HowtoTesttheFuelPumpin2Tests

(4.7LJeep)
March31,2015Updated:March31,2015Writtenby:AbrahamTorresArredondoArticleId:686

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Thereartwomethodstochecktoseeifthefuelpumphasfailed.Oneistousestartingfluidand
theotheristouseafuelpressuregauge.
InthistutorialI'llexplainbothmethodsindetail.
Contentsofthistutorialataquickglance:
SymptomsofaBadFuelPump.
TEST1:UsingStartingFluidToConfirmLackofFuel.
TEST2:CheckingFuelPressureWithaFuelPressureGauge.
WheretoBuyaFuelPressureTestGauge.
WheretoBuytheFuelPumpandSave.
More4.7LJeepDiagnosticTutorials.

SymptomsofaBadFuelPump
Fuelpumpfailuresfallintotwocategories:Totalfuelpumpfailurethatcausetheenginetocrank
butnotstart.Orafuelpumpthatstillworksandisabletostarttheengine,butdoesn'tsend
enoughfuelvolumetothefuelinjectors(provokingaleanair/fuelmixtureandalackofpower).
Todelveintothespecificsymptomsofatotalfuelpumpfailure,you'llsee:

1. Theengineturnsoverbutwillnotstart.
2. All8ignitioncoilsarecreating/deliveringsparktothecylinders.
3. ThePCMwillstillpulse(activate)all8fuelinjectors.
Whenafuelpumpstillworks,butdoesn'tsendenoughfueltothefuelinjectors,you'llseeoneor
moreofthefollowingsymptoms:
1. Roughidle.
2. Enginestartsafterextendedcranking.
3. Lackofpowerwhenacceleratingthevehicledowntheroad.
4. Backfiresthru'theintakemanifoldwhenacceleratingyourpickuporvandownthe
road.
Bothoftheseconditionscanbetestedwithafuelpressuregauge.Alright,withthisinfounder
ourbelts,let'sgettesting.

TEST1:UsingStartingFluidToConfirmLackofFuel

Usingstartingfluid,tocheckforalackoffuelcondition,isprobablyoneofthemostcommon
tests.It'safastandeasytestandagoodstartingpointwhencheckingforabadfuelpump.
Havingsaidthat,letmetellyouthatit'snotthemostaccuratewaytotestforabadfuelpump.
Themostimportantthingtokeepinmindisthatthestartingfluidtestonlyworksifyouhave
confirmedthatalltheignitioncoilsarecreatinganddeliveringspark.
Theruleofthumbisthatifbysprayingstartingfluidyour4.7LJeepstarts,evenifmomentarily...
thenthistellsyouthatfuelismissingfromtheequation(enginestartequation:
fuel+spark+air=combustion).
IMPORTANT:Thisisaveryfastandeasytestbutyoudohavetotakeoneveryimportant

safetyprecautionandthisistoreconnecttheairintakeductaftersprayingstartingfluiddown
thethrottlebore(althoughyoudon'thavetofastenit).Thiswillpreventanybackfire,thatmight
occur,fromscaringtheheckoutofyouwhencrankingtheengine.
Thisiswhatyouhavetodo:

1 1. Removetheintakeairductfromthethrottlebody.Youdon'thaveto

completelyremoveit,sinceyou'llhavetoreconnectitinoneofthenextsteps.

2 2. Openthethrottleplateandspraystartingfluiddownthebore.
Asasafetyprecautionreconnecttheairductafteryouhavesprayedagood
squirtofstartingfluid(butyoudon'thavetotightentheairduct'shoseclamp).

3 3. Cranktheengineoncetheairductisbackonandyou'reclearoftheengine
compartment.

4 4. You'llgetoneoftworesultswiththistest:
1.)Theenginewillstartmomentarilyandafterafewsecondswilldieor.
2.)Theenginewillonlycrankbutnotstartatall.
OK,let'sfindoutwhatyourresultsmean:
CASE1:Iftheenginestartedandranforafewseconds:Thistestresulttellsyouthatthe
nostartproblemisduetoalackoffuel.
Yournextstepistochecktoseewhatthefuelpressureiswithafuelpressuretestgauge.Go
to:TEST2:CheckingFuelPressureWithaFuelPressureGauge.
CASE2:Theenginedidnotstart,notevenmomentarily:Thisusuallymeansthatalackof
fuelISNOTthereasonyourcarisnotstarting.
Now,rememberwhatIsaidaboutthistestnotbeingveryaccurate?Well,Isuggestyoudoone
moretestandthisistocheckthefuelpressurewithafuelpressuretestgauge.Goto:TEST2:
CheckingFuelPressureWithaFuelPressureGauge.