Aux Fuel Pump Failure (Formerly:HPFP Failure!)

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
The main fuel pump on my '09 Jetta TDI (with only 15,000 miles on the clock) went dead while waiting for the lights to turn green at a major intersection during afternoon rush hour about two weeks ago. Strangely enough, the "check engine" never came on. Instead, all the idiot lights came on as if I had stalled the engine.

I cranked the motor 5 to 6 times without any luck in getting the motor to turn over! It did not sound like there was any fuel going to the engine at all! The battery was strong and the starter was doing its job.

Anyway, I had it towed to the nearest VW dealership which, luckily, was only about 5 miles away.

I got a call from the service department after lunch the next day saying that my car is ready to be picked up. Wow, that was fast!

They ended up replacing both the main and auxilliary pumps, the fuses for both pumps plus they replaced the fuel filter as well (just in case, I guess!). Finally, they "reflashed" or "reset" the computer. I hate to imagine what the bill would tally up to be if my car was off warranty! I don't want to know!

I invite TDI club members to share their opinions and experience on the subject (or issue!) of HPFP failure on TDI's. Is this a common problem with the CRD TDI's?

Thank you in advance for sharing your comments with me.


EOTS
 
Last edited:

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Glad they fixed it for you. Sounds like the experience wasn't too bad, overall.

Curious that they didn't replace the fuel tank, injectors, etc... I thought that was pretty common when the pump failed. Perhaps it didn't send out the signature shrapnel and ended up suffering from another failure method that was less catastrophic.

Anyway, cheers and happy dieseling!
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
That does not sound like the usual symptoms (or repairs) for a HPFP that self-destructs. I would be curious as to the part numbers they replaced. A 2009+ TDI actually has three fuel pumps and as you described it they only replaced two. I am curious which two. Anyway, I glad they got it up and running in one day for you (this also in unusual for an HPFP failure).

Good Luck!

Don
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
EOTS,

Welcome! Please do some reading here as this has been discussed to death and you really should be knowledgeable about it. It would help others if you could post your work ticket showing part numbers and diagnosis. Hope all is well for you now.
 

Bob S.

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Location
Central MD.
TDI
A B4V, some ALHs & BRMs
EOTS,

Welcome! Please do some reading here as this has been discussed to death and you really should be knowledgeable about it. It would help others if you could post your work ticket showing part numbers and diagnosis. Hope all is well for you now.
+1 on the welcome.

+3 on the please post a copy of your work order.

Alternately, PM a copy to member Silver02 for him to post and/or to include in his HPFP failure tracking thread. the info sure would help many here who are trying to follow the failures.
 

GTIDan

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Location
So. California
TDI
2010 Candy White Jetta, DSG
Forget 'show me the money' Show me the dealer work order showing what parts were repaired or replaced. Not convinced they replaced the HPFP :(
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
I am sure he is spending some time slogging through the threads learning something. Give him a chance to respond and post "if" he wants to. This isn't a prove it or else, it is a share the info request. Let's not repeat the other ugly thread.
 

narongc73

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
VA/OH
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Yeah who gives a crap if he is making it up. Doesn't bother me any. Just like everything else in life newer doesn't always mean better.
 

Pelican18TQA4

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Location
Philadelphia, PA
TDI
'13 Jetta Hybrid
Since the OP references replacing the fuses for the two pumps that were replaced, that infers that the pumps replaced are electronic, which the HPFP is not. Sounds like the OP's aux fuel pump went bad, not the HPFP.
 

MayorDJQ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Location
Williamstown, Mass
TDI
'10 Golf 2dr 6m, sold.
Since the OP references replacing the fuses for the two pumps that were replaced, that infers that the pumps replaced are electronic, which the HPFP is not. Sounds like the OP's aux fuel pump went bad, not the HPFP.
I concur. Especially since the repairs were made so quickly. There's no mention of replacing injectors, lines, flushing, etc.

The dealership could have been mixing up the lingo.
 

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
My apology in not having responded any sooner!

