What is the gasoline pump and how does it work?

What is the gasoline pump and how does it work?
We are going to show you what a fuel pump (diesel and gasoline) consists of, how they work,   the main types of gasoline pumps that exist and what would happen if it stopped working.

WHAT IS THE FUEL PUMP?

The gasoline or fuel pump is a fundamental part in the operation of the automobile engine since it is the heart of the vehicle and is responsible for supplying the gasoline (or diesel) at the appropriate pressure to the injection system so that the fuel can be produced later. combustion in the engine.

The pump is the heart of the fuel supply system because the engine can not miss fuel at any time regardless of the speed of the car engine.

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN FUNCTION?

The main function of the gasoline pump is to send the fuel that is in the tank of the car to the injection system   so that it is subsequently sprayed by each injector in the combustion chamber and mixed with the air.

The gasoline pump can be located in the engine if it is mechanical pumps or in the fuel tank itself if it is electric gasoline pumps.

TYPES OF AUTOMOTIVE PETROL PUMPS

There are currently three types of gasoline pumps mainly:

1. MECHANICAL OR CRANK GASOLINE PUMPS.

These types of pumps were the most used until the electric pumps came out, they are mounted on vehicles with carburetor and were located directly in the car's engine since the mixture of air and fuel is made directly in the carburetor.

They usually work at less than a pressure bar.

2. ELECTRICAL GAS PUMPS.

They are the most used today, they are mounted on cars with injection system and are usually installed inside the fuel tank.

Like mechanical pumps have a diaphragm arrangement, the difference is that in mechanics this pump is operated by a camshaft and in electronics the pump is operated by a switch (solenoid).

Almost all electric gasoline pumps work at 12 volts and can generate a pressure between 3-6 bars depending on the type of pump.

Main advantages of the electric pump with respect to mechanics:
  • They are lighter, smaller in size and can generate higher fuel pressure
  • They are safer and more efficient since it is the control unit of the car that regulates the operation of the pump depending on the engine performance of each moment.
  • They heat up less than mechanics because they are inside the fuel tank.

3. TURBO PUMP.

This type of pump is not usually mounted on cars, it is mainly mounted on airplanes.

Here the engine rotates a turbine disc that is the one that transports the fuel, this type of pump is the most silent and efficient but it is very sensitive to breaking by the contaminants of the fuel.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE FUEL PUMP DOES NOT WORK?

If the fuel pump does not work at all, the engine will not be able to start because the injectors (or the carburetor for those engines that do not have an injection system) will not receive the fuel, so the mixture necessary for combustion could not occur and the Engine would not start.

Most of the failures of the fuel supply system are caused by impurities in the fuel that end up spoiling it, it is crucial to keep the feeding system clean.