pump making a buzzing sound as you turn the key to the On position or crank the engine.
- You don't see the fuel injectors spraying gasoline.
- You've checked and confirmed that the fuel pump inertia switch HAS NOT activated.
Although the above list is a not a very complete list of symptoms, the theme that runs thru' them, and any other related symptom, is that the engine will crank and crank, but not start.
IMPORTANT: You should first check the fuel pump inertia switch before starting your fuel pump diagnostic. For more info go to: Checking The Fuel Pump Inertia Switch.
TEST 1: Using Starting Fluid
Spraying starting fluid (or carburetor cleaner spray) into the throttle body and having a helper crank the engine is usually the very first test that's done at an automotive repair shop to see if the no start problem is due to a lack of fuel.
In a nutshell, if the fuel pump isn't supplying fuel, then the starting fluid will get the engine to start and run for a few seconds.
CAUTION: You'll be working around a cranking engine, so take all necessary safety precautions and think safety all of the time.
OK, to get this show on the road, this is what you'll need to do:
Remove the intake air duct hose from the throttle body.. You don't have to completely remove them completely.
- 2
Spray starting fluid down the bore of the throttle body. When you have sprayed a good squirt of starting fluid, quickly place the air intake duct hoses back on.
IMPORTANT: Placing the intake air ducts back on the throttle body is important because it'll prevent any back-fire, that may occur, from spouting flames out of the throttle body. Have your helper crank the engine once the intake air ducts are back on the throttle body.
- 4
You'll get one of two results with this test:
1.) The engine will start momentarily and after a few seconds will die or.
2.) The engine will only crank but not start at all.
OK, let's find out what your results mean:
CASE 1: If the engine started and ran for a few seconds: This means that the reason your pick up (or van) is not starting is due to a lack of fuel. This usually means that the fuel pump is bad.
To make sure the fuel pump has fried and stopped working... you now need to actually confirm how much pressure the fuel pump is producing with a fuel pressure gauge. For this test go to: TEST 2: Fuel Pressure Test With Gauge.
78(8 Fuel Pump System Malfunction Chart
CASE 2: The engine did not start, not even momentarily: This usually means that a lack of fuel IS NOT the reason your pickup or van is not starting.
Now, remember what I said about this test not being very accurate? Well, I suggest you do one more test and this is to test the fuel pressure with a fuel pressure test gauge.
Quite a few things can cause a ‘no start' condition and if you have ruled out the fuel pump as the problem, this tutorial may be of help: How To Troubleshoot A No Start (Ford 4.9L, 5.0L, 5.8L).
AP4ATCO - Aircraft Fuel Systems
From SKYbrary Wiki
78(8 Fuel Pump System Malfunction Symptoms
References
- FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge – chapter 6
- The following SKYbrary Articles:
Objectives
To gain an understanding of:
- Aircraft Fuel Systems
- Fuel related emergencies and impact on performance and conduct of flight.
Definition
An aircraft fuel system enables fuel to be loaded, stored, managed and delivered to the propulsion system (engine(s)) of an aircraft.
General Description
Fuel systems differ greatly from aircraft to aircraft due to the relative size and complexity of the aircraft in which they are installed. In the most basic form. a fuel system will consist of a single, gravity feed fuel tank with the associated fuel line connecting it to the aircraft engine. In a modern, multi-engine passenger or cargo aircraft, the fuel system is likely to consist of multiple fuel tanks which may be located in the wing or the fuselage (or both) and, in some cases, the empange. Each tank will potentilly be equiped with internal fuel pumps and have the associated valves and plumbing to feed the engines, allow for refueling and defueling, isolate the individual tanks and, in some applications, allow for fuel dumping or for optimization of aircraft centre of gravity.
Light Single Engine GA Aircraft
Small piston-engine powered aircraft often have a single tank fuel system. On newer aircraft two fuel tanks, with one in each wing, are more common. A two tank system requires additional components to allow controlled provision of fuel to the single engine. Fuel tank boost pumps may or may not be incorporated depending upon the location of the tanks.
The fuel is piped from the tanks through fuel lines to a fuel control valve which is commonly referred to as the fuel selector valve. This valve serves several functions and will potentially have Left, Right, Both and Off selections. Left, Right and Both allow for fuel to be fed to the engine from either the Left tank or the Right tank individually or from Both at the same time. This facility allows the pilot to balance the fuel tanks or to 'trim' the aircraft laterally. The Off selection provides for a fuel shut off valve in the event of an engine fire or to prevent unwanted fuel migration when the aircraft is not in operation. In some installations, the shut-off function is provided by a separate valve located downstream from the fuel control valve.
Light Twin Engine GA Aircraft
Adding a second engine to an aircraft, by necessity, increases the complexity of the fuel system and its management. Additional features normally found in small multi-engine aircraft include in-tank fuel pumps, a more robust fuel quantity indicating system and the provision for fuel 'crossfeed'. Refueling is still normally accomplished on a tank by tank basis.
78 8 Fuel Pump System Malfunction Short
Crossfeed allows for fuel from one wing tank to be burned by the engine on the other wing. In some cases, the fuel is routed directly from the tank to the engine while in others, it is transfered from one wing tank to the opposite wing tank before feeding to the engine. The crossfeed provision allows the pilot to use all of the fuel on board and to maintain lateral balance limitations in the event a failure results in single engine operations.