The following items were listed in the work order:

DESCRIPTION / OPERATION CODE
Technical Diagnosis / 01320026
5051 GFF / 01500000
Replaced Fuel Pump Fuses / 20655599
Replaced Fuel Pump / 20661900
Re & Re Aux Fuel Pump / 20661933
Update ECM as per TSB 2020606-2 / 23602599
Road Test / 01210004

PARTS:
4 N 017 131 12 FLAT FUSE / ASTD
1 1K0 919 050 J FUEL UNIT / A

All of the above-listed labor and parts were performed under warranty and , as such, none of the line items was shown with "unit price".

I could not really tell if the "fuel unit" described above was the main pump or auxilliary unit. Any takers? Comments anyone?


EOTS
 

MayorDJQ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Location
Williamstown, Mass
TDI
'10 Golf 2dr 6m, sold.
Yep, that's the auxiliary furl pump. It's pump #2 in the system.

Pump #1 is the Lift Lump in the tank that supplies fuel at low pressure to the fuel filter and from there to the Aux Pump. The Aux Pump then sends fuel to the HPSP at 70psi. The HPFP supplies up to ~26,000psi to the rail.
 

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
Thanks for the enlightenment. At least now I know which pump had failed on me.

Does anyone know if there is anything I could do to prevent or at least lessen the likelihood of the failure of the HPFP? Would diesel additives help in extending the life of the fuel system?


EOTS
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
Thanks for the enlightenment. At least now I know which pump had failed on me.

Does anyone know if there is anything I could do to prevent or at least lessen the likelihood of the failure of the HPFP? Would diesel additives help in extending the life of the fuel system?


EOTS
There has been a lot of discussion here about this very subject. Some people think that a lubricity additive is your best insurance, others thimk that no additives should be used. Do a search for "lubricity + additive" and you will find a lot of info - some of it useful. I pesonally feel that added lubricating ability can't hurt, but since nobody really knows exactly what kills HPFPs, the jury is still out on this one. You must read all the studies and make up your own mind. All I know for sure is that US diesel fuel does not have to be up to the same lubricity standard as in Europe and Canada.

Have Fun!

Don
 

Bob S.

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Location
Central MD.
TDI
A B4V, some ALHs & BRMs
Eots; Thanks for posting the info. It sure helps keep track of things.

As for the aux. fuel pump. I have read & been told that the in-tank aux. pumps are cooled by the fuel in the tank and keeping the fuel level above 1/4 is better for the tank cooling. I am unsure of how much it actually helps i practice, but I do understand the logic of it. Yours may have just been one of those % failures. Heres hoping you get 300k out of the new pump.
 

nhdoc

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Location
Nashua, NH
TDI
'01 GLS NB TDI 5 Speed
How about changing the header of the post, since this apparently was NOT a HPFP failure.
 

MayorDJQ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Location
Williamstown, Mass
TDI
'10 Golf 2dr 6m, sold.
Eots; Thanks for posting the info. It sure helps keep track of things.

As for the aux. fuel pump. I have read & been told that the in-tank aux. pumps are cooled by the fuel in the tank and keeping the fuel level above 1/4 is better for the tank cooling. I am unsure of how much it actually helps i practice, but I do understand the logic of it. Yours may have just been one of those % failures. Heres hoping you get 300k out of the new pump.
The Aux Fuel pump is mounted in the engine compartment, timing belt side, inches from the engine. There's no fuel to submerge it in. Just like the in tank pumps, it's cooled by fuel flowing through it.
 

Bob S.

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Location
Central MD.
TDI
A B4V, some ALHs & BRMs
Opps, sorry about. Fingers engaged prior to fully thinking. That's the problem with taking things from the internet as gospel.:eek:
 

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
Other than using good quality diesel from a reputable brand at a busy location, I will not change my operating and maintenance routine.

FYI, I am averaging 41.3 USMPG (5.7 L/100km) for the last 26 tanks. Best tank was 46.1 MPG (5.1 L/100km) and worse tank was 39.2 MPG (6.0 L/100km). Average tank range is 575 miles (925 km).

Oil change & filter interval is 5000 miles by VW.

Despite this "mishap", I still love my TDI.

If VW would drop the MSRP of the 2011 Touareg TDI by $10,000, I may see myself getting into one! Yes, I know I am day-dreaming.

In the meantime, happy dieseling!

EOTS
 

Pelican18TQA4

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Location
Philadelphia, PA
TDI
'13 Jetta Hybrid
Other than using good quality diesel from a reputable brand at a busy location, I will not change my operating and maintenance routine.

