Car just dumps fuel when pump is primed?

I went to start my golf yesterday (the guy i bought it off said there was some sort of issue with the fuel lines) so i thought i'd stick fuel in a see what happens….

Basically, as soon as the pump primes, it just spits fuel out right before the back wheel? I took this picture as i'm utterly new to mk1's?

Whatever this thing is it's super loose too









New fuel lines or pump? or both?

There's several things in that area, basically following the direction of the fuel, there's:

1. Little 90? bend fuel hose (rubber)
2. Fuel pump
3. High pressure hose to accumulator
4. Accumulator
5. High pressure hose to fuel line on the car

then it goes to the metering head, and there's a fuel return line…..

6. Rubber (lower pressure) return hose to top front right of tank.

Also there is the fuel filler neck, its overflow, and breather send and return hoses in this area. The breather is located in the wheelarch and the 3 hoses (2 for the breather and 1 for the filler neck overflow) take a route within the wheelarch too.

I'm just going to set about removing it all today and seeing what i find, i'm no mechanical mastermind though so be affraid….

I'll report my findings this eve

Cheers Paul

Good luck then cos some of the pipes, you need to drop the tank a little to get to them! I think you can drop the tank but leave the axle on, but to properly get to it (ie remove the tank) you need to remove the axle - that means disconnecting brakes and suspension too.

I bet you its the return pipe or one of the high pressure connections - you could reach that fairly easily though.

Well i trooped on a little, i got a friend (his eyes arn't as important as mine) to watch whilst i primed it, he reckons it's coming from both of the connections on the fuel pump, ie one at either end, does that sound right?

paulydixon said

Well i trooped on a little, i got a friend (his eyes arn't as important as mine) to watch whilst i primed it, he reckons it's coming from both of the connections on the fuel pump, ie one at either end, does that sound right?

Can't see why it would come from the low pressure side (after all its always under the pressure of fuel generated by the 'head') but there is the foam surround and cage, fuel is probably leaking from the HP side and seeping around, to come out at this area.

Top tip - if you undo the connections, clean up (use brake/clutch cleaning fluid) the areas of the connections thoroughly, for example by rubbing with paper towel, then (safely away from the fuel system) heat up the copper washers in a gas flame (I used my gas cooker holding it in pliers) this can often restore a leaky high pressure fuel connection.

you can remove the pump without touching the tank, I got the pump, accumulator and all fuel lines fitted without touching it so it should be ok to do it the other way  

crazyquiff does all the fuel lines at the back new, and also the ones that run all the way from the back of the car to the front.  the main under car lines are quite expensive, so you might want to give it all a good clean up under there to see if the old lines can be saved.

http://www.golfmk1.co.uk/FlexiFuelPipes.htm

edit: oh and he also does the right angle hose from tank to the pump:
http://www.golfmk1.co.uk/TankHose.htm

one thing, have something ready to block the outlet on the bottom of the tank as it'll drain comletly otherwise