Donate SIGN UP

Electric Motors Running After Engine Shut Down.

Avatar Image
MantaRay | 15:42 Tue 12th Sep 2017 | Motoring
13 Answers
On a number of vehicles I've driven I hear an electric motor/pump running for a few minutes after switching off the ignition and stopping the engine. I always thought it was an oil pump supplying oil to the hot turbo bearings until it cooled down a little, but have recently heard that this is a fuel pump running to keep the fuel system primed. Well, which is correct?
Gravatar

Answers

1 to 13 of 13rss feed

Avatar Image
Hi Mata, Its probably a water circulating pump- they continue to circulate rad water to prevent localised overheating- have a look beneath your rad for any extra pipes with a small pump connected. They are fitted to some VW motors I know- Transporter among others.
22:29 Mon 18th Sep 2017
Are you sure it's not the engine cooling-fan....on some cars I've owned it runs for a while after switching off the ignition- but on others, it didn't.
Neither - it's the engine cooling fan. Open the bonnet and watch it.
^ That was my thought , If the engine is hot the cooling fan keeps running for a few minutes after the ignition is switched off.
Question Author
Sorry, should have said, I'm not referring to cooling fan noise. I am aware that they continue to run after engine shut down.
There are certainly no other electric motors running on my car after I switch-off the ignition.
Question Author
The engine cooling fan makes quite a din and can not be mistaken for anything else. The electric motor sound I refer to is much quieter.
Question Author
Typically heard on turbo-diesels after shut down.
Mine's a turbo-diesel (Volvo V70), but it is 10 years old. Perhaps more modern ones are different.
Maybe you have intermittent tinnitus.
Perhaps you could ask the service department of the marques of car that have displayed this noise what it is?
Engine cooling fan it is !
I get the same on my Fiesta EcoBoost 1 litre petrol, albeit seconds not minutes. Will try to remember to open the bonnet before turning off next time.
Hi Mata,
Its probably a water circulating pump- they continue to circulate rad water to prevent localised overheating- have a look beneath your rad for any extra pipes with a small pump connected. They are fitted to some VW motors I know- Transporter among others.

1 to 13 of 13rss feed

Do you know the answer?

Electric Motors Running After Engine Shut Down.

Answer Question >>

Related Questions

Sorry, we can't find any related questions. Try using the search bar at the top of the page to search for some keywords, or choose a topic and submit your own question.