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In any engine, whether it’s an engine for a small automobile or for a large jet aircraft, it’s important to learn the signs of fuel related issues that may be affecting performance. Fuel is an important factor in your engine running efficiently and thus crucial for the performance of your vessel. There are various reasons that could cause problems with your fuel, but below we will briefly discuss the most common problems that occur for people working in aviation. As you’ll read on below, these include hiccups in the engine’s fuel pumps and problems that arise from having faulty fuel.
A fault fuel pump can be a very indicative sign that your engine performance may be or will soon be experiencing problems or setbacks. If you want to look out for this, there are a number of signs that you can watch out for including noisy electrical clicking or whining sounds during engine run. Other things to watch out for are difficulty starting up an engine. This sign can indicate that the pump may be struggling with getting enough fuel to start. Experiencing any misfires or sudden decreases in power while driving can be another indication that the fuel pump is not functioning correctly.
Bad Fuel
If you have poor quality fuel, that may also put your fuel pumps and and your engine at risk of decreased performance or even total failure. This can be manifested by more sluggish performance or difficulty in starting the engine. It can even create misfiring or result in activating the engine warning light. You suspect that you have gotten some poor quality fuel and fully filled the tank, it is better to stop operating the vessel rather than to continue driving in an attempt to burn it off. If only a small amount of fuel has been added, fully filling the tank with fresh fuel can help to dilute it, but best practice is to have the fuel tank fully drained and cleaned. The risk of fuel contamination can be significantly reduced by filling up your vehicle with fuel from recognized retailers and varying where you buy from. Busier fuel stations tend to have their storage tanks refilled more frequently, so there is a higher chance that the fuel you will be putting into your car is of a fresher or higher quality.