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Mon Jul 08, 2024 8:01 am

A couple of weeks ago I started a thread about what brand of fuel pump to buy. My original quit and I replaced it with a cheap Chinese one that I had as a spare. (I then bought another cheap pump to carry as a spare). The installed pump works fine so far, but a week or two into it, it has started being a bit noisy (buzzing). We’re about to begin a longer trip and I’m wondering if I should be concerned about the noise (it’s not bothersome).

Mon Jul 08, 2024 8:09 am

Nope. They do that.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 9:26 am

Thanks Steve. That’s the answer I was hoping for.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 10:47 am

I just experienced the same failure.

Make sure to replace the following:
-rubber fuel line from fuel tank to fuel pump (different size hose)
-rubber fuel line from fuel pump to fuel filter (different size hose)
-new fuel filter
-new fuel hose clamps (not worm)
-get the correct PSI rated fuel lines
-get E85 rated rubber if it applies to your location

I purchased Hella Fuel Pump from Bus Depot. Its cheap and quiet:
https://www.busdepot.com/043906091

I hope this helps.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 10:52 am

Other than a cheap pump, there could be a restriction in the tank that is causing the pump to cavitate and that's the noise you hear.

If you are ambitious, you can disconnect the line from the tank to the pump and blow compressed air into the tank outlet. This might temporarliy move any crud aside. Reconnect the pump and see if the noise has quieted. If it has you know you have a problem with the tank.

Another option would be to get a longer piece of hose and set it in a gas can at near the same level as the pump. If the pump is quieter, another indication of a restriction.

Or, you can just take your trip and see what happens. If a pump is coming apart over time, metal will collect in the filter, so carry a spare filter to mate with your spare pump. I carry 2 spare fuel filters. They are easier to have on hand than to be stuck waiting on NAPA to get one in for you.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 10:57 am

Don’t fret about this before your trip.

It’s hard to say if your pump is “too loud” or normal. If buzzing *very* loud, that is not normal. Next time it does that, feel it, it should be warm to hottish, but not so hot you can’t hold your hand on it.

On a hot day, if worried, just pull over and let it cool a bit. I may be amiss, but think a hot pump is a factor in vapor lock, so if it suddenly runs terribly just pull over and watch clouds and birds for ten or fifteen minutes. :wink:

Mon Jul 08, 2024 1:20 pm

Thanks for all your replies. I’ll plan on taking the van with the slightly noisy pump then. I do have a spare in case I run into trouble.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 1:38 pm

Depends where it fails. :wink:

Mon Jul 08, 2024 4:12 pm

Aftermarket fuel pumps are often noisy and can be failure prone. OEM pumps (Bosch, Hella, Pierburg) are rarely noisy unless there is an underlying cause. The most common is a blockage somewhere which is overtaxing the pump, such as sediment in the tank, a collapsing fuel line, clogged filter, etc. Worn/brittle fuel pump mounts can also make the pump seem noisy as they transmit vibration to the chassis. Since you have an aftermarket pump, you could have an underlying cause (which may be what killed your last pump) or just a crappy fuel pump, it's hard to say. Either case could potentially lead to a breakdown, or the pump could just whine for a very long time. You could test the fuel pump outside of the vehicle and see if it's quiet; if so, the odds favor an underlying cause.

It's worth mentioning that a good OEM pump isn't expensive. (We sell the Hella for $69.) Considering the hassle of lying under your Vanagon and replacing a fuel pump on the shoulder of the road (been there, done that), I'd argue that the small cost difference compared to a cheap aftermarket pump is well worth it just for the peace of mind alone.

Mon Jul 08, 2024 4:47 pm

Thanks Ron. $69 is a great price. Shipping to Canada usually kills the great prices of parts from the US. I don’t have time to get one now. Do you by chance have a vendor in Canada? Like Werke1?

Mon Jul 08, 2024 10:04 pm

I put in one of the cheap fuel pumps in the Vanagon a few years ago, and after it proved to operate just fine, ordered a spare.
I consider replacing the pumps on these vans very easy if you have a basic tool kit and drain pan, so would not worry about doing it on the road.

I like to hear fuel pumps in cars. I guess because the newest car in the family fleet is twenty five years old. I turn the key to the ignition position and listen for the pump, then crank the engine. When you get used to a pump, you will notice if it starts sounding weak, giving a slow groaning sound before sounding normal. So I think I will have adequate warning that a pump is on its last legs.

Tue Jul 09, 2024 4:58 am

What ibulib, MarkWard and Ron say above is dead-on and I disagree with the previous posters saying noisy pumps are normal and just fine.