Multi-engine Turbo Prop and Turbo Jet Aircraft
Increasing the size and complexity of an aircraft will normally result in corresponding changes to the fuel system. These changes are likely to include more system automation, more fuel tanks, specific Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) requirements with respect to fuel distribution in flight and the sequence in which the tanks are to be filled on the ground or their contents used in flight, a reliable system indication and alerting system, provisions for 'single point' refuelling and defuelling and, in larger aircraft, provision for fuel dumping and/or for centre of gravity optimisation through fuel movement in flight.
Enhancements to the fuel system commonly found on aircraft of this category include:
- single point refueling/defueling - the refuelling hose is connected to a single point on the aircraft, usually located underwing or somewhere on the fuselage and all tanks are fuelled or defuelled by means of a manifold connecting to all tanks
- fuel pump redundancy - multiple fuel pumps in each tank to ensure fuel is accessible in the event of a single pump failure
- robust fuel management, indicating and warning systems - depending upon the aircraft, these can include:
- fuel quantity by tank
- total fuel quantity remaining
- fuel used
- estimated fuel remaining at intended destination
- fuel temperature by tank
- automatic selection of most appropriate fuel tank dependant upon phase of flight
- automatic fuel transfer
- warnings and cautions for items such as:
- low fuel quantity
- low fuel pressure
- fuel pump failure
- low fuel temperature
- provision of fuel tanks in the outer portion of the wings to reduce wing bending. The fuel in these tanks is generally not burned until late in the flight
- provision in the fuel system to supply an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) (APU)
- automated inflight transfer of fuel from the wing tanks to trim tanks in the horizontal stabiliser. Moving the fuel to the trim tank optimizes the centre of gravity and reduces the fuel burn
- fuel dumping provisions. In the event of an unexpectedly early landing, excess fuel can be dumped to reduce the aircraft landing weight to or towards the permitted MLW
Fuel System Problems
There are a number of fuel related threats to safe aircraft operation. In addition to those described in the Fuel Management article, there are several threats related to the misuse or to the malfunction of an aircraft fuel system that must also be considered. These include:
- Fuel Leak - Fuel can leak at the engine, from the tank or anywhere in between due to fuel tank or fuel line rupture. A fuel leak from an engine can often be resolved by shutting down the affected engine. A tank leak due to a rupture in the tank will result in the loss of some or all of the fuel in that tank. If a fuel line is ruptured, it could result in some fuel being unuseable.
- Fuel Imbalance - Fuel imbalance can occur as a result of improper refueling techniques, poor fuel management, engine failure or fuel leak. An uncorrected fuel imbalance can lead to difficulty in controlling the aircraft.
- Mechanical failure of a fuel pump. A pump failure may be mitigated by a second (or even a third) pump in the same tank.
- Fuel Freezing - In gas turbine powered jet aircraft flown at high altitude for long periods, fuel temperature can be a critical factor. Minimum allowable fuel temperatures are less likely to be a factor on the operation of turboprop aircraft. The temperature at which fuel freezes will depend on the prevailing pressure and on the specification of fuel carried. In GA aircraft, Piston Engine Induction Icing or carburettor icing is the most common form of fuel freezing. Fuel freezing can lead to loss of power due to fuel starvation and potentially can result in engine failure.
- Electrical failure - may limit the availability of fuel pumps and fuel system indications. In the event of electrical failure, some, or potentially all, fuel tank boost pumps will be lost. In most aircraft, gravity fuel feeding is only posible from some of the fuel tanks. Descent may be required to comply with the maximum allowable fuel gravity feed altitude. Diversion may be required due to unusable fuel.
78(8) Fuel Pump System Malfunction
- Fuel dumping - may be necessary if an aircraft needs to land shortly after take-off and causes two main concerns:
- Fuel dissipation - in order for the fuel to dissipate in the air (and thus mitigate pollution on the ground) ICAO Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM) states that the level used should not be less than 6000 ft.
- Fuel ingestion - in order to prevent other aircraft from ingesting the fuel being dumped, the following separation minima apply:
- 10 NM horizontally, but not behind the aircraft dumping fuel
- at least 1000 ft above or 3000 ft below for aircraft that are within 15 minutes or 50 NM behind the aircraft dumping fuel
What Can Controllers Expect?
Fuel system failures may result in a proportion of the aircraft fuel becoming unusable/unavailable. In such cases, the aircraft may no longer have sufficient fuel to reach destination and will therefore divert to an en-route alternate.
In the case of a fuel leak, fuel freezing, or contaminated fuel, the aircraft may experience partial or complete loss of power; the aircraft may not be able to maintain it's level and will require immediate diversion to the nearest suitable airfield.
In the rare event of a fuel fire, the time before structural failure and loss of control can be only a few minutes; the crew will need to put the aircraft down on to land or sea (Ditching: Rotary Wing Aircraft) as soon as possible.
Q1: Fuel Freezing can lead to...
- Loss of power due to fuel starvation and potentially can result in engine failure.
- Higher cabin temperatures and air conditioning failure
- problems with the anti-icing system.
Answer
Q2: An uncorrected fuel imbalance can lead to...
- coriolis effect
- failure of the trim system
- difficulty in controlling the aircraft.
Answer
Fuel Transfer Pump
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