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What did smacking the gas tank do?

320090T320090T Member Posts: 2,715 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 2015 in General Discussion
My daughters car wouldn't start and I am two hours away so I had her call AAA. They man jump started her car and then used a rubber mallet on her gas tank. He said it would help the car start in the future. What the heck?
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Comments

  • AlpineAlpine Member Posts: 15,092 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most likely it would unstick the in-tank fuel pump.
    ?The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.?
    Margaret Thatcher

    "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
    Mark Twain
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  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 48,464 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Or depends on what she drives, my MGB has a roll over shut off valve. Mine was right next to the tank.

    May have one like that.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ETHANOL crap will rust steel many cars have in the tank fuel pumps and many of these Have impellers That are steel rollers they stick and rust to the pump housing Pump does not have starting torque required to break the impellers loose
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  • 320090T320090T Member Posts: 2,715 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Guy had big balls pounding on a rusty tank, guess he'd have to fix it if his bammer went through.
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  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Can't see as how it would help it run better in the future.

    Sometimes, key word there sometimes, when the pump is in the early stages of crapping out the vibration from a whack to the tank will get it pumping. This will also, sometimes, work with frame mounted electric pumps as it does with tank mounted.

    btw, if this does work figure on it only working Once. The pump is bad and needs replaced ASAP.
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  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by us55840
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    ETHANOL crap will rust steel many cars have in the tank fuel pumps and many of these Have impellers That are steel rollers they stick and rust to the pump housing Pump does not have starting torque required to break the impellers loose


    Exactly! That is why ethanol is shipped by rail or truck and NOT ALLOWED in pipelines.

    It's [}:)] EVIL JUNK!


    Ethanol is for drinking not running engines![:D]
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  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by us55840
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    ETHANOL crap will rust steel many cars have in the tank fuel pumps and many of these Have impellers That are steel rollers they stick and rust to the pump housing Pump does not have starting torque required to break the impellers loose


    Exactly! That is why ethanol is shipped by rail or truck and NOT ALLOWED in pipelines.

    It's [}:)] EVIL JUNK!


    IIRC, gasoline is shipped by pipe line from the cracking plants to the depots of each different seller. It's ALL the same gasoline. They used to use a "PIG" as a separator between the two or 3 grades of gas, till the refiners learned it wasn't needed.
    At the depots/distribution plants, each company adds what they what,
    Enthanol, cleaners, octane enhancers, colors, ect, ect.

    Thats what gets shipped to gas stations by truck or rail.

    gasoline_t_shirt-r7653fd4618b0462bb21c7d03312165bc_804gs_512.jpg
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  • 47studebaker47studebaker Member Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    fuel pump is on its way south !
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    I suspect the AAA guy was full of crap.

    Dead battery. Jumped. Ready to roll.

    Banging the tank made him look like he knew what he was doing.





    By any chance, is your daughter attractive?
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  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My 2000 olds Bravada had the pump die 3 miles from my house.
    Smacked the plastic tank a few times with the lug wrench, drove it home.

    Checked prices of the new pump/sending unit assy.===about $200 at most stores.

    Went to ebay, found a seller at $59.00 free shipping.
    Checked his feed back on THAT item sold, 310 positive, 12 negatives {most were for not correct fitting}.

    Bought one, installed it, still going great after 2 1/2 years!!
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  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,460 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whackin' a gas tank will sometimes get a faulty electric fuel pump working. I've done it.
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  • 320090T320090T Member Posts: 2,715 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Battery was four years old, replaced it, ok now.
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  • 47studebaker47studebaker Member Posts: 2,251 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    bet within 3 weeks the pump will go south, mine did.
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  • booter_onebooter_one Member Posts: 2,345 ✭
    edited November -1
    Daughters van was running great, she drove it home and it would not start the next morning. Check it out, new battery, good spark, no fuel in the rail. Figured it was due for a new fuel pump, but did not relish the thought of having to push it in the shop. Got a rubber 2 pound hammer and smacked the thing about four times. Pump fired up and pressurized the system and the engine started instantly. Put it in the shop on the lift and put in a new pump. Bingo, it did help in this case but may not on all situations. [:)]
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  • BoskettiBosketti Member Posts: 1,090 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As one of those AAA guys I can tell you that it is something we are trained to look for on a no start situation. The fuel pump can stick and fail. Tapping the fuel tank can, but won't always, get it to restart. If it restarts after a tap it may keep going for years or never start again. We advise the member get the fuel pump checked out as soon as possible in that situation. It does work, not as often as I'd like, but I've used it successfully.
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