Fuel pump-What should it do?

This may seem a bit of a daft question, but here goes:
Im having trouble with my 1979 Golf N not always starting. It has a later 1800 8v GTi lump in it so electronic fuel pump.
I ve read about when you turn on the ignition the fuel pump will 'prime'.
What exactly is meant by this term. On my last car (Peugeot 306 GTi6) you turned on the ignition the fuel pump would buzz for a couple of secs then stop. I always assumed this was it priming.
On my mk1 you turn on the ignition and the fuel pump runs constantly. The car starts lovely sometimes and just turns over other times, if it doesn t fire first time it takes ages to get it to start.
The fuel pump is very noisy, not sure if this is an issue or not.
The fuel pump relay is located beside the ignition on my car. Its not the correct relay because it says 'stop lamp' on  the top!
It has 4 pins on it. I ve traced the wires.
Live and neutral direct from the pump to two of the terminals, Switched live from the ignition to one of the terminals and earth to the fourth terminal. The switched live has an in line 15 amp fuse in it.

My question is should the pump run constantly when i turn on the ignition but dont start the car?
If not how do i solve this? bearing in mind there is no fuel pump relay in the fuse box due to the engine conversion, someone has thrown something together to make it work basically.
How can put something together to make it work better or correctly, or is this already correct?
Thanks in anticipation!!
Sam

I ve bought a new fuel pump relay today fo rthe correct engine, (DX).
It has 5 connections.
Can anyone tell me what the 5 are at all?
I think it should be
Earth
Permanent live
Switched live
live to pump
Neutral from pump.
Does this sound anything like it should be?
The 5r connections are numbered 15 30 31 31b and 87
Can anyone tell me what should go to these or point me in the right direction where i might find out?
Thanks a lot, very much appreciated!!!

is the relay in the actual fusebox?

No mate, its up beside the ignition.
There is a fuel pump relay in the fuse box but its been totally bypassed as car still runs fine with it removed.

the 5 connectors are load + and -, switch + and -, and a pulse trigger from the coil. This gives the same 'pulse' signal as the rev counter receives, so the fuel pump knows the engine is running. Its a safety feature - if the engine isn't running, the fuel pump carries on for 3-4 seconds but then stops.

Brilliant, thanks mate.
I dont suppose you know which is which on the standard fuel pump relay? I want to re wire in but externally to the fuse box.

samwilko said

Brilliant, thanks mate.
I dont suppose you know which is which on the standard fuel pump relay? I want to re wire in but externally to the fuse box.

The little one's the trigger. Dunno about the others but I think they have little numbers, and there's a standardised system or something. You're looking for 85, 86, 87, 87a, 30, etc little figures.

samwilko said

Brilliant, thanks mate.
I dont suppose you know which is which on the standard fuel pump relay? I want to re wire in but externally to the fuse box.

This may help thanks to crazyquiff

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=2376&highlight=fuse+box