Fuel problem

[merchant]

Hi all,

Thought i'd post a little pain in the arse problem i've experienced during the past two long trips the family have taken in the Nav.

On both occasions whilst travelling on corrugated roads the car has began surging, loosing power and fuel usage has gone through the roof (according to the Scangauge). Once off the corrugated roads and on to the black stuff the surging and high fuel usage continued.

After stopping and looking under the bonnet i discovered the fuel primer bulb was sucked flat. A couple of squeeves to fill it up and we where off without any problems until we hit corrugations again when the same thing would happen.

This has happened on the last two trips and only ever happens on corrugated roads.

I have an Outback Systems 160lt long range. I called the manufacturer, who refused to speak to me at all and referred me onto the installer. Called them thinking it was a fuel issue within the tank causing the pump to suck air (fuel bouncing around or something). Anyway, they hadn't faced that problem before and didn't have any answers. Apart from saying it couldn't be the fuel bouncing around cos the tank has internal baffels to stop (reduce) that exact thing.

I should point out that out of the numerous trips we have done on corrugated roads it is only the last two trips which the surging has ocurred. Obviously, something has changed. All other trips done the car has run faultlesly (touch wood).

Any suggestions on what the cause could be?

 

[Old.Tony]

We bought some fuel from a Metro service station and it foamed really badly. It didn't seem to do any harm, but we'd refuelled before we hit corrugated roads again.

Could there be something in the diesel? Is it a mix of bio that's making the fuel foam too much? I thought one of the suppliers added an anti-foaming agent to the fuel, but I don't know if bio makes the foaming worse.

Foaming could aerate the fuel enough for the bubbles to be sucked into the pump. Could that be it? It'd have to foam like mad.

I can't imagine what else it would be.

 

[merchant]

Na, can't be a fuel issue. The fuel was sourced from numerous suppliers along a 4000km route.

It seems to happen when the tank is less then half full or low. I still believe it's got something to do with the tank. Unfortunately, we are in the Pilbara and the installer is in Perth. I move back to Perth next month so will get them to look at it.

It's got me buggered.

 

[Old.Tony]

What if it's an opening in the fuel line only made apparent when the fuel line is shaken badly, causing the pump to suck air instead of fuel? On the suction side it may not show as a leak. Has the filter been replaced recently?

 

[jerry]

Hi I had the same thing happen chech your fuel lines (supply line) that are going across the top of tank .
mine were jamed inbetween top of tank & floor of truck as
the fitters could not spare extra 500mm of hose.
I ran longer hose all fixed

 

[merchant]

Filter was changed some time ago.

My concern is that it has only just started happening in the past year over two trips. The previous 6 trips over two years the car worked fine with the same tank installed.

I won't be doing any more trips in the near future so will get the installers to look at it when i return to Perth.

I thing i did notice when searching for the problem was that the breather filter, which was located under the rear wheel arch, was full of red dust which had turned to mud. Once cleaned i thought i'd found the problem. But alas, same problem on the following trip.