elsrr135756 Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 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? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luko Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Check the connections on top of the sending unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 If they are airtex brand pumps, they suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 (edited) 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, 2013 by naru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Speedometer drive went all electric in 95. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 +1 check conections on top of sending unit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luko Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Try this pump is 260 lpr Carter p74152HP have been useing it on turbo cars to bring up the feul volume Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) 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, 2013 by grossgary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted October 27, 2013 Author Share Posted October 27, 2013 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 You need to install a tee in the fuel line after the fuel filter. Unfortunately there is no port to tie into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Take a look at the return line. May be restricting return flow. Seems to me the pumps are being worked to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsrr135756 Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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