Fuel pump noise

Tiny
MERK6
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY
  • 135,000 MILES
Changed the fuel pump because of a top leak assumed the gasket or overflow was bad. Took out, changed it, no problems in doing so. Was fine for about 2 weeks then one day started making a loud low hum. It's an electrical sound but not like that normal whine you hear when they are going bad, much lower pitch deep sound. Let it sit that night to check the next day and it did nothing. No sound at all. So thought maybe bad gas etc. That was about a week ago. Today leaving work it starts making the sound again but nowhere near as loud, more like the pump priming sound. Noticed when I do anything like roll the window down I can hear the power drain in the sound, you know like the pitch of the sound dropping when I hit any electrical switch. Any ideas? Thanks!
Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 AT 6:28 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
Hi,

Sounds like the pump is failing. I have heard this noise before with these pumps but never on a replacement pump. Basically when they are noisy, you replace it is fine. Where did you get the pump from?

When you turn another switch on, you are taking some power from the pump so the pitch will change because there is only a limited amount of voltage/current to run all the components. So when one is running and you turn another on, it will take some of the available current from that component. This is the same reason the headlights dim on some vehicles when the AC compressor comes on or you roll a window down.
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Friday, October 4th, 2019 AT 3:34 PM
Tiny
MERK6
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Yeah. That's kind of what I figured. Just odd being a new pump and only done it twice in 3 weeks. Didn't know if there was something else electrical I wasn't thinking of. The other thing that's been odd is the same week I had to change the battery because of a bad cell and I went back a couple days ago and put it on the charger to check it and it was reading 12.1 v and 87% charge. But alternator checks out. Well I guess I'll probably be taking that pump off and getting a new one. RockAuto.
Thanks for the help.
Ronnie.
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Friday, October 4th, 2019 AT 5:44 PM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
Yeah. If the vehicle is operating properly and it only did it twice, I wouldn't worry to much about it. Clearly I wouldn't let it go but its not like it needs to be a top priority.

As for the battery issue I would just do a parasitic draw test just to make sure you don't have something draining the battery. If you need help doing that, get a new post started so we can keep them one per post. That way others can find that issue if they have the same thing. Thanks
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Friday, October 4th, 2019 AT 6:29 PM

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