My experience is that quality fuel pumps are NOT noisy, a noisy fuel pump indicates a problem, and I wouldn't be comfortable taking any trip with a noisy fuel pump. Yes, you can hear the fuel pump run briefly then shut off when you first turn the key without starting the engine. But I don't hear the fuel pump when the engine is running.

Here's my tale of tracking down and fixing three noisy fuel pumps (all OEM Bosch).
The next day we were out again when the fuel pump started whining louder than usual and the hesitation became progressively worse. Hummmm, the fuel pump must be dying. It's not that old, but who knows anymore. Good thing I keep a spare fuel pump & filter on the shelf at home for just this scenario....

I installed the spare fuel pump & filter. But it was just as noisy as the one it replaced. Rats, my spare was bad, too...

I found a new Bosch 69414 pump online... However, once installed, the new pump was just as noisy as the previous two....

A quick TheSamba search for "Noisy fuel pump" gave the expected wide spectrum of returns where I read things like "Many new fuel pumps are noisy, just live with it", "these pumps are too powerful and cavitate, use an inline resistor to slow it down", and "water in the tank can result in a noisy fuel pump." The true value to TheSamba search isn't that it will always give the answer, but that it will give one many different solutions and viewpoints to consider. One post stuck in my mind where they said that whenever they replace a customer's fuel pump, they always drain some fuel out of the tank to check for fuel contamination. I had been very careful not to spill any fuel, so I hadn't checked into this in my two recent fuel pump changes.

That sounds easy to do (even though I hate dealing with open gasoline and the potential for fire after seeing the aftermath of a friend's shop fire). So I carefully opened the fuel line from the tank to collect a sample, but, to my surprise, only a tiny dribble of fuel came out. I removed the gas cap and no change. The tank and all the lines are only 2 years old, it shouldn't be rust clogged. What's going on? (see picture below)The full story on the problem here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9788506#9788506

And fixing it, here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9812154#9812154

Of course, this may not be your problem at all and I am sure some here who can say that they have driven for years with a noisy fuel pump without problem. But, for me, a noisy fuel pump is one of those mechanical red flags that you ignore at your peril, just like hearing a faint engine knock, smelling a whiff of coolant, or seeing a wisp of smoke from too-hot wiring. Once I tried being frugal by buying a non-OEM fuel pump and, while it worked fine on the flats, it couldn't keep up on the hills and left me in a very bad position on a big climb up a mountain pass with no pull-offs. Never again.

Gravity-only flow directly out the fuel tank, upstream of the fuel pump, should NOT look like this. Instead, it should be a full steady flow.
Restricted flow like this will cause your fuel pumps to cavitate noisily

Tue Jul 09, 2024 7:05 am

harvgwen wrote: Thanks Ron. $69 is a great price. Shipping to Canada usually kills the great prices of parts from the US. I don’t have time to get one now. Do you by chance have a vendor in Canada? Like Werke1?
No, but we do have new lower shipping prices to Canada, thanks to a newly negotiated Fedex discount. This is the cheapest shipping we've ever seen to Canada, so it's good news for our neighbors up north. We can now ship the fuel pump to British Columbia for only $20, as opposed to the previous $34 cost. The new rates will not show up on our site, but we generally adjust downward if the rate comes up lower when we actually go to ship. To be safe, put a note in the comments section asking us to look for a lower rate, and/or send a concurrent email, and we'll requote before we release the order.

Tue Jul 09, 2024 7:39 am

sanchius wrote: What ibulib, MarkWard and Ron say above is dead-on and I disagree with the previous posters saying noisy pumps are normal and just fine.

My experience is that quality fuel pumps are NOT noisy, a noisy fuel pump indicates a problem, and I wouldn't be comfortable taking any trip with a noisy fuel pump. Yes, you can hear the fuel pump run briefly then shut off when you first turn the key without starting the engine. But I don't hear the fuel pump when the engine is running.

Here's my tale of tracking down and fixing three noisy fuel pumps (all OEM Bosch).
The next day we were out again when the fuel pump started whining louder than usual and the hesitation became progressively worse. Hummmm, the fuel pump must be dying. It's not that old, but who knows anymore. Good thing I keep a spare fuel pump & filter on the shelf at home for just this scenario....

I installed the spare fuel pump & filter. But it was just as noisy as the one it replaced. Rats, my spare was bad, too...

I found a new Bosch 69414 pump online... However, once installed, the new pump was just as noisy as the previous two....

