what is vapor lock to a 1998 dodge avenger?

Answer 1

I don't know if this will be of any help with your Avenger. In the past, some cars had problems with vapor lock. It was caused by steel fuel lines exposed to the heat of the engine. On a hot day, the excess heat would evaporate the fuel in the line with in the engine compartment. A fuel pump can pump liquid, but not vapor, and the engine would quit running for lack of fuel until everything cooled down and the vapor condensed back into a liquid. I had this trouble with my hot rods (in the 70s) until I learned to place the fuel lines more strategically. A cure for vapor lock was wrapping the line in aluminum foil to reflect the heat. I even saw one desperate rodder put pinch-type clothes pins on a line to get home.

Answer 2

Vapor lock in a gasoline engine is caused by the fuel boiling in the gas lines. Mechanical fuel pumps that generally run about 7 pounds pressure could not overcome this phenomena, but modern fuel injected engines have a high pressure fuel pump and vapor lock is non-existant unless the fuel pump is going bad.

Answer 3

efferello is correct. Vapor lock does not happen any longer with fuel pumps for injection operating at 50psi. If you fuel pump is bad and operating at a much lower pressure, your car won't start,but due to lack of fuel, not vapor lock.