FYI, I am averaging 41.3 USMPG (5.7 L/100km) for the last 26 tanks. Best tank was 46.1 MPG (5.1 L/100km) and worse tank was 39.2 MPG (6.0 L/100km). Average tank range is 575 miles (925 km).

Oil change & filter interval is 5000 miles by VW.

Despite this "mishap", I still love my TDI.

If VW would drop the MSRP of the 2011 Touareg TDI by $10,000, I may see myself getting into one! Yes, I know I am day-dreaming.

In the meantime, happy dieseling!

EOTS
Is the oil change interval different in Canada? I ask because the U.S. interval is 10,000 miles between oil/filter changes.
 

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
Actually, the recommended oil change interval are the same for both countries. The 10,000-mile oil change interval is recommended for straight highway driving. My dealer recommends changing the oil (& filter element) every 5000 miles or so due to the 25% city mileage and 75% rush hour highway distances I put on my TDI. Mind you, I have not been sticking with the 5000-mi oil change religiously, so far it has been between 5000 & 7000 miles depending on if I had gone on a long trip or just put on commuting miles.

An ex-coworker of mine drives an '03 or '04 Jetta TDI (5M) with about 120,000 miles on the clock. He gives his TDI an oil change regularly at 10,000-mile intervals with no ill-effect to the engine. The only thing that had gone wrong with his TDI was he needed to replace a glow plug at 107,000 miles. He regularly gets 750 miles to the tank.

EOTS
 

DPM

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 16, 2001
Location
Newtownards, N. Ireland
TDI
2019 Rav4 AWD Hybrid, Citroen C4 BlueHDI
That aux pump is a standard-ish Bosch roller-ring pump; as used in the in-tank assemblies (and inline pumps on older German cars) in many other petrol and diesel vehicles.I'd say failure is unusual, but someone feel free to prove me wrong...
 

MayorDJQ

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Location
Williamstown, Mass
TDI
'10 Golf 2dr 6m, sold.
That aux pump is a standard-ish Bosch roller-ring pump; as used in the in-tank assemblies (and inline pumps on older German cars) in many other petrol and diesel vehicles.I'd say failure is unusual, but someone feel free to prove me wrong...
I agree that Aux Pump failures will probabky be rare. This is the first one I remember reading about since I started following the A5/6 threads after buying my '09.
 

Rod Bearing

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Location
Fort Worth
TDI
Several
Your dealership is taking you on a missouri boat ride if they claim you need to change your oil that often.

They're just milking you of your money and time.

Stick to 10,000 miles or more.
 

nhdoc

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Location
Nashua, NH
TDI
'01 GLS NB TDI 5 Speed
Your dealership is taking you on a missouri boat ride if they claim you need to change your oil that often.

They're just milking you of your money and time.

Stick to 10,000 miles or more.
X2. (Never heard the term Missouri boat ride before but will have to remember that)

I don't think VW makes any distinction between highway and city driving. I don't even recall there being any "severe condition" change interval like there used to be, but even that wouldn't apply to normal city driving.
 

ZiggyTheHamster

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
Location
Richmond, CA
TDI
2009 VW Jetta TDI
X2. (Never heard the term Missouri boat ride before but will have to remember that)

I don't think VW makes any distinction between highway and city driving. I don't even recall there being any "severe condition" change interval like there used to be, but even that wouldn't apply to normal city driving.
X3. Stick to the owner's manual. 10,000 miles. As I am all too aware (40k service was to cost nearly a thousand dollars if I hadn't decided to do it on my own!), dealers recommend unnecessary service because it gets you in there paying them $$$.
 

EOTS

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
CALGARY, ALBERTA
TDI
Used to own '09 Jetta TDI 6M
You've got me swayed! :D

Any opinion on changing out the oil filter element at the 5,000-mile mark?

EOTS
 

amthatiam

Active member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
TDI
Jetta wagon, 2003, silver
You've got me swayed! :D

Any opinion on changing out the oil filter element at the 5,000-mile mark?

EOTS
I choose to change the oil and filter in mine every 5000 regardless of VW or other opinion, it makes me feel better. I'm an admitted dinosaur. Seems to me to be to much mileage on to small an amount of oil. Certainly can't hurt. Just my $.02 worth

Dan
 
Top