Facing fuel pump issues on my Mahindra Armada

I'm getting an average fuel efficiency of around 12 km/l and the SUV feels hard to cruise above 90 km/h.

BHPian Krishnamoorthi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Dear all,

My Armada has a Di-Turbo engine. After the fitment of the engine when it was ON, the fuel pump made a clattering sound. The sound vanished when the mechanical lift pump was primed. When I stopped priming the sound repeated. The sound increased with an increase in the throttle.

Went to my mechanic. He told me the pump needed an overhaul. It was overhauled in an authorized Bosch Diesel works. He fitted the pump after changing fuel lines, lift pump, banjos and fuel filter body to ensure zero air on fuel lines. The problem was solved.

After around 1.5k kms the problem started again. Went back to the mechanic, he repeated the same song - pump overhaul, (This time I was told the pressure setting was made different), changed fuel lines and lift pump. The problem was solved. The mechanic told me to run with at least half a tank of diesel always. I ensured the tank is always half full.

After around 1k kms the same problem started again now. Now he insists to fit an electronic pump before the lift pump to boost up the pressure.

I will be glad to know whether fitting an electronic pump will solve the problem.

The vehicle is installed with 235/70 R16 tyres with a crown ratio of 4.27. The GB is NGT 520. The avg mileage I get is around 12 kmpl. I usually drive b/w 80 - 90 km/hr. I could feel from the initial day the jeep is feeling hard to cruise above 90 km/hr. The throttle pedal has to be 80% closed at 90 km/hr.

Is the pump issue have anything to do with this cruising and mileage? Will the electronic pump offer better cruising?

Do the fitment of an electronic boost pump will affect the engine/pump in long run?

Please suggest a solution.

Thanks.

Here's what BHPian Brumby had to say about the matter:

Hello Krishna,

This seems like a case of starvation of fuel and will depend on the consumption. Idling will most likely be normal and as the speed increases, the noise will amplify and after a certain speed drop in power will be very much noticeable.

Hope the fuel lines and filter have been checked and there is no issue with that.

Further, you can check the fuel tank condition from inside. I am not sure what material is used for the fabrication of the tank, but in the case of a metallic tank, the debris from corrosion over a long period of time starts blocking the filters frequently, especially when the vehicle is run over rough terrain, causing sloshing of fuel in the tank, which brings the settled particles to suspended in the fuel and an easy entry into the filter.

Running the engine with this condition will cause more wear on the fuel pump and will require replacement.

In case you plan to fit an electronic booster pump, please clean the complete fuel system right from the tank to the engine and the return line back to the tank.

Hope that helps.

Here's what BHPian jeeva had to say about the matter:

The Di turbo engine (MDI 3200) came with the CAV type fuel filter and an electronic fuel pump. The XDP engine which came factory fitted in the Armada had the normal type diesel filter (as shown in the pic you attached), plus an oil bath type air filter. A paper filter and a CAV fuel filter makes a lot of difference, especially to a turbo engine.

The electronic pump that you have fitted won't really make any significant difference, as priming alone will create enough pressure for diesel to flow into the fuel pump. Adding 500ml of branded 2T oil with a full tank diesel will for sure make a positive difference. You might also want to check the fuel return line from injectors to ensure that the injectors are fine.

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