Re. [s-cars] Fuel pump relay

[Paul Heneghan]

In my 17+ years Amateur VW/Audi mechanic, I've had one failed Fuel Pump
Relay and one failed Fuel Pump.  The failed Fuel Pump Relay was in a 1980
Jetta GLi and it went intermittent.  It kind-of gave the game away by
emitting a loud click at the same time as the engine would die, so I bought
a replacement (my introduction to stealer prices), and on dismantling the
old one out of curiosity, discovered a dry joint, which I fixed.

The fuel pump failure (1989 Audi 100) was the well-documented one of causing
a bad misfire in association with very loud humming.  Fortunately I had a
spare from a previous car I had dismantled.

So, I'm with Bob on this one (even if my sample size is even more ridiculous
than his).

By the way, I vote for Bob to be allowed to chose his own signature file.
As an Irish Catholic (surely one of the most hung-up, guilt-ridden,
easily-offended religions in the world), I took no offence.  Also, I thought
Jesus was apolitical?  If he wasn't, I'd better change religion now!

Paul
> -----Original Message-----
> Date: Sat, 17 May 2003 22:14:29 -0400
> To: "Brent Henry" <thehenrys at sympatico.ca>
> From: Robert Myers <robert at s-cars.org>
> Subject: Re: Re. [s-cars] Fuel pump relay
> Cc: <s-car-list at audifans.com>, <overjump at yahoo.com>
>
> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
>
> Yes, Brent, I agree.  Fuel pumps do fail.  In the 20 years I've been
> driving Audis I have had two fuel pumps fail.  I have also had two fuel
> pump relays fail - not at the same time and not on the same vehicles.  My
> experience does not "say that the Fuel Pump Relay almost never
> fails...".  The pump and the relay appear to have approximately the same
> failure rate, IME, at least based on my limited sample rate.
>
> I suspect that your "20+ year Master Audi Mechanics" might prefer
> replacing
> a $200+ fuel pump over a $30 fuel pump relay, even if they had to put in a
> new relay in order to make the new fuel pump work.  Profit motive?  Maybe,
> huh?  :-)
>
> At 09:40 PM 5/17/2003 -0400, Brent Henry wrote:
>
> >Robert,
> >
> >Hooey or no hooey, that is what my experience has indicated.  And I do
<snip>