Don't try this at home

[pamp]

As me bride and myself were under way to sunday brunch, the coupe died.
(this was last winter) It was a fine sunny day. To make a long story shorter,
it then snowed heavy. Friends took us home, provided refuge for "Sienna"
I returned with tools and a tarp. She no wanna start no way as I had no fuel pump actuation. Had to get a tow back to my shop, after the snow melted a bit, to do proper diagnostics (that means that I failed in the field) With superman x-ray vision, I found that the fuel pump relay had been jumpered,
(previous whoever)and the jumper had come loose. Naturally just loose enough to make the deal "intermittant" This relay is hard to find, in the engine bay, as it is mounted to the side of the brake master, low, lot's 'o stuff in the way. Well needless to say that the relay was toast (hence the jumper) Bosch #0 332 003 014 This part is "unobtainium" where I live.
Anyway, here was the fix...#0 332 003 021 a VW part readily available. But... you must gently rotate the center spade 90 degress (10/51) Voila'
021 becomes 014.
I would love to hear more stories. As the parts get fewer and far between ...

 

[jhjacobs]

Fuel supply woes can be interesting. My best fuel deliver story happened in the summer of 1981. I was a poor engineering student with a high mileage E3. I had gotten a job intern job at Lawrence Livermore National Lab and I was driving cross country to get there.

As I made my way into Arizona the temperature was pushing 100F and was doing about 85mph. A cute young lady in a 911 came rolling up beside me, winksat me, and then takes off down the road at 110mph+. Being the young buck that I was, I hit the gas and took of after her. After about 5 minutes my car was sputtering and I could barely hold 105 when I should have be able to cruise at 125. The girl got away. Bummer.

Later I pulled into a gas station and told the old guys there about my woes. They immediately told me that my cara was vapor locking and they sold me a little fuel pump, something like the current Facet model. I did a quick install and it did the trick, I never had trouble like that again but the girl was long gone.

Needless to say, I have purchased a similar fuel pump and pressure regulator for my coupe and I will be installing in when the weather warms. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to catch her this time! The biggest problem is that they never seem to wink at me any more. :wink: