Sarguy, I'm sorry, but that is not correct. Fuel going through the pump has NOTHING to do with cooling the electric motor, its windings and armature. Your pump will last 3-4X as long if you will avoid dropping below 1/4 tank. Garbage in your tank will stay in the bottom rather than in your filter and injectors if you follow this advice as well.

I have never replaced a fuel pump on my daily drivers and I always put over 100K miles on them. My wife runs her tank to the bottom everytime and her pumps only last about 75-80K miles. If you keep some fuel on that pump, it will last 200K miles or more.

 

Do you two drive the same exact car? I find this evidence to be inconclusive. Even two of the same fuel pumps can have different life spans.

You are saying fuel on the outside if the pump keeps it cool?

 

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/fuelpumps.html
http://www.carterfueldelivery.com/fu.../consumers.php
Again, fuel pumps keep cool by the fuel going through them.

 

I think they changed it because its just an approximation anyway and once you get below 30 miles till empty people expect some accuracy. They figured if you have less than 30 miles you need to get gas and quit pushing your luck.

 

Fuel pumps are lubricated by the fuel going through them, the electric motor is cooled by be submerged in the fuel. It is the electric motor that fails when a pump has to be replaced.

If a pump ever strands you, get a block of wood or rubber hammer and hit the bottom of the tank with the ignition turned on and you can get the commutator to move and get the pump to come on. At least this will let you avoid the tow charges! We did this all the time at my dad's shop to avoid pushing the car into the stall.

 

Bill is correct. Fuel on the outside of the pump is what cools the pump. Fuel flowing through the pump does not touch the electric motor. The electric motor is what fails.

 

the fuel pump in my old car was only submerged with a full tank. so i guess i got lucky running 107k on one pump considering i always took it down to the fuel light.

then explain to me how external electric fuel pumps are cooled.

 

External pumps are design with to cool to the atmosphere. They use larger air gaps, heatsinks and cooling fins to disperse the heat. In tank units are engineered to tranfer heat to the fuel in the tank. Think multi-gallon heat sink bath. Without the fuel bathing the electric motor, you will greatly shorten the life of your pump. You must remember also, that the debris that will enter your filter on the pump will cause the pump to work harder drawing more amps and that will shorten its life as well.

Keep at least 1/4 tank of gas at all times and you will rarely if ever need to replace your pump. They cost about $900-$1200 installed so it pays well to get fuel a bit more often. I will say, that I love the 32 gal tank on my 09 Ram.

 

enough on cooling. i am done arguing.

if the warranty didn't cover the fuel pump, i'd replace it myself for a lot less than that. i do all the work to my vehicles unless it is free.

 

Plus the thread was about DTE not fuel pumps!