In fact, a malfunctioning Fuel Pump can actually lower the performance of an engine since it won't be giving the engine as much fuel as it needs. Most modern fuel-injected engines would run very badly without the Fuel Pump maintaining fuel pressure between 40 and 60 PSI for optimal combustion. As this pump begins to weaken, inconsistent delivery of fuel starts and the engine begins running lean-that is to say, an imbalance between the ratio of air and fuel-which can result in poor acceleration, reduced power, and even a total engine stall.
Another symptom that surely would act to change your engine's performance would be laboratory acceleration. Since more fuel is needed by the engine when it is under load, a weak Fuel Pump may not be able to deliver adequate fuel flow, making the engine feel underpowered or hesitate when trying to speed up. In turbocharged or supercharged engines, if the fuel pump cannot provide increased fuel demand, there can be a possibility of fuel starvation resulting in eventual damage to the engine.
In 2019, Ford issued a recall for over 1.2 million vehicles because of defective Fuel Pumps that had issues with stalling and poor performance. Quite a good example would be that minor malfunctioning within the fuel system can highly damage the reliability of the engine.
The other way a Fuel Pump reduces performance is through low fuel pressure, which leads to incomplete combustion. Incomplete combustion wastes fuel, reduces engine efficiency and power output, and, therefore, can raise fuel consumption by 10-20%. While the engine struggles to compensate for this lack of fuel, other components like fuel injectors and spark plugs could be damaged as well, further worsening performance.
As once said by automotive expert David Vizard, "An engine's performance is only as good as the fuel system that is behind it." Making sure that the Fuel Pump of your car is working properly and functioning right is important in terms of keeping a perfectly running engine. How to diagnose and maintain your engine's performance due to a problematic Fuel Pump, visit Fuel Pump.