Should the fuel pump stay on for so long?

[wojtulewicz]

My 1998 1.6 206 has been cutting out for a few months, sometimes it starts right back up again, sometimes it won't start until hours later. She also randomly dips in revs while I drive.

Two days ago she cut out again but once again wouldn't start up so I did some reading while I was stuck, hoorah to smartphones, and found someone suggesting to check my fuel pump located under the backseat.

What I noticed about the pump is that it continued to whir after the car was turned off (I stayed around for 25mins and it didn't shut off), I could also feel air circulating around the area under the plastic top like a fan was spinning?

I came back to the car an hour later and the pump had stopping whirring, but for some reason the battery has decided it had drained, the lights inside the car came on for a second but went dull and the car turned limply.
I tried 10 times perhaps over the space of 5 mins but the car seemed like the battery was kaput.

Annoying I sat there for 10 mins thinking about how I was going to get home with me gammy knee; as I was about to leave I tried the car....bang, she started.

As I drove along the revs dropped randomly, she cut out a few times unless I kept the revs up with the accelerator and I could smell petrol inside the car; I pulled over and pulled a cable in the engine sitting under the wipers which I was told controls the air flow mix?.. to the car and she seemed okay for the last 1 mile of my journey to a friends.
I drove home yesterday and it was fine, cable was unhooked and revs stayed above 1,000 rpm without dipping.
When I starter her again in the evening she wouldn't start and the battery seemed flat.

She now won't start at all and I have had a look at the fuel filter which seems very old so perhaps it definitely needs a change. I needed to recharge my battery last night as it went completely flat (only 2 yrs old) but today while she turns over she won't actually start, and the pump remains on....probably draining the battery once more.

I would rather do something myself than go through costly procedures, my Mini experiences have made me fool hardy in that way, could anyone put forward their thoughts and perhaps I could laterally rule things out.

ECU? Dirty fuel tank? Broken fuel pump? Fuel filter needing replacing? Solenoids? Stuck relay? Air leak? Lamba sensor? (any of them even right?)

[wojtulewicz]

Update -

I just went back to see if the pump is still whirring, it was. So i put in the key to wind the window up and thought I'd try turning her on.

The noise suddenly stopped and the battery seems drained once more....the car now won't turn and the battery seems to have died.

Have been reading the battery disconnection thread so will go and repeat these steps again to see if this assists with starting.

[wojtulewicz]

Today I recharged the battery and got her started but the engine wouldnt stay on unless I pressed the accelerator pedal.

I thought maybe the accelerator cable was stuck so I rushed to the front, accelerated her using the lever only to find that power just wasn't getting to the engine and she was desperately trying to make up the revs.

When at idle she eventually dies with a cough and a splutter. I could hear not hissing coming from the engine....I read somewhere this is to check pressure is okay?

I tried to take the fuel filter off but the plastic buttons are tough to remove and in really awkward positions, I have soaked it in WD40 and will do so again later, I really don't want to break them and I've tried peopled instructions...mine seems very tough to get off.

Could a filthy fuel filter be causing this issue or does it sound more like the fuel pump?

If the filter is very clogged could this keep the fuel pump switched on for a while as it is tryies to draw in petrol from a gunky mess...?

If this were a PC life would be much easier.

[GrandadMonkey]

This doesn't sound like a 206cc.