I took the kids to their gymnastics class as usual Saturday morning. When I came out, I noticed a slick on the ground in front of the car so I moved the car to another section of the car park, stopped for a while and checked for anything else on the ground. Nothing so I assume it must have been the previous car. Then I drove on to the zoo for to do a quick drop off (Christmas cards for a competition - they wouldn't take the child lol). Come back out to find another slick running away in the rain. Luckily the zoo is just around the corner from Donnelly's so I decided that would be the next stop.

Donnelly's were busy but took Dez into the garage for a quick check. Turns out the fuel pump at the front has quite a bad leak so Dez is in need of a new one. Anyone got any idea of the cost for a new one? It's been an expensive year with the wee beastie!

Usual good service from Donnelly's. I was in and out again in a yellow Colour Therapy 500 in no time at all. They parked the courtesy car beside mine in the garage so that I could move the kids seats to it. They would have done that for me only they didn't know how to remove them as they are isofix.

Wee Smurf said:

Turns out the fuel pump at the front has quite a bad leak so Dez is in need of a new one. Anyone got any idea of the cost for a new one? It's been an expensive year with the wee beastie!

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Oh dear - ebay seems to show these very dear second hand. Cheaper if the Vauxhall one fits.

£683 for parts and labour. I think Dez is out to totally bankrupt me.

Fuel pump in the front ? Is it a diesel ?

My 1.2 Dynamic only had one fuel pump (AFAIK...), and that was submerged in the fuel tank. I used some of my contacts and found a new pump for 170 GBP and changed it myself.

Yes it's the fuel pump on the front and it's a diesel.

That's for a reconditioned one and it has to come from Italy. The bearing and seals were gone in mine. It'll take at least 5 days to get here.

What mileage?

Sounds like a job for Redex. Used to use it at every fill, but haven't thought of it for years.

95K miles. I'd use a can of stuff in my fuel a couple of times a year. The fuel pump just let go suddenly really. It's only a couple of months from I got my highest ever mileage from a tank of fuel - 504 miles. I didn't really see much of a drop in mpg before it went. I had just put my Winter tyres on and was expecting a small drop between those and the fall in temperature. The car is garaged at night and you'd definitely have smelt it and there would have been a puddle with it, but the floor was dry. At least it wasn't a full tank of diesel. I was due to fill it when it went. At least I was only a couple of miles from the dealer at the time, so I was able to just drive there. I had one of the kids with me so I'm glad that I didn't end up stopped at the side of the road somewhere.

Wee Smurf said:

95K miles. I'd use a can of stuff in my fuel a couple of times a year. The fuel pump just let go suddenly really. It's only a couple of months from I got my highest ever mileage from a tank of fuel - 504 miles. I didn't really see much of a drop in mpg before it went. I had just put my Winter tyres on and was expecting a small drop between those and the fall in temperature. The car is garaged at night and you'd definitely have smelt it and there would have been a puddle with it, but the floor was dry. At least it wasn't a full tank of diesel. I was due to fill it when it went. At least I was only a couple of miles from the dealer at the time, so I was able to just drive there. I had one of the kids with me so I'm glad that I didn't end up stopped at the side of the road somewhere.

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I admire you for your glass being somewhat over half-full in the circumstances.


I had no idea a diesel fuel pump would be that expensive. I wonder if you retained the old pump it had some market value that a specialist company may be prepared to invest in. The fact that there are reconditioned units on the market suggests that someone reconditions them, which suggests also that there is a supply.


EBay's a great leveller - it'd cost nothing to list it and see what happens....

AB100 said:

I admire you for your glass being somewhat over half-full in the circumstances.


I had no idea a diesel fuel pump would be that expensive. I wonder if you retained the old pump it had some market value that a specialist company may be prepared to invest in. The fact that there are reconditioned units on the market suggests that someone reconditions them, which suggests also that there is a supply.


EBay's a great leveller - it'd cost nothing to list it and see what happens....

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The old fuel pump won't be coming home with me as I'd have to pay £75 for it as they have to send it back or pay an extra £75 for it. After his hissy fit earlier this year, I simply couldn't afford that. I'm at the praying nothing else goes wrong with him stage with the sheer amount of money he's cost me this year.

