I’m having an intermittent problem with my electric boost pump. When starting, sometimes I see pressure come up when I operate the pump, and other times I don’t. Is this a symptom of a bad pump? I can usually start the engine anyway, using the primer and the carburetor throttle.
This is a common problem for new owners-operators. If you get out of sequence on your starting checklist, and you operate the boost pump before you open the mixture control, you will not see a rise in pressure (despite hearing the pump run). This is true of both the carbureted and the Lycoming fuel injected planes.
If you do have a boost pump problem on your carbureted plane, please refer to the Q&A about boost pump replacement.