How Does a Fuel Pump Work?
Whether you’re curious about your Acura, Audi, BMW, or Buick, all fuel-operated cars have fuel pumps that work in the same way. A car’s engine burns a mixture of gas and air to produce energy. Gas is pumped along a pipe from the tank and mixed with air in the fuel injection system, from which the engine sucks in the mixture. A fuel pump draws gas out of the tank through a pipe to the fuel injectors. The pump may be mechanically worked by the engine, or it may be electric, in which case it is usually next to or even inside the fuel tank.
A mechanical fuel pump is powered by the camshaft. As the shaft turns, a cam passes under a pivoted lever and forces it up at one end. The other end of the lever goes down and takes the diaphragm with it. When the lever goes down, it creates suction that draws the fuel through the fuel pipe and into the pump. The diaphragm can move up only by expelling gas from the chamber. The gas cannot go back through the first one-way valve, so it goes out through another one leading to the carburetor. An electric fuel pump has the same diaphragm-lever arrangement, but instead of the camshaft, a solenoid (an electromagnetic switch) provides the pull on the diaphragm. The solenoid attracts an iron rod that pulls the diaphragm down, drawing gas into the chamber. We at Escondido Autopros- Auto Repair & Hybrid Repair know exactly how your fuel pump works, and if you are in Hidden Meadows, CA, San Marcos, CA, Oceanside, CA, or nearby, we can take care of all your auto repair needs.