Fuel pump relay can also burn out but mainly in a scenario of prolonged cycles or a high electrical load. According to automotive professionals, from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), fuel pump relay life expectancy can range from +/- 100,000 to +/- 150,000 miles, but may be reduced under heavy use and heat. A relay going bad interrupts the electrical circuit, preventing the car from sending the necessary power to the fuel pump to get it to pump gas to the engine when starting it or even cause it to fail once it is running.
Excessive heat exposure from the engine compartment can cause relay wear, especially if the vehicle is in a hot climate or is driven frequently for stop-and-go cycles. Too much current can even burn up the internal contacts of the relay, the metal bits that make the relay circuit complete. This arcing, in turn, causes corrosion, which leads to burnout and results in degraded fuel pump performance. In other words, vehicles in stop-and-go or city traffic may have increased relay burnout due to a high cycling rate.
Well, to answer your question of can a fuel pump relay burn out early we first have to address that high and low power will play a part and wear to the unit. Automotive News cites industry reports raising the possibility that electrical overloads, often due to faulty wiring, raised the likelihood of relay burnout. To avoid this, it is important to use good wiring and regular inspection of electrical systems to guarantee proper working of the fuel pump.
To add to this, failures of relays also depends on their construction quality, hence the lifespan of a fuel pump relay. Quality relays always use heavy-duty metals like copper and silver contacts which reduce the chances of a burnout by handling the higher current efficiently. Relay failure is often a hidden failure mode because most cars don’t have relay status lights, or even if they do, they often blaze as a later response to the relay being commanded ON but the actual relay had failed—possibly contacted welding or failing open. Equally, routine maintenance (50k miles here, almost common in popular-used cars) from attending technicians (when in confidence) can diagnose early stages of wear on the relay contacts (e.g. discoloration, heat marks) which will prevent relay failure in the first place.
To that extent, automotive maintenance experts report, it is crucial to guarantee a steady connection in the fuel system circuit. A non-functional relay causes the fuel pump to lose the supply of power, resulting in low fuel pressure that could possibly damage the engine. This makes testing the relay a common recommendation for drivers having intermittent trouble starting and for drivers having stalls while driving.
While a high-quality Fuel Pump and good care of the electrical system can improve the life of the UP Relay and reduce problems from Relay burnout for those who want reliable vehicle performance.