Yaris Fuel Pump

[HTM Yaris]

Alright , I'm tired of reading about the Yaris fuel pump burning up when low on fuel . I will debunk this MYTH right now .

I will use a graphic example that everybody can see for theirselves .

Take a bowl (any will do ) . Put some water in the bowl (more than a few drops) . Now take this bowl filled with water and drag the bowl across your table or floor or countertop . Notice that the water will compress to the rear (opposite the travel direction) of the bowl and when the water compresses to the max the wave travels to the front of the bowl . This is commoly refered to as "sloshing" . This sloshing happens everytime you accel , brake , take a turn , hit a bump , or just lifting of the accel pedal . When you brake , turn , or accel "hard" this effect is magnified .(Go ahead and try this with your bowl of water , but be prepared to clean the spill up ) If you have a very low fuel level and you turn , brake or accel very hard , fuel starvation is possible , but Toyota has virtually eliminated starvation with the design of the fuel tank itself . Go ahead to your Yaris and look at the fuel tank . See those depressions . They act as baffles which keeps a certain amount of fuel available for pickup by the pump .

Keep in mind that energy is neither created nor destroyed , merely transfered .

Another thing about the fuel is that while the sloshing helps cool the outside of the pump the fuel going through also cools the pump from the inside .

Can a Yaris fuel burn up ? It sure can . Here are some (not all) reasons .
A. Defective pump from factory (Not very likely in a Toyota)
B. Low Quality Assurance (Again , not very likely in a Toyota )
C. Age . Every fuel pump will eventually fail .
D. If you have a 1/2 a gallon in your tank and you decide to let your Yaris idle(while not moving) until it runs out of fuel , then it might (not likely) burn up . Toyota engineers aren't that stupid . They test fuel pumps submerged in fuel and not submerged in fuel .

Toyota did not become the GLOBAL leader in Automobile sales b/c they put fuel pumps that burn out b/c of low fuel .

Mechanics , I love them . I have many mechanic friends , but I have yet to see any of them run test on exactly why a fuel pump stops operating (they do test to confirm failure ). They merely tell you that your pump isn't working and needs to be replaced . They may speculate ( some with years of experience ) . I have never seen or heard of a mechanic disassemling a fuel pump and showing the customer "this is why your pump failed " . As a customer , most people don't give a flying fudge nut "why" unless it is a reccurent problem .

99% of Yaris fuel pumps will perform flawlessly past 100,000 miles , no matter what the fuel level is .

If anyone has seen a Yaris fuel pump fail , post here . PLEASE do not post experiences with INFERIOR automobile manufactures such as GM , Chrysler , Mercedes , and BMW .

[ChinoCharles]

Isn't it worse for the filter? (asking, not telling)

[HTM Yaris]

Good question Chino .

The filter's function is to keep impurities from entering the engine obviously. Impurities range from gasoline impurities to rust to delamination of fuel tank liner to bugs such as roaches . (yes I've actually seen a roach in someone's gas tank).

With very low fuel level , impurities are more concentrated and therefore more likely to gather around the filter . When you refill your tank , the impurities will disperse back into the fuel tank in a suspended state . Gravity will dictate that heavier particles will eventually migrate to the bottom .

To answer your question directly , it is possible for the fuel filter to get clogged with impurities and cause fuel pump failure . Not likely but possible .

Keep in mind Chino , you bought one of the best cars in terms of reliability and maintenence cost on the planet . Toyota engineers have more than likely thought of and remedied your concerns .

[auxmike]

Have people been complaining of pump faliures here?
That's news to me!

[Kal-El]

Originally Posted by HTM Yaris

PLEASE do not post experiences with INFERIOR automobile manufactures such as GM , Chrysler , Mercedes , and BMW .

lol,

[rningonfumes]

Good job man.

Originally Posted by auxmike

Have people been complaining of pump faliures here?
That's news to me!

No, but every-so-often a member asks about the gas gauge >which begs the question about the last bar>>which begets someone altruistically offering the warning of not letting the tank run to empty because it may burn up the pump. (yes, this scenerio plays out exactly like that.)

[eTiMaGo]

Originally Posted by rningonfumes

Good job man.



No, but every-so-often a member asks about the gas gauge >which begs the question about the last bar>>which begets someone altruistically offering the warning of not letting the tank run to empty because it may burn up the pump. (yes, this scenerio plays out exactly like that.)

guilty as charged... I guess it's a "good habit" not to wait too long to refuel, but thanks for the eye opener, HTM

[rningonfumes]

^^me too, lol.

[alanbotello]

I do have a problem with the gas pump on a Yaris 2006 hatchback.
The problems started after several unresponses on the throttle (floored the gas pedal and no gas went to the engine).
Checked wires, throttle, etc. before get to the conclusion that the gas pump was the issue.
Change it 2 times and works fine for a day or even less than that.
Then it won't start.
Any suggestions?

[Kitt]

hey guys, sorry for bringing up an old thread, I've been away for a while but yes, I've heard about it, didn't made sense for me neither and I've left my car without fuel a couple of times (my bad) and the fuel pump is still working. I've owned my Yaris since 2004 and it still works until now... Usually when it is cool and I step on the gas pedal it hesitates a few times, it also happens randomly, not sure why is that but I am troubleshooting part by part, it behaves the same way as if one of the ignition coils stop working, but it recovers right away and I can drive normally. I can tell this because one of my coils went down due to water, however, no check engine codes are shown this time. Of course I replaced the coil but it still has the issue, I've checked the ground and it is OK; even opened the throttle body and cleaned it up, MAF also cleaned and the IAC valve too, besides this, I have a constant rough idle with or without a/c running, it drops to less than 650 rpm, next step will be to replace fuel filter (will be the second one I change since new). I'll keep you guys posted but any suggestions will be highly appreciated

[yaris-me]

Try running a good "fuel system cleaner," two times.

[Kitt]

good point!!

[why?]

yea, sounds like bad gas to me. Unless you are supercharged or turbo charged, then it sounds like pre-detonation. which is the same thing, just a different cause.