"buzzing" sound from rear fuel pump

My 1986 Jetta has fuel pump under the car, the same place where the fuel
filter is. The pump has been making buzzing sound for a while. It used
to be fairly quiet, but now it is quite loud intermittently. When I
stop suddenly, sound seems to change, almost like fuel getting slushed
around. This seems strange.

My question is
how long can I wait, before replacing the fuel pump?

--
William Park >, Toronto, Canada
ThinFlash: Linux thin-client on USB key (flash) drive
http://home.eol.ca/~parkw/thinflash.html
BashDiff: Super Bash shell
http://freshmeat.net/projects/bashdiff/

William Park wrote:
> My 1986 Jetta has fuel pump under the car, the same place where the
> fuel filter is. The pump has been making buzzing sound for a while.
> It used to be fairly quiet, but now it is quite loud intermittently.
> When I stop suddenly, sound seems to change, almost like fuel getting
> slushed around. This seems strange.
>
> My question is
> how long can I wait, before replacing the fuel pump?

Until it fails which is likely to be very soon. Maybe today, maybe next
year, but it is sure to happen in some very inconvenient place and time.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Your 86 Jetta should have 2 fuel pumps, a main fuel pump under the vehicle
and a transfer pump.
Now have you checked the transfer pump in the fuel tank? Might just be the
strainer is clogged or the transfer pump is bad.
I have also found clogged inlet pipes at the main fuel pump housing. I
think that there is a little strainer at the housing also.

If you wait too long and the main fuel pump strains (possibly the noise you
hear) it will fail sooner.

When the main pump goes then you will probably have to tow vehicle which may
cost more than you installing the transfer pump. ;-)

later,
dave
(One out of many daves)
http://vwdoc1.tripod.com/



"William Park" > wrote in message
...
> My 1986 Jetta has fuel pump under the car, the same place where the fuel
> filter is. The pump has been making buzzing sound for a while. It used
> to be fairly quiet, but now it is quite loud intermittently. When I
> stop suddenly, sound seems to change, almost like fuel getting slushed
> around. This seems strange.
>
> My question is
> how long can I wait, before replacing the fuel pump?

"dave AKA vwdoc1" > wrote in message
. com...
> Your 86 Jetta should have 2 fuel pumps, a main fuel pump under the vehicle
> and a transfer pump.
> Now have you checked the transfer pump in the fuel tank? Might just be
> the strainer is clogged or the transfer pump is bad.
> I have also found clogged inlet pipes at the main fuel pump housing. I
> think that there is a little strainer at the housing also.
>
> If you wait too long and the main fuel pump strains (possibly the noise
> you hear) it will fail sooner.
>
> When the main pump goes then you will probably have to tow vehicle which
> may cost more than you installing the transfer pump. ;-)

I agree it's probably the transfer pump as well.

Matt B. > wrote:
> "dave AKA vwdoc1" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > Your 86 Jetta should have 2 fuel pumps, a main fuel pump under the vehicle
> > and a transfer pump.
> > Now have you checked the transfer pump in the fuel tank? Might just be
> > the strainer is clogged or the transfer pump is bad.
> > I have also found clogged inlet pipes at the main fuel pump housing. I
> > think that there is a little strainer at the housing also.
> >
> > If you wait too long and the main fuel pump strains (possibly the noise
> > you hear) it will fail sooner.
> >
> > When the main pump goes then you will probably have to tow vehicle which
> > may cost more than you installing the transfer pump. ;-)
>
> I agree it's probably the transfer pump as well.

Thanks to all replies. The day after stalling on a freeway, I replaced
the transfer pump inside the tank. And, the loud buzzing noise has
disappeared.

I do hear slight hissing sound, though. But, I don't know if it's
coming from the main fuel pump or from mufflers.

--
William Park >, Toronto, Canada
ThinFlash: Linux thin-client on USB key (flash) drive
http://home.eol.ca/~parkw/thinflash.html
BashDiff: Super Bash shell
http://freshmeat.net/projects/bashdiff/

"William Park" > wrote in message
...
>Thanks to all replies. The day after stalling on a freeway, I replaced the
>transfer pump inside the tank. And, the loud buzzing noise has
>disappeared.

Did the stalling go away too?

>I do hear slight hissing sound, though. But, I don't know if it's coming
>from the main fuel pump or from mufflers.

It will make a slight hum though under normal operation.

Matt B. > wrote:
> "William Park" > wrote in message
> ...
> >Thanks to all replies. The day after stalling on a freeway, I
> >replaced the transfer pump inside the tank. And, the loud buzzing
> >noise has disappeared.
>
> Did the stalling go away too?

Yes. :-)

>
> >I do hear slight hissing sound, though. But, I don't know if it's
> >coming from the main fuel pump or from mufflers.
>
> It will make a slight hum though under normal operation.

I hope the main pump hasn't been damaged too much. It's either new pump
or new laptop.

--
William Park >, Toronto, Canada
ThinFlash: Linux thin-client on USB key (flash) drive
http://home.eol.ca/~parkw/thinflash.html
BashDiff: Super Bash shell
http://freshmeat.net/projects/bashdiff/