I've had mine about three years now and also chased round this sort of problem to get it reliable.
The original relay for fuel pump (metal boxed) and wasn't switching some times, took cover off it and you could switch it manually ok by squeezing contacts in but it seems the coil was not able to do this at every request. It had the characteristic of working most times but then you'd get a series of drop outs consecutively so it just wouldn't run, then you try it again after couple of days and it'd go straight away.
While I was figuring out what was happening I ran it with a short jumper cable in the dashboard fusebox going from supply side of cigarette lighter to supply side of fuel pump fuse C4 so it had a switched supply and avoided all the supply mechanics and ecu logic switching to keep it going.
In addition, mine had a problem with the pump supply from the last plug going into the fuel tank. The insulated block that passes through the metal disk that holds the pump and pickups act as an insulator with the cables running through there reliant on this for circuit integrity. Mine had possibly been submerged (that area inside the closure ring is possible to waterlog) as it had corroded the copper wires inside that insulated block. If looks as though the PO had had a go at some sort of rectification with various lumps of silicone sealant stuck around there. I stripped all of this off, cut back the wire and re-soldered the wires to the connecting terminals coming out of the tank then remade the encapsulation block with two pack epoxy resin to make it impervious to further effects.
Run about 5000miles since with not one issue since.
I did chase my tail on it at first as I sorted out what the problems really were. Also replaced the fuel pump relay (bought two and left a spare under the seat. So mine is all back to factory design and switching correctly.
The original relay for fuel pump (metal boxed) and wasn't switching some times, took cover off it and you could switch it manually ok by squeezing contacts in but it seems the coil was not able to do this at every request. It had the characteristic of working most times but then you'd get a series of drop outs consecutively so it just wouldn't run, then you try it again after couple of days and it'd go straight away.
While I was figuring out what was happening I ran it with a short jumper cable in the dashboard fusebox going from supply side of cigarette lighter to supply side of fuel pump fuse C4 so it had a switched supply and avoided all the supply mechanics and ecu logic switching to keep it going.
In addition, mine had a problem with the pump supply from the last plug going into the fuel tank. The insulated block that passes through the metal disk that holds the pump and pickups act as an insulator with the cables running through there reliant on this for circuit integrity. Mine had possibly been submerged (that area inside the closure ring is possible to waterlog) as it had corroded the copper wires inside that insulated block. If looks as though the PO had had a go at some sort of rectification with various lumps of silicone sealant stuck around there. I stripped all of this off, cut back the wire and re-soldered the wires to the connecting terminals coming out of the tank then remade the encapsulation block with two pack epoxy resin to make it impervious to further effects.
Run about 5000miles since with not one issue since.
I did chase my tail on it at first as I sorted out what the problems really were. Also replaced the fuel pump relay (bought two and left a spare under the seat. So mine is all back to factory design and switching correctly.
