external/transfer fuel pump on my RS6 died after 68k miles-any suggestions?

[ramin]

Glad to hear it, sounds like a good project...pics or it didn't happen

Sorry for the delay. I just took pictures of the stock vs. Bosch 044 pump side by side. Looking at the stock pump on the bottom, the gray rubber sleeve on the right slides over the stock pump. The two black plastic sleeves on the left go over the stock pump (with the rubber sleeve) to mount it into the strap that holds the stock pump in place. I just cut up an old bicycle tire and wrapped it around the new pump to make the fit snug in the straps.

I will take pictures of the installed pump next time I get the car on the lift.

I have driven 300 miles so far with no issues/codes. The car is actually much more responsive (indicating that my stock pump must have been going downhill for a period of time).

Take a look at the picture of the broken stock connector on the right (white plastic with super thin connectors embedded). It gives you an idea of how fragile the connectors are relative to the sturdy Bosch connector posts. That was one reason I wanted to give the Bosch pump a try even without changing the fuel pressure valve or recoding the computer. I suspect the stock pump was probably not getting a good connection for a while which burned it out over time.

The responsiveness alone makes the project worth it. The new pump seems a bit noisier if you are standing outside next to it; otherwise, I can't really hear it.

[ramin]

Finally got the car back on the lift. Here are a couple of pictures showing the Bosch fuel pump installed. As you will note, I used a lot of zip ties. Also used a piece of old bicycle tire to make up for the diameter difference between the OEM strap and narrower pump. It almost fits perfectly (length-wise) in the existing cavity formed by the fuel tank and body.

I have driven it 1,800 miles with the Bosch pump (without changing the regulator) and have had no issues whatsoever. In fact, the responsiveness is noticeably better (probably due to the original pump not having been at its tip-top shape due to electrical connector weakness).