12/03/2022
DRIVING ON "E" CAN LEAD TO HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.
Customer came in grieving over her 2010 Kia Optima not starting. Today we had to comfort a struggling parent with limited funds to go towards repairs for her car. The vehicle came in with fuel issues which as a result the car would not start.
In our efforts to correct her problem we noticed that the High Pressure Fuel Pump and the Secondary Pump was not working. The High Pressure Fuel Pump was clogged with fuel gum and the spring would not contract to performance. The Gas Fuel Pump (Secondary) was broken and clogged with debris and fuel gum, as well.
We always start low with the repairs and work our way up. The chance of the vehicle needing Fuel Injectors is a possibility; however that is an expensive repair so we work with the Fuel Pumps first since the gas has to go through the pumps first before going through the engine (Fuel Injectors, Spark Plugs etc.
After we installed the pumps, the engine still would not flow so we did a Throttle Body reset and this opened the channel for the gas to flow from the pedal to the engine; however when you take your foot off the gas the car dies.
Check engine light was not on when the car came in but after the Throttle Body reset the check engine light did come on for Camshaft and Crankshaft position sensors. Customer did not have money to replace these sensors so we attempted to clean them with a solution and steel brush and reinstalled these parts. Still no progress. Next step was to uninstall the Fuel Injectors and we saw them burnt at its tips and fuel gum burnt inside of them. We attempted to clean these in a gas and brake cleaner mixer but the fuel gum was hardened and would not break or dissolve. The fuel rail was blow out as well. Despite our efforts to assist the customer in saving money the customer is now understanding what is necessary to fix her car.
Even more importantly is knowing the reason why all these parts are needed to make a repair. Customer was continuously driving on "E" and low gas and over a period of time gunk accumulates at the bottom of the gas tank and as gas is being pushed through the fuel lines, fuel pumps, sensors, spark plugs, fuel rail, fuel injectors, and engine it is also receiving gunk, debris, fuel gum and creating a cascade of damages.
It only takes about $20, $30, $40 for a half a tank of gas or else $2000 to $3000 to fix the fuel system. So this is a valuable preventative maintenance lesson on the important of making sure a proper amount of gas is required to keep the fuel system in a healthy state of being.
