Date:         Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:03:41 -0700
Reply-To:     Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Gary Bawden <goldfieldgary@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Chronic fuel pump problems
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Greetings fellow Vanagonauts,

I just put in the third fuel pump in Hector, in about as many years.
The  blamed thing always whined, until finally it would give out,
sometimes in an inconvenient location (the last one was in Las Vegas
in the middle of the summer, had to push it around a corner into a
parking lot, so needless to say it was a quickie fix, put in the spare
and get going).

So following list advice, I have had the fuel tank out a couple of
times for cleaning, changed the filters, etc. What I didn't do: never
checked the pressure, or really looked at the wiring.

Last night put in the last spare pump I had (found a Pierburg at the
Pick n Pull), and was looking at the ground wire. A light went on - -
a pump struggling for full electrical power would not be a happy pump!
Took out the ground screw and scraped it down to bare metal, then
after looking at the wire, cut a new on and crimped on new connectors.
Put it back together, turned the key, and thought, just my luck, I
picked up a dead pump. I couldn't hear a thing! Took the pump back out
and filled the inlet line with fuel system cleaner, hooked it up to a
battery, it ran fine! Reinstalled in Hector, not a sound was to be
heard. Tried to start the engine and it fired right up, pump runs but
so very quietly. Color me amazed!

I will still put a tee in the line and record the pressure, but I
think I've found the problem. It truly pays to bear in mind that 90%
of automotive complaints are electrical in nature (or at least that's
what they told us in Auto Electrical 101, years ago).

Gary