Hey guys, I've had an intermittent 'one day the car is awesome and the next day it's a piece of ****' fault with my impreza for as long as I can remember now, almost to the point where I've just got used to it and faced the fact that I'm never gonna solve it. Anyway, I've had a hunch for a while that it could be a fueling issue, and something crossed my mind today when I went to fill up with fuel. I've got the RCM 340 fuel pump, Nismo 550cc injectors, and the car is mapped appropriately etc. So whenever my fuel gets low now (at the point where the light comes on), the car actually starts cutting out and spluttering if I go around any sort of sharp-ish corner while trying to accelerate. It never used to do this, so I don't know what that means? And the next thing I thought of - isn't an Impreza fuel tank meant to be 60 litres? I've got a MY00 Impreza, and I'm sure I read they had a 60 litre tank? So I've got a 60 litre tank, I'm driving to the petrol station with a fuel level so low that the car is cutting out occasionally......yet when I fill it absolutely right to the brim, all I can get in is 48 litres?? Where are the other 12 litres?! The car has been shocking on fuel recently aswell, and I'm only seeing about 170 miles per full tank, and that's driving sensibly. I'm starting to wonder now though, am I seeing lower mileage per tank because I've got 12 litres less fuel than I normally have each time, rather than there being something wrong with the car?!! I really don't know what could be the problem there, or how it could be related to the running of the car, but I would be interested to know your thoughts on it please

Cheers guys

 

When you fitted the new pump did you refit the original fuel sock/filter, as heard non genuine ones can cause the problem you describe when fuel gets low. Bad mpg something else

 

I've had a few people ask me that when I've mentioned this problem to them, and unfortunately I don't know as I got a garage to fit it, I didn't do it myself

 

Do you know if the rcm pump came with a new/filter sock ?
sounds like it did and they fitted it.
Some of the mappers on here warned me of the problem when I changed my pump(walbro).
Will find thread for you and add a link (as I think there are some other problems associated with non genuine ones)

https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...-a-re-map.html
Couldn't find it but this does mention it jolly greens input

 

That's brilliant mate, thankyou very much! Really appreciate you taking the time to look that up for me Will have to try and have a look when I get a chance then, and see if I can tell what's going on

 

I am only new to Impreza ownership and I need advice more than most but I have read here before that it is advised to treat your 1/4 marker as empty, not good to run low on fuel. Granted on a 48L tank that will be more difficult! Hard acceleration and leaning out on fuel could result in expensive problems.

Is your car an import? I have heard of some of the import classic wrx's having small fuel tanks.

 

Yeah I know! Mine is a MY00 UK Turbo 2000, and I never normally run it low, but I think I have just found out why it has been getting so low so quickly - I had a look underneath lastnight and there appears to be a leak doh! I'll need to wait until a dry day to absolutely confirm this though, as I couldn't really tell what was water dripping or fuel. Absolutely stank of fuel underneath though. Would explain a few things I suppose! Hesitation on cornering acceleration (and sometimes straight line) could be it's pulling air into the system? Is there a common place that they leak does anyone know?

 

Just another udate, when I turn my ignition on and you get the initial 'bzzzzz' from the fuel pump, that's now accompanied by a sortof gurgling sound, which would suggest air is in there somewhere right?

 

The most likely source of the leak is the gasket for the plate that holds the fuel pump.