Fuel pump hot wire

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RandyM
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:01 pm
Location: Ojai, Ca

Fuel pump hot wire

Post by RandyM »

Hi all, it seems my fuel pump hot wire (grn /vio) is shorted to ground somewhere between the combo relay and the fuel pumps. With combo relay Unplugged and fuel pump disconnected,probing wire side of connectors at c/r end and both pumps shows continuity to chassis. Has anyone experienced this and can point me to the location I should look first please. Under the back seat is where I’d start.

Thanks
1981 Sapphire blue automatic
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
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Mike W.
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Re: Fuel pump hot wire

Post by Mike W. »

What sort of resistance? Remember the fuel pump, thru it's windings, does bridge hot and ground, probably at something like 4 ohms.

Troubleshooting. First step, disconnect both pumps and see what you get then.
Mike W.



1980 528i, 3.5 euro, 5 speed conversion
1981 528i, 3.6, Recaros and more. Project
1998 328is, quick and efficient, but not satisfying
2000 528iit, Vacation mobile/wife's grocery getter
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RandyM
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:01 pm
Location: Ojai, Ca

Re: Fuel pump hot wire

Post by RandyM »

Thanks for the reply Mike, yes I thought about it a bit and got things sorted properly. The new Bosch pump is way noisier than the old one which I could barely hear, I think it was original.
1981 Sapphire blue automatic
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
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Lock
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Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2015 1:51 pm
Location: Olympia, WA
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Re: Fuel pump hot wire

Post by Lock »

You can quieten the external pump a little with some rubber or foam between the pump and pump bracket. The rubber mounts for the assembly have probably hardened up.
Sometimes the pumps will be loud if the suction pipe is bent or kinked as it's struggling to draw fuel and can starve the engine under acceleration, so make sure that's not the cause of the noise. You shouldn't be able to hear it in the car with engine idling- if you can clearly hear it whining or howling, something may be wrong. Or you have a dog in the back seat.
1979 528i - Sold
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