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Why Does My Car Surge Forward Unexpectedly?

It’s possible that your fuel pump is malfunctioning if your car surges forward unexpectedly. It could be that the fuel pump is releasing too much gasoline or diesel fuel into the engine. The engine will pick up speed as it burns the excess fuel. Midwest Auto Care can inspect your fuel pump and replace it if necessary. Here are other signs that the fuel pump is going out.

Sputtering Engine

The opposite of surging is sputtering, and this can happen if the fuel pump is not pushing enough gasoline into the engine. A dying fuel pump will struggle to supply the engine with the fuel it needs, especially when you are driving at high speeds. Consequently, your engine will sputter at these speeds.

Overheating Engine

If your engine is overheating yet the cooling system is fine, it could be that the fuel pump is overheating. When the fuel pump is unable to draw enough fuel out of the tank, the motor gets too hot and overheats. Consequently, this heat is transferred to your engine and it overheats, as well.

Low Fuel Pressure

If you suspect your fuel pump is going bad, you can test your fuel pressure to see if it is low. If it is, this is an indication that the fuel pump is not generating enough pressure in the fuel system. You can purchase a special gauge to test the pressure and the recommended pressure is in your owner’s manual.

Stress Power Loss

Your vehicle will also lose power when the engine is under stress if the fuel pump is unable to supply extra fuel. Examples of things that stress out your engine include overloading your automobile with cargo, towing a trailer behind the vehicle, and driving up steep roads.

Poor Gas Mileage

The fuel pump can also directly affect your vehicle’s gas mileage. For example, if the fuel pump is not operating efficiently, your engine cannot operate efficiently. Consequently, you will notice a reduction in your fuel economy and will end up heading to the service station more often.

A Dead Engine

Finally, there is no way to avoid a dead engine if the fuel pump dies completely. As you already know, if the fuel pump is not operating, your engine isn’t getting any fuel. As such, you will be unable to get your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine started no matter how hard you try.

Call Midwest Auto Care in Lake Station, IN, today if you suspect your fuel pump is going out. This can happen if you have more than 100,000 miles on your automobile.

Photo by geckophotos from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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