ur-Q Fuel Pump Current Supply Question

[ANDREW FINNEY <afinney@bigplanet.com>]

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The current supply line running from the relay to the pump, and the fuse
as well,
get *extremely* hot... I think it would raise a blister if I were to
touch it for
more than an instant. Is this a sign of a dying pump? A bad ground?
Signal to put
in a higher-capacity supply line?

tia... -dq
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This is probably the all too common problem on early Audis that
involved, at high executive levels, the decision to design the wiring
system with sacrificial wires and bulletproof fuses. This same thing
happen on my old coupe, cost me tons of money from the dealer. Turned
out the fuel pump relay was dying because it chronically overheated. The
car would suddenly stall on the highway and then easily restart.

On my UrQ the same thing happened and I followed Rob Houk's (sp?) fix.
You wire a direct line from the battery to the pump with a relay that is
switched by the old wire from the fuel pump relay. Works like a charm.
You should know there are a few other relays the car was missing, the
fuel/timing control unit and the AC high speed fan both need dedicated
fused power from the battery switched by the original power wire. See
RDH's web page for details. HTH.

Andrew Finney
1983 UrQ w/ blacked out taillights, rolled rear fenders and 8" ronals
(at the body shop as we speak)