I drive a 1998 Subaru Legacy Postal station wagon with well over 160,000 miles - odometer quit working. I deliver mail from this vehicle, and have had to replace the fuel pump about every other year. What would cause the fuel pump to go bad so often? The car still sputters, once in a while, when I accelerate.

Another problem I have - don't know if it is related - is after I put gas in the car, it will not start the first time I turn the key. The second time I turn the key it starts, but idles very low, and eventually reaches the correct idle speed. Any ideas what causes this problem? 

 

Welcome to the USMB.

 

You mentioned the odometer quite working.  Does the speedo still work? 

 

Have you verified the fuel pumps are actually bad?  Are you replacing them with pumps from the autoparts store?

The speedo does not work - I use a GPS to monitor speed. The original transmission lasted 145,000, and the speedo quit 25,000 on the replacement transmission.

The pumps are bad, and I get them from autoparts stores.

Check the connections on top of the sending unit

If they are airtex brand pumps, they suck.

The connections are good on the sending unit. 

I just installed an Airtex brand pump, I don't know what brand the other pump was.

Plugged fuel filter will cause the pump to draw more current than normal and wear out quicker.

 

I would check for proper voltage at the pump w/everything connected as well.

Edited September 16, 201312 yr by naru

You need to get the speedo working again, as the ECU goes into a minor "limp" mode.  I'm not saying that is causing the fuel pump to go out, but can cause drivability issues.

 

The common failure point on the auto trans cars is the base pieces that screws into the trans.  They are pretty easy and cheap to replace (assuming the 98 has a cable driven speedo...)  Here's a pic of the base piece.

 

www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/speedocablebase.jpg

Speedometer drive went all electric in 95.

replace the fuel filter, maybe it's clogged and putting too much strain on the pump.

 

i'd look for low mileage used pumps before going with aftermarkets, they aren't known for being robust and lasting a long time like the subaru ones and new Subaru pumps are insanely expensive.

 

i would doubt the VSS is the cause.

+1 check conections on top of sending unit

I measured the voltage, with car running, on the red/black wire and it read battery voltage. Any other voltages to check?

I will get a new fuel filter next week.

Did you remove the connector and check for corrosion or loose connection?

Did you check voltage on the ground side to check for poor ground?

 

As was said before, parts store fuel pumps are crap, but a loose connection will cause the pump to pull higher amps than normal. Higher amp draw will cause it to burn out early.

Run a voltage drop test from the connector on top of the sending unit with it plugged on to the sending unit to the relay with the key on. The DVOM should read 0 or no more than 1 volt at the very most 

Well, another cheap fuel pump bit the dust - lasted 1 month. Could the fuel pressure regulator cause the fuel pump to go bad. The car does good at idle, but when I give it some gas it starts to sputter then drives fine for awhile, then sputters when I step on the gas on the highway - or is it the cheap fuel pump?

Try this pump is 260 lpr Carter p74152HP have been useing it on turbo cars to bring up the feul volume

did you replace the fuel filter? 

doubt a fuel pressure regulator could affect the pump.

 

aftermarket pumps are not that stellar...i'd get a used low mileage OEM unit, they easily make 200,000 miles and are more reliable than an aftermarket probably.

www.car-part.com

 

if it's sputtering - check the fuel pressure at the engine...that will ***immediately*** tell you if it's fuel delivery related or not.  would be nice to know after all this time/work.

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by grossgary

Well, another cheap fuel pump bit the dust - lasted 1 month. Could the fuel pressure regulator cause the fuel pump to go bad. The car does good at idle, but when I give it some gas it starts to sputter then drives fine for awhile, then sputters when I step on the gas on the highway - or is it the cheap fuel pump?

 

It is obviously not the pumps.

Regulator COULD hold the pressure too high increasing pump workload,but ,it is not that.

 

The fuel strainer in the tank is restricted and/or the pumps are sucking dirt.

Had a forester with a water bubble hanging around the pump screen made a nice pocket around the pu screen and whould not let feul into pump. '" it keeps surging but gets better when i turn " the pocket that pump sits in if crap gets in is very hard for it to get out. Try somthing simple like a bottle of gasline anti freeze

took out the pump and looked in the gas tank - less than 1/4 tank - and looks like real fine dirt on the bottom. any way to get this dirt out? is there a better way to seal around the fuel pump gasket?

where would I check the fuel pressure at? I couldn't find an access port on the fuel rail - is it hidden, or is there no access port?

fuel filter was recently replaced

You need to install a tee in the fuel line after the fuel filter.  Unfortunately there is no port to tie into.

Had a forester with a water bubble hanging around the pump screen made a nice pocket around the pu screen and whould not let feul into pump. '" it keeps surging but gets better when i turn " the pocket that pump sits in if crap gets in is very hard for it to get out. Try somthing simple like a bottle of gasline anti freeze

Not long ago, I got some bad gas that had water in it. Not a lot, but enough to affect driveability. Instead of using dry gas, I added a gallon of E-85 to a full tank of gas. The alcohol in the E-85 did a great job of fixing the problem. I think galline anti-freeze is contains mostly alcohol. So, I thought the E-85 would work.

Take a look at the return line. May be restricting return flow. Seems to me the pumps are being worked to death. 

decided to take apart the old fuel filter to see what was inside, and found the filter material was black - also some gas came out of the intake nozzle, of the fuel filter, and it was black. could the fuel line be going bad, or is this normal?