Your Request for Help

Your name *Your contact phone *Your contact emailYour message

Select your make

Select auto repair shop

Your preferred contact Info

Issues

Your concern might be complex to diagnose and may require additional equipment to pinpoint the cause. In this case, you'll receive Digital Inspection results plus a quote to perform deeper diagnostic/test procedures.

Home / Symptoms / Bad Fuel Pump

Four common causes for a vehicle feeling like it’s low on gas and their related parts.

If you are short on time and want to fast-track the process to professional help, clickYes

Are You Experiencing Bad Fuel Pump Symptoms?

The car running-out-of-gas feeling is commonly due to the fuel pump getting weak. So, the pump isn’t creating the same pressure as before to keep the fuel running. Alternatively, it can be a clogged fuel filter, poor fuel quality, or even a faulty fuel sensor.

Watch out: The fuel pump system is essential for your vehicle to operate; issues in this system might develop into severe problems. To avoid costly repairs or even a breakdown, we suggest you understand how to communicate the issue to your local auto shop and assess it before it worsens.

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

Are you hearing a whining or howling noise when your vehicle is idling?

Your car has something called a fuel pump. It helps pump gas from your gas tank to your engine. But if you keep driving your car with low gas in the tank, the pump can get too hot and wear out faster. Over time, the pump naturally wears out. Also, if you hear a whining or howling noise when your car is idling, the pump might be faulty, requiring replacement.

If you notice fuel economy changes, the vehicle suddenly dying, power loss, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Does the fuel gauge level change when you fuel the car?

Your car has a fuel level sensor that tells how much gas is in the tank. It's part of the fuel pump and uses a float inside the gas tank that fluctuates depending on fuel levels. This float signals your dashboard to show how much gas there is. Any faulty part in this system prevents it from showing the right amount of gas in the tank. So, you might be driving with low fuel.

If you notice the fuel level isn't accurate, the vehicle cranks but won't start, dies when sitting at an angle, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Does the engine sputters when you're accelerating the car?

Your car's fuel pump ensures the engine receives the right fuel to run correctly. It's designed to pump a specific amount of fuel to the engine continuously. But, when fuel pumps fail, they might send too much or too little fuel, which can cause problems such as engine sputters.

If you notice fuel economy changes, the vehicle suddenly dying, power loss, the car cranks longer before starting, the vehicle idling rough, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to share with an auto shop if you seek professional service.

Has your fuel economy suddenly worsened?

Your car has a fuel pressure regulator that controls the fuel system's pressure. It uses a particular measurement method, ensuring the pressure doesn't get too high. Sometimes, the part that controls the pressure can damage and cause fuel leaks. This can make the car use more gas, worsening gas mileage.

If you notice fuel smells coming from underhood, vehicle surges at idle, extended engine cranking, engine chugging at startup, black smoke from the tailpipe, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to investigate this issue's cause further.

Is your engine cranking but not starting?

Your car's fuel pump sits inside the gas tank and pumps gas to the engine. The gas in the tank cools down the pump. But if you keep driving your car with low gas, the pump can overheat and fail; the pump can also naturally break over time. If the seals on the pump or the electrical connections break, the pump stops working. If the pump breaks, the engine won't get gas or start.

If you notice power loss, the vehicle idles but won't accelerate, the car starts and dies, cranks, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Is your vehicle starting and then dying?

Your car has a fuel filter to catch any dirt or debris in the gas tank. It protects the fuel pump and the injectors from clogging. The filter sits between the pump and the injectors. But if the filter gets too dirty, it can block the fuel flow to the engine, causing it to stall or stop working.

If you notice power loss, fuel economy changes, the vehicle idles but won't accelerate, the car starts and dies, cranks for an extended time, fails to accelerate as expected when merging on the highway, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to communicating with any professional tasked with testing and repairing the root cause.

The most common causes for the vehicle feeling low on gas

The most common causes for a vehicle feeling low on gas are:

Fuel level sensor failure: The vehicle might be working mechanically fine, but the fuel level on the dashboard can show low fuel. However, in many cases, this might be an issue with the fuel level sensor that can’t properly read the fuel amount and is telling the wrong information.
Faulty fuel pressure regulator: The fuel pressure regulator applies hydraulic pressure so fuel can reach everywhere it needs at proper timing, ensuring efficiency and good fuel economy. However, the pressure regulator can fail and cause the vehicle to run with low fuel efficiency.
Clogged fuel filter: The fuel filter cleans debris and contamination off the fuel. But, if the fuel filter gets clogged, fuel will struggle to pass through it, losing pressure efficiency and resulting in a low fuel sensation.
Low fuel through the pump: The fuel pump needs to push every amount of fuel using proper pressure in a controlled environment. However, the fuel pump might develop cracks, causing air to infiltrate the system or allowing fuel to leak, resulting in a low-fuel vehicle performance. Additionally, the fuel lines related to the pump can also leak out, resulting in low fuel pressure.
Fuel pump failure: The fuel pump has a motor and uses various components to perform efficiently, ensuring enough hydraulic pressure to push fuel properly to the engine. However, the fuel pump’s motor can develop internal issues, or the wiring leading power to the pump can fail. This can also lead to faulty or clogged fuel injectors.

