Erratic Fuel Pump Nissan Patorl GQ Y60

[Vennturesome]

Thread moved from Introduction.

I have recently acquired a petrol 1993 Patrol GQ-Y60 TB42-E.

A few days back, it began struggling for power climbing the short but steep hill to my house and then again going up my steep driveway barely making it to the top. Once at the top of the driveway, I was able rev the engine ok, but after turning it off it wouldn't start again, although it had previously started fine just 10 minutes before, on the first turn of the ignition switch. My immediate thought was no/insufficient petrol was getting to the fuel injectors. Not knowing the last time the fuel filter had been replaced, I thought the that would be best place to look first, so I pulled off the fuel line off from the fuel filters outlet to the injectors to see if any fuel was getting out of the filter. I turned the motor over a couple of times and no fuel was being ejected from the filter. To test further I then pulled the fuel line off the inlet side of filter. Again I turned the motor over a few times, no fuel was being pumped out of the fuel line into the filter, making me think the fuel pump may have just died. To test I pulled the fuel pump and sender assembly out of the fuel tank, tested it out of the tank and pump wasn't working. I then removed the fuel pump from the assembly and wired the pump directly to the battery. After a couple of short burst where the pump would run for a second and then quit, it all of sudden started running as smooth as purring cat. I then put the whole fuel system back together again, testing along the way ensuring that the pump was pumping fuel firstly from the tank and then out of filter. Since it was all working OK, I started successfully the car on the first turn of the key, just as if nothing had happened!!? Further test runs up the hill, where it had initially stalled where also all successful.

So while I am now a happy camper that my Patrol is back up and running again and fix just cost me some time to correct, + down time on my Patrol over the Christmas break, I am left wondering just what may have caused the pump to have stopped in first place (e.g. dirty fuel?, some blockage in the pump?, etc?) and most importantly if it will happen again (potentially somewhere far less convenient than my driveway). Probably though questions to answer, but I thought I would through it out there just in case someone had had a similar experience.


Many Thanks
Vennturesome

[threedogs]

If going away Id suggest buying a spare fuel pump, sounds like it may be on the way out.
Who knows when it may fail, also carry the tools to undertake a replacement.
At least you know the prob, lol

[Vennturesome]

Thanks - make sense. New pumps are around the $180 mark so not too expensive nor to big of a spare to pack in kit. No special tools are needed either.

[mudnut]

Replace the thing, so you don't end up being rear ended by a B double.

[dom14]

I fitted an external redundant ebay pump.
It's plumbed & wired in way to use it without having to go through much fiddling.
Replacing the stock pump is a good idea 'cos that gives a peace of mind, but make sure it's not the
weak electrical connections to the pump that's causing the problem,rather than the pump itself.

Is there an in tank fuel filter for the pump?

Is it a dual fuel?