A quick TheSamba search for "Noisy fuel pump" gave the expected wide spectrum of returns where I read things like "Many new fuel pumps are noisy, just live with it", "these pumps are too powerful and cavitate, use an inline resistor to slow it down", and "water in the tank can result in a noisy fuel pump." The true value to TheSamba search isn't that it will always give the answer, but that it will give one many different solutions and viewpoints to consider. One post stuck in my mind where they said that whenever they replace a customer's fuel pump, they always drain some fuel out of the tank to check for fuel contamination. I had been very careful not to spill any fuel, so I hadn't checked into this in my two recent fuel pump changes.

That sounds easy to do (even though I hate dealing with open gasoline and the potential for fire after seeing the aftermath of a friend's shop fire). So I carefully opened the fuel line from the tank to collect a sample, but, to my surprise, only a tiny dribble of fuel came out. I removed the gas cap and no change. The tank and all the lines are only 2 years old, it shouldn't be rust clogged. What's going on? (see picture below)The full story on the problem here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9788506#9788506

And fixing it, here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9812154#9812154

Of course, this may not be your problem at all and I am sure some here who can say that they have driven for years with a noisy fuel pump without problem. But, for me, a noisy fuel pump is one of those mechanical red flags that you ignore at your peril, just like hearing a faint engine knock, smelling a whiff of coolant, or seeing a wisp of smoke from too-hot wiring. Once I tried being frugal by buying a non-OEM fuel pump and, while it worked fine on the flats, it couldn't keep up on the hills and left me in a very bad position on a big climb up a mountain pass with no pull-offs. Never again.

Gravity-only flow directly out the fuel tank, upstream of the fuel pump, should NOT look like this. Instead, it should be a full steady flow.
Restricted flow like this will cause your fuel pumps to cavitate noisily

You can lead a horse to water. :wink:

Tue Jul 09, 2024 7:52 am

the noisy pumps from the cheap overseas manufacturers are always noisy- that is normal, and they do run completely okay.... just loud.
I've installed a lot of them, and I proudly carry one as a spare (and you absolutely should as well!) They'll plug right in when your pump fails, and they'll be loud- but it's not an indication of a problem, because you've changed nothing else. When you get home and get a good Bosch one, you'll plug that one right in and it will be quiet again.

I've got a loud one on my one syncro Westy right now, and today- I'll be switching back to the quiet one. Changing NOTHING ELSE proves to me that that's completely normal and acceptable.

Anyways- absolutely carry one of the cheap ones, because when you break down in Vermont and suspect a bad fuel pump like I did in April.... you'll find that Oreileys, auto zone, and advance all keep only one pump in stock that's available to you. It's a universal one, it's $219 after tax (I returned it this morning) and it's a piece of crap. And you can't return it if you even open the bag it comes in!
So, don't do that (I've done that twice in my life, I now carry the stock direct drop in cheap one from amazon- and you should too!).

It's pretty wild how annoying the sound is, and how much quieter the good one is.

Tue Jul 09, 2024 7:55 am

Common problem: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/search.php?searc...=titleonly .

Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:06 am

Thanks Ron. I’ll keep BusDepot in mind for part ordering. Have you looked into the option of pre paying Canadian duty at the time of checkout? In addition to the actual shipping cost, the shipping company usually needs to pay Canadian duty for the parts (which in itself is reasonable). They then charge what I consider to be exorbitant “brokerage” fees. There is no way of knowing what these fees will be beforehand, nor is there really any recourse, the buyer just needs to buck up and pay it. The end cost is often double the price of the part. For the US$69 pump I would probably expect it to cost CAD$200 by the time it gets to me. Rock Auto pre pays the duty, as well as 2 parts suppliers in the UK (I also drive old Land Rovers). At checkout I pay for the part, shipping and Canadian duty (which is actually not that expensive). There are never any extra fees that I need to pay when the part arrives.

Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:10 am

I live in canada, and i totally agree. I often ship to a us address on the border and drive down to pick up. you still need to declare, but quite often you are just waved thru at the border.

Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:29 am

sanchius wrote: I disagree with the previous posters saying noisy pumps are normal and just fine.

I agree with your disagreement :D

it's bullshit to think a noisy pump is "ok"

I wrote up how to fix this and told the poster I'd buy his pump if I was wrong. Never heard back from him

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10208532#10208532

Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:45 am

I agree with your agreement.

It’s common they run loud, but it’s not normal.

If most people here post that “loud is normal,” it’ll later prove how utterly useless AI is relaying fact over common error. Good. I like people.

I’ll start:
It’s normal that a Vanagon fuel pump is louder than Deep Purple in Japan.