Find Professional Help

Please select your vehicle's brand and location so we can locate the best professional help for you

Brand of your car

Your location

If you are a shop owner and sick of business directories that are based on the cost of repair, AutoTechIQ is for you. If your customers receive Digital Inspection results then AutoTechIQ is definitely for you. Check out the certification page or how to rank in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you hearing a whining or howling noise when your vehicle is idling?

Your car has something called a fuel pump. It helps pump gas from your gas tank to your engine. But if you keep driving your car with low gas in the tank, the pump can get too hot and wear out faster. Over time, the pump naturally wears out. Also, if you hear a whining or howling noise when your car is idling, the pump might be faulty, requiring replacement.

If you notice fuel economy changes, the vehicle suddenly dying, power loss, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Does the fuel gauge level change when you fuel the car?

Your car has a fuel level sensor that tells how much gas is in the tank. It's part of the fuel pump and uses a float inside the gas tank that fluctuates depending on fuel levels. This float signals your dashboard to show how much gas there is. Any faulty part in this system prevents it from showing the right amount of gas in the tank. So, you might be driving with low fuel.

If you notice the fuel level isn't accurate, the vehicle cranks but won't start, dies when sitting at an angle, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Does the engine sputters when you're accelerating the car?

Your car's fuel pump ensures the engine receives the right fuel to run correctly. It's designed to pump a specific amount of fuel to the engine continuously. But, when fuel pumps fail, they might send too much or too little fuel, which can cause problems such as engine sputters.

If you notice fuel economy changes, the vehicle suddenly dying, power loss, the car cranks longer before starting, the vehicle idling rough, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to share with an auto shop if you seek professional service.
Has your fuel economy suddenly worsened?

Your car has a fuel pressure regulator that controls the fuel system's pressure. It uses a particular measurement method, ensuring the pressure doesn't get too high. Sometimes, the part that controls the pressure can damage and cause fuel leaks. This can make the car use more gas, worsening gas mileage.

If you notice fuel smells coming from underhood, vehicle surges at idle, extended engine cranking, engine chugging at startup, black smoke from the tailpipe, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to investigate this issue's cause further.
Is your engine cranking but not starting?

Your car's fuel pump sits inside the gas tank and pumps gas to the engine. The gas in the tank cools down the pump. But if you keep driving your car with low gas, the pump can overheat and fail; the pump can also naturally break over time. If the seals on the pump or the electrical connections break, the pump stops working. If the pump breaks, the engine won't get gas or start.

If you notice power loss, the vehicle idles but won't accelerate, the car starts and dies, cranks, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Is your vehicle starting and then dying?

Your car has a fuel filter to catch any dirt or debris in the gas tank. It protects the fuel pump and the injectors from clogging. The filter sits between the pump and the injectors. But if the filter gets too dirty, it can block the fuel flow to the engine, causing it to stall or stop working.

If you notice power loss, fuel economy changes, the vehicle idles but won't accelerate, the car starts and dies, cranks for an extended time, fails to accelerate as expected when merging on the highway, or a check engine light on the dashboard, save this information; they're essential to communicating with any professional tasked with testing and repairing the root cause.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Faulty fuel level sensor

The most common reason for a car to seem low on fuel is a faulty fuel level sensor. The fuel level sensor constantly measures the level of fuel in your vehicle’s fuel tank. Then, the sensor sends this information to the instrument cluster, where the dashboard will tell the driver how much fuel they still have in the tank. However, this sensor might fail and send incorrect information, causing the instrument cluster to show low fuel levels in many cases.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the low fuel gauge on the dashboard you might also notice a low fuel warning light.
Low risk of priority: The fuel level sensor is only needed to keep you aware of how much fuel you have left in the tank. If the sensor fails, you’ll be running unaware of how long you can still drive until you’re empty on fuel.

How exactly does the fuel level sensor fail?

The fuel level sensor is a durable component that typically lasts upwards of six years. In most cases, it wears out naturally and needs replacement. However, it might also fail due to wiring issues and misplacement caused by impact or accidents.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s fuel system to investigate if the fuel level sensor is failing due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the fuel level sensor to fail. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a vehicle low on fuel service

A fuel system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s fuel level sensor is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the fuel system can have a say in the issue, meaning they might be culprits, damaging the sensors.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a faulty fuel level sensor.

The customer brought in their vehicle because they noticed the gas gauge was stuck on a quarter of a tank. Plus, they had to fill the tank every few days since they didn't trust the fuel level on the dashboard. They also mentioned that the check engine light was on.

On the test drive, the technician confirmed that the check engine light was on but found nothing related to the customer's concern.

The technician found no leads to the customer's concern during the vehicle health inspection. However, with the customer's approval, they ran additional tests and found an error code concerning the fuel level sensor.

Moreover, they used a scanner to check the fuel level gauge and found it not working correctly. The technician found an issue with the fuel pump sending unit. They had to drop the fuel tank and remove the unit to test it.

They found that the sending unit had a short, requiring replacement as an assembly with the pump. Note that, in this case, the sending unit is not replaceable separately.

Fuel level sensor failure

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the fuel level sensor, the fuel pump, and the fuel gauge on the instrument cluster.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Batteries can develop damages, become weak, or run out of power, preventing the vehicle from starting.