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[mantahatch]

He didn't bother with diags, hell he didn't even know where the bonnet release was 

His "fault finding" was to crack an injector, turn the motor over, see no fuel, and decide the pump was US.

I know what you are saying about it worth the while of being a member of such an organisation (if the car really cannot be fixed at the roadside), but even if the relay had failed completely it still could have been got going again at the roadside with a piece of wire (especially as I was so close to my destination).

As for it being worth the money, the AA has had a darn site more than £340 out of me in the last 7 years

And if that is what the patrolman thought was wrong he would not bypass it with a piece of wire for you anyway, his job is worth more to him than that.

By bypassing it you risk your life and anyone in the car with you, got kids ?



PLease please please don't ever do this, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a car. And you are no longer insured.

[KillerWatt]

He didn't bother with diags, hell he didn't even know where the bonnet release was 

His "fault finding" was to crack an injector, turn the motor over, see no fuel, and decide the pump was US.

I know what you are saying about it worth the while of being a member of such an organisation (if the car really cannot be fixed at the roadside), but even if the relay had failed completely it still could have been got going again at the roadside with a piece of wire (especially as I was so close to my destination).

As for it being worth the money, the AA has had a darn site more than £340 out of me in the last 7 years

And if that is what the patrolman thought was wrong he would not bypass it with a piece of wire for you anyway, his job is worth more to him than that.

By bypassing it you risk your life and anyone in the car with you, got kids ?



PLease please please don't ever do this, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a car. And you are no longer insured.

The fuel pump relay is nothing more than a switch whose contacts are rated at 30A, and as it is a diesel, just what is gonna happen (other than the pump continuing to keep the fuel system pressurised with the ignition off)?

[Darth Loo-knee]

He didn't bother with diags, hell he didn't even know where the bonnet release was 

His "fault finding" was to crack an injector, turn the motor over, see no fuel, and decide the pump was US.

I know what you are saying about it worth the while of being a member of such an organisation (if the car really cannot be fixed at the roadside), but even if the relay had failed completely it still could have been got going again at the roadside with a piece of wire (especially as I was so close to my destination).

As for it being worth the money, the AA has had a darn site more than £340 out of me in the last 7 years

And if that is what the patrolman thought was wrong he would not bypass it with a piece of wire for you anyway, his job is worth more to him than that.

By bypassing it you risk your life and anyone in the car with you, got kids ?



PLease please please don't ever do this, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a car. And you are no longer insured.

The fuel pump relay is nothing more than a switch whose contacts are rated at 30A, and as it is a diesel, just what is gonna happen (other than the pump continuing to keep the fuel system pressurised with the ignition off)?

20watt why didn't you fix it then? 

[KillerWatt]

He didn't bother with diags, hell he didn't even know where the bonnet release was 

His "fault finding" was to crack an injector, turn the motor over, see no fuel, and decide the pump was US.

I know what you are saying about it worth the while of being a member of such an organisation (if the car really cannot be fixed at the roadside), but even if the relay had failed completely it still could have been got going again at the roadside with a piece of wire (especially as I was so close to my destination).

As for it being worth the money, the AA has had a darn site more than £340 out of me in the last 7 years

And if that is what the patrolman thought was wrong he would not bypass it with a piece of wire for you anyway, his job is worth more to him than that.

By bypassing it you risk your life and anyone in the car with you, got kids ?



PLease please please don't ever do this, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a car. And you are no longer insured.

The fuel pump relay is nothing more than a switch whose contacts are rated at 30A, and as it is a diesel, just what is gonna happen (other than the pump continuing to keep the fuel system pressurised with the ignition off)?

20watt why didn't you fix it then? 

Because he told us the pump was f**ked.
If I'd had a meter and the wiring diagram at the roadside, they wouldn't have even been called out.

In fact, forget the wiring diagram....if I'd known there was no fuel getting up there then common sense says check the pump is getting a feed.

[mantahatch]

OK if you have an accident and a fuel pipe is ruptured, the "bypass" can keep a nice supply of fuel coming to feed a fire, ok so it is a diesel and a lot harder to ignite. But if a fire has already broken out your nice supply of diesel could really get things going.

I no what you are thinking, I am being way over the top, but how would your family react if the AA man bypassed it and you died in a fire. I am pretty sure they would not say "weel the AA man did his best to get him home did'nt he" On the contrary they would be reaching for the phone to the nearest solicitor to sue AA and the patrolman.

And agian "it will never happen to me" maybe, maybe not. If stuck and alone I might take the chance, but if the wife and kids where with me, then no way would I.

Please "I am not having a go" I just think lives are worth a bit more.

[mantahatch]

Oh yes the relay is there for safety, usually if the engine is switched off the relay is no longer powered up, to bridge it out you would have had to go from the permanent live to the pump feed.
Or the switched side to the pump feed, but if is really 30 amps I doubt the switched side would take that.

