Small fuel leak under fuel injection pump

Howdy,

I noticed a rather large diesel spill spot after my wife drove our 02 Jetta (1.9 L TDI) away to work this morning. When she got back home I popped the hood and looked around, I noticed my under-body panel was a bit soaked with fuel so I took it off. I had her start the car again and as she did fuel poured out from around the under side of the fuel injection pump. I had her shut the car off and I took a 17 mm spanner wrench and tightened the four metal nuts holding the metal fuel lines the go into the right side of the pump housing. I didn't necessarily see the leak coming from any of these, but I tightened them anyways, none of them moved much. I had her start the car again and this time I looked very closely with a flash light and the fuel looks to be leaking from underneath the pump and not necessarily from these nuts. I would say that about 10 mLs or so of fuel leaks with each start of the engine, and after it runs for a few seconds the leak is just a very slow drip. Is there some cavern that holds fuel in there and is being released during startup? Any help is much appreciated.

Also, I don't have high speed internet at the house right now, so my replies might be a bit dispersed. Thanks for your help.

Tim

It's either the shaft seal that needs replacing or the body seals. Either can be done pretty easy by a diesel shop. Figure $200 or so labor for the R&R of the pump and whatever the pump fix runs.

Fuel leak

Have you been switching back and forth from Bio to diesel? Bio expand seals, diesel shrinks seals.

NO, not really. It's the sulphur that was in the old diesel that swelled the seals and with ULSD cars started to leak as the compounds leeched out of the seals and they un-swelled. If anything good bio will cause that to happen faster.

Thanks for the responses. The story is that I used homemade (good quality) biodiesel up to about a year ago, then I was overseas for a year and my brother had my car in Colorado and only used dino-diesel. Now it is back in my hands and I am not brewing again, not till next year probably.

I have contacted a shop in Hutchinson, KS that says they can work on the injection pump and get the new seals in it. They said the ULSD is causing this problem in may diesel injection pumps. If my bio habits had anything to do with it that is fine with me, part of the risk you run when you are brewing fuel for less than 80 cents a gallon. Thanks for your help everyone.

Sulphur

jasonTDI said:

NO, not really. It's the sulphur that was in the old diesel that swelled the seals and with ULSD cars started to leak as the compounds leeched out of the seals and they un-swelled. If anything good bio will cause that to happen faster.

Click to expand...

If that is so then why isn't my 04 that was run on regular diesel before LSD and ULSD came out be leaking?

because it's a PD.....it's a toatally different system. And it's VERY few of the cars past 01' that leak. They need to be run on some pretty crappy fuel for a while to leak. There were NEVER any dealers selling really high sulpher fuel around the country...

2004STARWARSTDI said:

If that is so then why isn't my 04 that was run on regular diesel before LSD and ULSD came out be leaking?

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Have the seals on the Fuel Injection Pump replaced.

Hi there - I had the exact same problem about two months ago - actually posted to this site. VW dealership could only offer a full replacement of the fuel injection pump to the tune of $4000 with labor. YIKES!

Found a diesel mechanic locally to replace the seals on the fuel injection pump at the suggestion of a FABULOUS poster on this forum. My mechanic used this kit - http://www.dieselgeek.com/servlet/Detail?no=443

It total cost me about $300 and not a drop of diesel on my garage floor since. Best of luck!

oops, guess I should have read more - looks like you are already planning this...

Thanks for that last reply LuvMyTDIBug. I called this mechanic in Hutchinson and he was going to force me to get a timing belt change and a rebuild on the injection pump to the tune of $1800 minimum. I told him no thanks. Anyone know anyone around the middle of Kansas that might want to work on my pump? I can drive it to anywhere for cheaper than $1800! St. Louis, Kansas City, anyone??
Thanks,
Tim