Contaminated fuel in your diesel engine can lead to big problems, especially the finely-tuned environment of your high-pressure common rail system.
Contaminated fuel is actually one of the most common causes of common rail fuel pump failure.
Why is it such a major issue? What does it mean for your engine? We’re answering those questions in this post, as we take you through why contaminated fuel can cause problems for your common rail fuel pump and just what you can do about it.
Effects of Fuel Contamination on Common Rail Pumps
You’re probably wondering how you can tell if contaminated fuel is impacting your common rail fuel pump. If your pump is failing, you might be experiencing some of the following:
- Hard Starts
- Rough Running
- Engine Misfires
- Loss of Engine Power
- Engine Stalls
- Unusual Noises From the Engine
- Excessive Smoke
How Does Contaminated Fuel Cause My Pump to Fail?
It’s likely that contaminated fuel doesn’t immediately jump into your mind as a reason your pump is failing. You might even rule it out because you’ve never had a problem with contaminated fuel before.
This could be because you’ve previously run an engine with an older style rotary pump. Rotary pumps can handle more debris and contaminants before they start to have a problem.
On newer engines, we’re seeing more and more common rail pumps. Pumps in these systems have tighter tolerances, as well as higher pressures, than their predecessors.
Because of these tight tolerances, contaminants become an even bigger issue, with microscopic debris leading to failure.
On common rail systems, the components need to be built in an environmentally and temperature-controlled clean room, which prevents dust and debris from entering the system.
An older pump might have a filter rating of 10 microns, but with the new systems, we’re seeing manufacturers recommend filters with much lower ratings. Contaminants of 3 microns, and sometimes even smaller, can lead to big problems.
For comparison, the average human hair is between 50 and 80 microns.
With these tight tolerances, a contaminant 20 times smaller than a single hair can lead to failure in your system. So you’ll want to ensure you’re using clean, high quality fuel.
What Do I Do If My Pump Fails?
When your high-pressure fuel pump fails, every component in the fuel system is exposed to contamination. So, it’s possible your injectors were contaminated as well.
When you replace your common rail pump, it’s a good time to replace the injectors too, saving you from another costly repair in the future.
Some people wonder if it’s possible to rebuild these fuel system components on their own. It’s possible to get lucky and get the injectors working right, but the big problem is the inability to test the performance of the injectors.
That’s why we recommend buying rebuilt injectors from a reputable supplier, who will make sure these important components pass rigorous testing, ensuring that the timing, fuel volume, and return are all correct. That’s just not something you can do from home.
When you try to rebuild on your own, you also run the risk of introducing more contaminants into the system, because, as we mentioned, these components need to be rebuilt in a cleanroom. You’d be risking engine failure just to try and save a little bit of money.
H2: Buying Fuel Pumps From Highway & Heavy Parts
If you need to replace your high-pressure fuel pump, we’re here to help!
Our remanufactured pumps are built to meet or exceed OE performance and durability. The wearable components are replaced with new OE parts.
The pumps are also remanufactured with all upgrades to the components.
You’ll be getting higher torque, improved fuel economy, better engine performance and quieter running. They also meet emission requirements.
If you have questions about your fuel pump, give one of our ASE Certified Staff a call. They can help you find the right parts for your engine and answer your diesel engine questions.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway & Heavy Parts!
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