2002 Jetta TDi - Fuel pump Recondition

Hi,"Does anyone know if the Fuel injection pump can be mechanically rebuilt.
I already had it RESEALED, but car keeps cutting off after 5-10 miles and diagnosis pointing to it.
New FIP is a crazy $2,000 + install

Any ideas ?

If the fuel pump needs to be rebuilt DFIS in Portland is one place to contact. Depending on what parts have failed will determine the cost. I just had them rebuild an injection pump for me and the original estimate was $999.20; there are other options too. Dutch Auto Parts sells reliable tested and resealed pumps for $385.00 shipped to the US, and their rebuilt pumps are around $650.00 IIRC. If you are just going to swap the fuel pump, wait a second, when was the last time the timing belt was done? I have minimal tools and I own VCDS and I was able to swap out the old/new pump in less than one hour; granted this was not my first pump swap. If you are not familiar with working on TDI's you might want to find a guru if possible. You might contact DFIS and ask them if they would do the swap at their shop. If you are swapping the pump you might consider doing the injectors/nozzles at the same time to keep the optimum fuel curve available. What error codes are you getting giving you the diagnosis you have? I believe there are guru's in the San Francisco area, but I am not sure on that one right this minute.

I just looked at your other thread and i would like to suggest the "fuel sender mod" as a possible fix to your problem. Lots and lots of MK4's have had this same issue: mine included. I was running out of fuel under hard acceleration and the filter was new, and the pump visually checked out and nothing made sense (this is the short version) in the fuel supply line that goes into the tank through the fuel sender module there is a triangle shaped "widget" that is technically a check valve to prevent fuel from running out of the tank should the car be flipped on it's top upside down. D2 is nowhere near as flammable or flash-able as gasoline is, so I can see why they installed it. Anyway, there is always some gunk floating around the inside of the fuel sender unit form D2 and it has been known of hundreds if not thousands of MK4's have had this problem. The lesser the amount of fuel in the tank the better as it is likely there will be some fuel spilled somewhere, usually in the back seat area. Once the sender is out an 11/32 drill bit put into the pickup tube will physically remove the check valve. If you have an hour and a drill you can do this job yourself in your driveway if necessary, and maybe you won't need a new pump. I will say that if this condition has gone on a long time the pump may have experienced extra wear trying to pump fuel and only moved non-lubricating air. PM me if you like.

I seem to recall a thread indicating the 'tee' on the fuel filter could clog on the return side and force the return fuel possibly with air in it to go through the filter and back into the pump until it does not have enough fuel in it to run.
If you have a clear plastic line you could put in from the injector pump return to that tee you would see if there's air in the return.
Mine is milky white with air.
I have to purge the injector pump before I change the bleed lines from the injectors and the fuel filter & tee and check if things are better.
Long shot anyway.

I'd also suggest checking that your fuel tank is being vented properly.

I mention this because it sounds like the car will restart on its own if left overnight... which in my mind points *away* from it being an IP issue (since an IP is unlikely going to heal itself, repeatedly) and more towards something that can resolve itself, given enough time. Venting is one example.

Next time it quits you could try opening the fuel cap to see if you hear a rush of air and can then get a re-start.

The VW fuel caps are generally pretty reliable, but you never know, and if someone put an aftermarket cap on at some point ya really never know.

Another possibility would be the crank sensor, which has been reported to sometimes develop a failure mode where it's fine when the engine is cold but degrades over time as the engine is running and things heat up. I'd expect a code in that case, but the ECU often misses things, particularly if the engine is in the middle of dying.