[KillerWatt]

Oh yes the relay is there for safety, usually if the engine is switched off the relay is no longer powered up, to bridge it out you would have had to go from the permanent live to the pump feed.
Or the switched side to the pump feed, but if is really 30 amps I doubt the switched side would take that.

It's not there for safety at all.
The switch contact side of the relay is live all the time, it's the actuating coil (that operates the switch contact) that comes live once the ignition is on.

The fuse that feeds the pump is only 15A, but the actual switch contacts in the relay are rated at double that.

As to what my family would do....well I hope they'd be pi$$ed at my early demise, but the house would be paid for and they'd have an extra £200K in the bank.

When it's your time then it's your time, and if I was worried about going early then there are plenty of things I wouldn't do that I do now

[Elite Pete]

He didn't bother with diags, hell he didn't even know where the bonnet release was 

His "fault finding" was to crack an injector, turn the motor over, see no fuel, and decide the pump was US.

I know what you are saying about it worth the while of being a member of such an organisation (if the car really cannot be fixed at the roadside), but even if the relay had failed completely it still could have been got going again at the roadside with a piece of wire (especially as I was so close to my destination).

As for it being worth the money, the AA has had a darn site more than £340 out of me in the last 7 years

And if that is what the patrolman thought was wrong he would not bypass it with a piece of wire for you anyway, his job is worth more to him than that.

By bypassing it you risk your life and anyone in the car with you, got kids ?



PLease please please don't ever do this, it is one of the most dangerous things you can do on a car. And you are no longer insured.

The fuel pump relay is nothing more than a switch whose contacts are rated at 30A, and as it is a diesel, just what is gonna happen (other than the pump continuing to keep the fuel system pressurised with the ignition off)?

20watt why didn't you fix it then? 

20watt, thats not very bright is it?

[Jimbob]

whenever our old cat had one of those 'lampshades' we used to call him 20watt 

Woman up the road had AA out a week or so ago, said they weren't licensed to check fault codes on Vauxhalls!  but diagnosed EGR

My reader confirmed EGR for her.

[Vmax]

Some good some not so good/any good. Can't tar them all with the same brush though!

[Marks DTM Calib]

I dont understand why they even try to diagnose at the road side.

Most things they have no hope in hell of sorting so why 'tinker'.

Anything they can fix will be obvious

[mantahatch]

Oh yes the relay is there for safety, usually if the engine is switched off the relay is no longer powered up, to bridge it out you would have had to go from the permanent live to the pump feed.
Or the switched side to the pump feed, but if is really 30 amps I doubt the switched side would take that.

It's not there for safety at all.
The switch contact side of the relay is live all the time, it's the actuating coil (that operates the switch contact) that comes live once the ignition is on.

The fuse that feeds the pump is only 15A, but the actual switch contacts in the relay are rated at double that.

As to what my family would do....well I hope they'd be pi$$ed at my early demise, but the house would be paid for and they'd have an extra £200K in the bank.

When it's your time then it's your time, and if I was worried about going early then there are plenty of things I wouldn't do that I do now

If it is not for safety what is it for thn ? if the pump has a 15 amp fuse the pump can only be drawing 10 - 12 amps it could be have been wired direct from fuse.

If I am wrong please tell me why, I am keen to learn 

[Kevin Wood]

If it is not for safety what is it for thn ? if the pump has a 15 amp fuse the pump can only be drawing 10 - 12 amps it could be have been wired direct from fuse.

If I am wrong please tell me why, I am keen to learn  Smiley

The fuel pump relay allows it to be switched by the ECU - so partly a safety thing. If the engine stops, the fuel pump stops. This means you don't need an inertia switch to cut the fuel pump in an accident.

If it were me I must admit I would have bridged the contacts and drove home but I can understand why an AA man wouldn't. No matter how many times you tell some people that it's a temporary bodge they'd still drive it regardless. Better to haul them home on a low loader.

Kevin

[KillerWatt]

If it is not for safety what is it for thn ? if the pump has a 15 amp fuse the pump can only be drawing 10 - 12 amps it could be have been wired direct from fuse.

If I am wrong please tell me why, I am keen to learn 

The relay is energised by virtue of switching the ignition on, the relay is there simply to reduce the load on the ignition switch.

If it were me I must admit I would have bridged the contacts and drove home but I can understand why an AA man wouldn't.

The guy didn't get as far as refusing to bridge anything Kev, he saw there was no fuel delivery and automatically diagnosed a defective pump.
If we had known what fuse did what, or what relay did what, we wouldn't have even called them out because we would have sussed it for ourselves.

[Kevin Wood]

The relay is energised by virtue of switching the ignition on, the relay is there simply to reduce the load on the ignition switch.

That's the "main relay" The fuel pump is switched by a second relay which is energised only when the ECU detects cranking or running of the engine.

Both of these relays are purple and they're side by side at the rear of the relay box by the battery.

Kevin