Fuel Pump

[brsexton]

I posted on the B7 Passat forum about the noise I was hearing when I open the driver door of both the Jetta and the Passat. It seems to be the fuel pump primes itself once the drivers door is open. While I find it VERY odd that these cars do that, I have accepted it.

This evening, we pulled in the driveway in the Jetta and turned the car off. As I was getting something out of the trunk, I noticed that the fuel pump was still running with the car turned off and all doors were closed. It kept running for a minute or so. Why would this be? My wife and I have only had our cars for less than 2 weeks, but this is the first time I have noticed the pump run after the car had been turned off. Has anyone else noticed this? I guess I just don't understand the logic behind this.

[JettaVR6mk]

It's the fuel system depressurizing. Completely normal, happens every time you turn the car off.

[brsexton]

It's the fuel system depressurizing. Completely normal, happens every time you turn the car off.

Thanks...Good to know it's normal, but I don't hear it every time the car is turned off. I've only heard it this one time. We drove the car again later this evening and I made it a point to listen again and it didn't do it. Could it be that it only does it if the system gets to a certain pressure? I'm new to VW and am not used to these extra noises in the fuel system.

[VW Acolyte]

It seems to be the fuel pump primes itself once the drivers door is open. While I find it VERY odd that these cars do that, I have accepted it.

You find it VERY odd that when you open your front door, the car prepares itself to be started?

[brsexton]

You find it VERY odd that when you open your front door, the car prepares itself to be started?

Yes I do. Having owned serveral different makes of cars and SUV's over years, none of them ever did that. The fuel pump alway primes itself when the key is turned on.

[VW Acolyte]

Yes I do. Having owned serveral different makes of cars and SUV's over years, none of them ever did that. The fuel pump alway primes itself when the key is turned on.

Welcome to smarter cars. If you think about it, what makes more sense, to prime the fuel system as you are trying to start the car, or to have it primed already before you even turn the key? Priming it and not starting it doesn't hurt anything at all, so it just makes more sense to prepare for a starting sequence as soon as the driver door is opened. It also takes less time to start the engine that way.