Empty Tank? Faulty Pump? Get Help Now!

Here's the translation:

'I had a problem today: I was driving my A4 2.5 TDI, manufactured in 1998, to Salzburg to buy cheap diesel. Just 1 kilometer before the gas station, the fuel ran out. I tried to start it several times, which worked twice. However, 100 meters before the gas station, it wouldn't start anymore, so I had to walk. Since then, the preheating lamp has been flashing. What does this mean? And should I be concerned about significant wear or even damage due to repeatedly trying to start the engine without diesel in the pump?'

Hello,

What does the error memory contain?

'It will be analyzed today... hopefully, things will become clearer then. I just wanted to get some preliminary information.'

Hello Hansemann!
Your car is equipped with a radial piston pump. This type of pump, aside from its external shape and basic principle of delivering diesel at high pressure, has nothing in common with the distributor pumps found in 4-cylinder TDI engines. Due to the different pump mechanics and the resulting higher pressures, there is a significant risk that these pumps will suffer immediate and severe damage if they run dry. Therefore, the engine control unit will shut off the engine and set an error message before you completely empty your fuel tank. Similarly, changing the fuel filter is dangerous. The pump and filter must be bled, not just cranked as with a 'normal' distributor pump.
As a note: these pumps are used in the V6-TDI engines of the VAG group and, to my knowledge, also in the 16V-TDI engines of Opel.

Regards,

Dominique.

two errors found:
1. Stalling due to fuel shortage, intermittent fault.
2. Defective point machine.

After clearing the error memory, I drove another approximately 15 kilometers, and now: no errors were found.

I hope that my pump has survived and that the error doesn't occur again.
Let me see...

Hi,
Here are some more products:
http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/ISB/Vp44.htm
and some pictures to go with it.

I already knew before my mishap that I had a radial piston pump installed, but the operating manual doesn't mention anything about not letting the diesel run completely dry (unlike with a gasoline engine with a catalytic converter!).

two errors found:
1. Stalling due to fuel shortage, intermittent fault.
2. Defective point machine.



WHAT?

The VP44 doesn't actually have a quantity adjustment device.

CU Gremlin.

'2 errors detected.'

01442 035
Misfires due to fuel shortage.
intermittent error
sporadic error
occasional error

01268 037
Quantity adjuster - N146.
'defekt' translates to 'defective' or 'faulty' in English.

The VP44 was initially used in the Opel Vectra C (and therefore also in the Saab). It is also found in Audi (V8 engines), BMW (320d), Ford (Transit with a large engine), Nissan, and MAN vehicles.
A manufacturer who cares about its customers will install a 'no-load' safety feature, meaning the engine will sputter and then stall before the tank is completely empty. This is how it works with BMW and Audi. Bleeding the system can be a problem, but it can be achieved with a lot of effort.
There's also a smaller version, the VP30, which, to my knowledge, was only installed by Ford. It's not a radial piston pump, but an axial piston pump, although it shares electronic similarities with the VP44.
Best regards, Lanz.