ezland00 said:
Do i need to replace the pump or is it fixable? the pump seem to be very pricey
It's probably fixable. If it's leaking from the top or middle seal you can order a seal kit (from DieselGeek or elsewhere) and the special triangular socket (DieselGeek, MetalNerd, etc.). Instructions are
here
You have to mark the pump carefully if it's the middle seal so that you put it back together in exactly the same position. You probably should have VCDS (or find someone who does) so that you can make sure you end up with the correct injection quantity (which is based on the position of the pieces when you bolt them back together). The middle seal was the first place that my pump was leaking and it wasn't too bad to fix.
If it's leaking from the pump head (the cast iron piece that the injector lines connect to), that's a bigger deal. You can still do it yourself (DieselGeek sells a head seal kit with a special bolt that prevents you from pulling out the head too far) but it's a more awkward job than the other 2 seals and you risk parts falling out of the pump if you don't use the special bolt. You don't need VCDS for adjusting anything after replacing the head seal. You can find instructions
here.
I was able to see the fuel leaking from the middle seal of my pump while the engine was running. I wasn't able to see fuel leaking from the head as it seemed to be coming from the bottom of the head. Look carefully and you may be able to tell.
I managed to break the special bolt off while trying to replace the head seal and ended up having to buy a used pump (it was around $300 and had been already resealed). To replace the pump requires having access to most of the timing belt tools (with the exception of the crank lock tool) and VCDS. It's not as much work as changing the timing belt (you don't need to jack up the car nor deal with removing the motor mount) and you don't need to buy most of the timing belt kit (with the possible exception of non-stretch bolts for the injection pump if you have the older stretch bolts). I was able to do it in my garage over a couple of days.
- Greg