Don’t ignore these red flags: Audi high pressure fuel pump failure signs to watch for

It is always necessary to drive carefully to be safe. The safety for yourself and the car is highly important and for that you have to respond to various signs that the car shows you while you drive. There are various sensors that monitor the different processes in the car and if there are any issues in these processes and has a chance to have a negative impact, then the car computer recognizes it and gives certain warning signs to make the car driver alert. Some signs naturally occur due to the issue while some are given by the car computer itself. Issues in the fuel system is one of such issues which should be never ignored and they show various symptoms. Such symptoms should never be ignored and called as red flags. Here you will know all about these red flags due to high pressure fuel pump failure in Audi.

The high-pressure fuel pump in Audi

The high-pressure fuel pump is an essential part of the fuel system. The fuel system consists of both low pressure and high-pressure systems. This fuel system consists of various sensors, actuators and the fuel lines for the flow of fuel to the engine cylinders.

First the low-pressure system functions by taking in fuel from the fuel tank by a fuel pump. Generally, the pressure in the low-pressure system is maintained 6 bar. Then the fuel passes to the high-pressure system through the fuel filter. In the high-pressure system, the high-pressure fuel pump is present which increases the pressure in the fuel by compressing it more. This pressure is the correct pressure of the fuel with which it has to be injected into the cylinders to have a correct amount of fuel in the combustion chambers.

After further compression by the fuel pump, the fuel passes through the high pressure lined to the fuel rails, also known as fuel distribution pipe. From the fuel rail, the fuel reaches to all the individual cylinders through the high-pressure injectors. In the cylinders, the fuel get mixed with air and the spark plugs present in all cylinders fire the fuel and air mixture to burn it and produce a high amount of energy to turn the crankshaft. So, this is how the fuel pumping and the injection takes place.

The high-pressure fuel pump is the reason behind such a pressure with which the fuel is injected. It compresses the fuel for 50 - 350 bar, so this is the high-pressure range maintained in the high-pressure system. The pressure of both the low pressure and the high pressure is monitored and maintained by the engine control unit or ECU by the help of the pressure sensors located in the system. If the ECU notices that the pressure in the high-pressure system is not maintained according to the system configuration, then it gives signals to the fuel pressure regulator in the high-pressure fuel pump to regulate the fuel flow from the pump. The pressure regulator is a flow valve which controls the fuel flow rate from the pump and the valve is located in the pump. So here the high-pressure fuel pump combined with the pressure regulator compresses fuel and also regulates the fuel flow.

The high-pressure fuel pump is mechanically powered by the camshafts of engine. So, with the rise in engine speed, the pumping rate would also rise.

Here are some causes of the high-pressure fuel pump failure-

 Leakage of fuel

 Damage to the mechanical elements in the pump

 Poor maintenance

 Lack of lubrication

 Contaminants in the fuel system

Signs of the failure of the high-pressure fuel pump

Engine running erratically

If the high-pressure fuel pump would not function properly, then the engine would behave strangely. Because without the proper functioning of the high-pressure pump, there would be a very low fuel pressure which provides a negative impact on the engine performance.

Hard to start

Due to faulty fuel pump, there would not be high pressure as it is supposed to be. So due to low flow pressure, there would also be low fuel amount and you would feel hard to start as the engine would not start easily, it may start after a very long time.

No acceleration to high speeds

If there is a low flow rate of fuel, then there would not enough fuel in the engine, so there would be a very less power generated at the engine, hence the engine would not run with high speeds that would require high power.

Engine warning light

With the malfunction of the fuel pump, there would be a very low flow rate and the engine would suffer from performance problems due to low power output. So, the engine warning light would glow.

Conclusion

These are the most common signs of high-pressure fuel pump failure. So, you should never ignore these signs and get your Audi inspected at Audi service centers.