Fuel Pump Connector
Posted: 21 Dec 2011 13:09
Comming back from Tsodilo Hills to Ghanzi during our Botswana Outreach, I drained the sub-tank fuel into the main tank near Nokaneng and after that the Patrol engine started missing. We expacted that the fuel from the sub-tank was dirty and decided the get the LR tank close to empty and only fill it up in Ghanzi.
In Ghanzi the sub-tank only took 30 liters! The main tank took 115 liters and this means that there were only 20 liters left in the tank when we got to Ghanzi.
After leaving Ghanzi on the wat to Kang, the Patrol engine started missing again but I could still keep the speed between 108 and 117 km/h. I desided to change the fuel filter when we get to Kang. After about an hour's drive from Ghanzi, we had a prayer session and soon afterwards the engine stopped missing, all the power was back and we drove the Kang with no problems. Because of this I did not change the fuel filter in Kang.
Monday morning we filled up the Patrol and left Kang for the border post. Soon after we started driving the engine started missing again. After a while I decided to stop and change the filter. I forgot to open the tank cap to reduce the pressure and when I took the pipe off I got burned by the fuel - it was very hot! I also realised that the filter was wrongly installed. I installed it the right way and when we started driving the engine started missing again. Just before the border post we filled up the tank again because the fuel is cheaper in Botswana.
After we left the border post, we were in the mountains on the way to Zeerust and the missing became worse and the speed reduced to 70 km/h. I decided to stop and switch the engine off for a while and just before I stopped the engine died!
I removed the fuel pipes at the manifold and found no fuel to the engine - so the pump does not work! I cheched the fuses and it was fine. We found that there is a Nissan Dealer in Zeerust and I arranged with TuffStuff to get us to the Nissan Supreme Dealer. With the rollbed truck on the way, Mac asked my to start the Patrol. It started quickly and we started driving. We I noteced the truck I decided to stop and discuss it with the driver but when I took my foot off the eccelerator, the engine died again and I could not get it started again.
When we got to Nissan I explained the problem and they also suspected the fuel pump to be the problem. We had to unpack everything oot the Patrol and remove the kitchen and drawer system to be able the get to the fuel pump.
When the remove the fuel pump they found the one female connector (the positive one) disconnected. When we inspected the connector, we found some parts of it burned away
.
They expected that this was the problem and that the pump was still fine - it was to late to try and replace the pump. They replaced the connector, put the pump back and we took the Patrol for a test drive and everything was fine 
That bad connector was sparking/burning and that caused the fuel pressure problem and heated up the fuel in the tank.
Because of the support and protection from our Father, the tank did not explode or caught fire - even when the tank was almost empty in Ghanzi
.
In Ghanzi the sub-tank only took 30 liters! The main tank took 115 liters and this means that there were only 20 liters left in the tank when we got to Ghanzi.
After leaving Ghanzi on the wat to Kang, the Patrol engine started missing again but I could still keep the speed between 108 and 117 km/h. I desided to change the fuel filter when we get to Kang. After about an hour's drive from Ghanzi, we had a prayer session and soon afterwards the engine stopped missing, all the power was back and we drove the Kang with no problems. Because of this I did not change the fuel filter in Kang.
Monday morning we filled up the Patrol and left Kang for the border post. Soon after we started driving the engine started missing again. After a while I decided to stop and change the filter. I forgot to open the tank cap to reduce the pressure and when I took the pipe off I got burned by the fuel - it was very hot! I also realised that the filter was wrongly installed. I installed it the right way and when we started driving the engine started missing again. Just before the border post we filled up the tank again because the fuel is cheaper in Botswana.
After we left the border post, we were in the mountains on the way to Zeerust and the missing became worse and the speed reduced to 70 km/h. I decided to stop and switch the engine off for a while and just before I stopped the engine died!
I removed the fuel pipes at the manifold and found no fuel to the engine - so the pump does not work! I cheched the fuses and it was fine. We found that there is a Nissan Dealer in Zeerust and I arranged with TuffStuff to get us to the Nissan Supreme Dealer. With the rollbed truck on the way, Mac asked my to start the Patrol. It started quickly and we started driving. We I noteced the truck I decided to stop and discuss it with the driver but when I took my foot off the eccelerator, the engine died again and I could not get it started again.
- FuelPumpDSC07116.JPG (58.04 KiB) Viewed 1236 times
When the remove the fuel pump they found the one female connector (the positive one) disconnected. When we inspected the connector, we found some parts of it burned away
.
- FuelPumpDSC07119.JPG (69.83 KiB) Viewed 1236 times
That bad connector was sparking/burning and that caused the fuel pressure problem and heated up the fuel in the tank.
Because of the support and protection from our Father, the tank did not explode or caught fire - even when the tank was almost empty in Ghanzi
.