Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Water pump woes.

R

Rich Mackie

VIP Member
Messages
4
Location
Sheffield
Vehicle
T5 SE 130
Hiya,
This forum is a wealth of info and has helped me get a fair way through the job of diagnosing and replacing the water pump (for the sink tap).
I've got to the point of attaching the new pump but even with the new pump on it still does not appear to work.
I've connected the new pump wires to the original wiring with a simple low-fi plastic connector.
Without the pump connected I get 12V through the connector (measured with a multi-meter) when the tap is turned on.
With the pump attached to the connector I only get 0.2 / 0.3V at the connector and no sound from the pump (I've not tried submersing it in water...)
Any ideas on potential issues?
* Have I been unlucky and the pump I've bought is also broken (it was bought new) - or I have managed to damage wires pulling through the super tight grommet?
* Does it have some sort of sensor that means it won't do anything until it's in water / has pipe attached (I assumed not).
Any thoughts / insights I'd be very grateful. It was a much simpler job on my T4 westy :D.
Cheers.
Rich
 
Hiya,
This forum is a wealth of info and has helped me get a fair way through the job of diagnosing and replacing the water pump (for the sink tap).
I've got to the point of attaching the new pump but even with the new pump on it still does not appear to work.
I've connected the new pump wires to the original wiring with a simple low-fi plastic connector.
Without the pump connected I get 12V through the connector (measured with a multi-meter) when the tap is turned on.
With the pump attached to the connector I only get 0.2 / 0.3V at the connector and no sound from the pump (I've not tried submersing it in water...)
Any ideas on potential issues?
* Have I been unlucky and the pump I've bought is also broken (it was bought new) - or I have managed to damage wires pulling through the super tight grommet?
* Does it have some sort of sensor that means it won't do anything until it's in water / has pipe attached (I assumed not).
Any thoughts / insights I'd be very grateful. It was a much simpler job on my T4 westy :D.
Cheers.
Rich
You may have been unlucky with your new pump.
However, try the following
1) Check that when you operate the tap you get 12v switched on and off at your low fi connector (which I think is what you are saying you are getting.)
Remember one of the wires is to earth to complete the circuit, so check both continuity to earth and 12v to earth at your connector block.
Not sure what impedance you will get across the pump wires but if significant think you have been unlucky and dud pump.
If low impedance then You can check the pump by removing via the access hatch and disconnecting from the feed to the tap as follows
2) Try to turn the impeller with a small screwdriver. They can be seized/dislocated and need reseated as I found with my “failed” pump. See


It runs fine in air for v short period (overheats very quickly so just a quick spin) then test in a jug of water.
Good luck
 
Thanks for the response. Looks like I have suffered a double whammy. Shorting the microswitch for the tap fires up the new pump so either the microswitch is broken or needs a clean. I guess as turning the tap on has some impact on the voltage at the pump that a clean might do the job.
Just need to consult the existing forum knowledge to find the best way to get at the microswitch without wrecking the tap :D.
 
Thanks for the response. Looks like I have suffered a double whammy. Shorting the microswitch for the tap fires up the new pump so either the microswitch is broken or needs a clean. I guess as turning the tap on has some impact on the voltage at the pump that a clean might do the job.
Just need to consult the existing forum knowledge to find the best way to get at the microswitch without wrecking the tap :D.
If you follow the link I sent, post #9 has 2 links @Maxi-Mizer-T6 which has the tap micro switch clean.
It is quite fiddly. Other option is if it can pass some current @Loz swapped to a relay for the tap so the current passed by the micro switch was only that required to energise the relay meaning future maintenance was significantly reduced.

 
If you follow the link I sent, post #9 has 2 links @Maxi-Mizer-T6 which has the tap micro switch clean.
It is quite fiddly. Other option is if it can pass some current @Loz swapped to a relay for the tap so the current passed by the micro switch was only that required to energise the relay meaning future maintenance was significantly reduced.

You can also be triple whammy as I was. After replacing pump and cleaning micro switch I was still getting intermittent problems with a new pump. Turned out I had broken most of the wires in one of the tap cables just after the terminal at the VW connector under the sink on the pump side. Difficult to find until all strands snapped and no pump even with shorting out the connector to rule out the micro switch.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Back
Top