Q: Fuel pump shot metal shards throughout fuel system
My car has around 43,000 miles. On the way back home after going to a store, which would was a 5-mile round trip, I heard what sounded like metal grinding from the engine compartment and there was reduced power. Turning off the radio, I could hear the sound better. When I got to the next red light, the car shut down and would not restart. I still had ¼ tank of diesel fuel, so I knew I was not out of gas. The engine cranked, but would not start. There was no warning before the metal grinding noise started. I had the car towed to the dealer, who kept it a few days in order to diagnose it as a faulty fuel pump which had malfunctioned and it had shot metal shard through my car’s entire fuel system. They replaced all components. The cost was exorbitant! But the shocking thing is that they did not replace the fuel tank, which could cause me problems in the future. Could you please tell me why they would not have replaced it and what might happen?
Hello. If the fuel tank was not replaced, it is likely due to the fact that the shop did not deem it necessary to the repair. It may be possible that the fuel tank was not exposed to any metal, or that it was cleaned. I would check with them to see if the fuel tank was removed and cleaned, as it would defeat the purpose of the repairs if they reinstalled a fuel tank that had metal shards in it. If you still do not feel comfortable with the vehicle, consider having it replaced.
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