2005 Pontiac Vibe, manual base model. The idle was going from 900 rpm to 1500 rpm going back and forth and then dropping down to 0 rpm and stalling. I had watched a video on the idle control valve and intake and how to clean it to solve the problem. I had the car towed into a shop on account of it not starting, told the mechanic about the idle control valve information. He told me it was the fuel pump, which had only been changed 2 years ago. He said the car only had an 1/8 of a tank of gas and that would cause the fuel pump to overheat and burn out. He changed the fuel pump and when attempting to take the car for a test drive he put on the brakes and the car stalled. He's going to put in a Jerry can of gas to see if that makes a difference. The symptoms were exactly as in the Scotty Kilmer idle control valve video on YouTube. Can you burn out a fuel pump if your car goes from 1/4 to 1/8 of a tank before refueling? What do you think is going on?
e told me it was the fuel pump, which had only been changed 2 years ago. He said the car only had an 1/8 of a tank of gas and that would cause the fuel pump to overheat and burn out.
It's not great on the fuel pump to run the car that low, but as long as there is fuel flowing through the pump and not air, the bearings are being lubricated and cooled. The pump motor isn't necessarily submerged in gas at 1/8 of a tank, which will not cool the pump as effectively, which is probably what he's thinking. You also run the risk of clogging the fuel filter if you run it that low on gas on a regular basis, which will eventually burn out the pump, it can't pump through grit and dirt.
He changed the fuel pump and when attempting to take the car for a test drive he put on the brakes and the car stalled.
Has anybody checked for vacuum leaks? Typically stalling when you're slowing down is caused by a vacuum leak, either the power brake booster itself, or the big hose that connects it to the intake manifold. Hitting the brakes causes a vacuum leak that can be large enough to stall the engine, and the conditions may not appear in any other situation. The car's pushing 20 years old.
Can you burn out a fuel pump if your car goes from 1/4 to 1/8 of a tank before refueling?
Did he use an OEM fuel pump, and was the pump that was replaced an OEM pump as well?