I may be too late, but there is a seal kit available and it's usually the seal at the front cover of the pump that starts leaking on these.

I've managed to change quite a few on Corsa CDTi's with the same engine/pump for less than £20!
It's fairly easy, 4 bolts and it's done.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-...arParts_SM&hash=item2346744880#ht_3005wt_1161

Goudrons said:

I may be too late, but there is a seal kit available and it's usually the seal at the front cover of the pump that starts leaking on these.

I've managed to change quite a few on Corsa CDTi's with the same engine/pump for less than £20!
It's fairly easy, 4 bolts and it's done.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-...arParts_SM&hash=item2346744880#ht_3005wt_1161

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I enquired as to where the leak with the pump was and I've been told that it is one of the chambers inside the pump that has failed and that a gasket kit wouldn't help for that. Thanks for the suggestion but again having gone so far with the car, looks like I'll have to take this one on the chin again.

Hoping for a better year next year as I really can't afford all these bills he keeps landing me with. If he keeps this up and the government bring in a diesel scrappage scheme, at this rate I might be tempted. He'll be 10 in May next year so I reckon he'd qualify.

I've sourced a fuel pump from a scrapyard so I'm planning to go and get it. The dealers will still install it for me but it will knock a few hundred off the bill and will hopefully keep me running for a while. Fingers crossed and all that.

Wee Smurf - just a thought.
Why not spend an extra £20 and replace all the seals with the seal kit before fitting it?
Peace of mind, and new skill learned!

Sweetsixteen said:

Wee Smurf - just a thought.
Why not spend an extra £20 and replace all the seals with the seal kit before fitting it?
Peace of mind, and new skill learned!

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Wise advice and at a minimum you would at least get your old pump back now..........unless the scrappy also want to 'exchange'.

Yes I can get the old pump back now as I'm providing the replacement one now myself. I also have managed to source a replacement airbox into the bargain as at some stage someone thought it would be a good idea to hack a chunk out of mine. I've been advised that if it's working, leave it alone, so I'm undecided about replacing the seals. Besides I'll be needing to get it straight up to Donnelly's when I get it. I'm sure they'll be wanting their car back!

I'm feeling pleased with myself for actually being able to source the parts I needed. I don't think that there were too many Multijets sold in Northern Ireland. Still got my fingers crossed that it'll be fine when I get it.

So recondition your old pump in your own time then.
Then sell it on eBay and make a profit from the whole deal!

Sweetsixteen said:

So recondition your old pump in your own time then.
Then sell it on eBay and make a profit from the whole deal!

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Yes I've got plenty of room in my garage for it... No rush on it.

I got the fuel pump and also got new housing for the air filter box while I was there. My old one was previously damaged. A grand total of £150 for both.

I dropped the parts up to Donnelly's after doing the important thing for the day (school nativity play ).

Got a call at lunchtime today to say that all was sorted and that I could call up for Dez later as they were giving him a clean. Their bill was £220 so getting the part myself saved me a good bit and on top of that the engine bay is looking much more like it should. Once again I'll be able to open the bonnet when we have our show.

Aside from that, I now know how to change my own air filter if I'm feeling that way inclined. The airbox was rather damp and dirty so I had to give it a good clean before I would have it installed. I removed the old air filter while I was giving it a scrub.

So in the end, it could have been worse and Dez is running again. I had to treat him to a good drink of Maxol's finest diesel in the station across the road as there was virtually nothing left in the tank.

This maxol fuel doesn't have some bio fuel in it by any chance does it

5% I believe. I had been asked by the scrap yard about the fuel I was using and the mileage of my car. They didn't seem to think that the fuel I was using was a problem. They said at the mileage and the fact that the bearings went in the centre rather than the seals going, it was more likely to be age related wear and tear.

In Northern Ireland you do need to be careful about where you buy your fuel as some stations have been done for selling laundered fuel. Maxol do spot checks to ensure the quality at it's stations. So at least it's not laundered red diesel!