fuel pump issues

[vw_golf_nutter]

the car isnt running particularly well to be honest.
it doesnt always start, i have to turn the car for a couple of seconds, switch it off, prime the pump, turn again for a few minutes, turn it off, prime again... this goes on for about 8 times before it will start, doesnt seem to be getting the fuel through. also it is having trouble idling.
I spoke to the old owner, he said he replaced the fuel pump under the car for a recon one as the old one was split and leaking. He said he noticed the one in the tank would click sometimes and so it could be that. Also the car seems to start quicker when there is more fuel in the tank...

Im going to have a good look tomorrow when i get it back from the garage. If i need a relay how will i know if its that thats wrong? and is it this one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/no-167-RELAY-VW-Golf-MK2-POLO-MK4-Fuel-Pump-Relay-Genuine-OEM-191-906-383-C-/371017348219?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item56625b747b

[vw_golf_nutter]

this is the state of my fuse box 



the relay for fuel pump should be 167 and be in slot 2, so in slot 2 we have....



absolutely nothing!! so i think to myself how on earth is the car starting and running without a fuel pump relay... so im going to trace to wires and see whats going on, but without having done that i have a sneaking suspicion that these may be the wires to the fuel pump...



perhaps that blue relay is for the aftermarket alarm and it was all bodged up with the fuel pump wiring?

[gazareth]

its quite possible that yellow wire from battery is to do with the pumps wiring. but what I would try first is remove a wire from the blue relay (any wire will do) then put your ignition on. if the pump doesn't run then your one step closer. when some people do wiring repairs they shy away from getting right into the guts of the loom to trace a fault and repair it properly. instead they just add a few new wires to by-pass the problem. (we are all guilty of that at some point in our life though ) as for the in-tank pump. I would replace that as soon as. they are only £20ish so its cheap insurance before it damages the main(more expensive pump).

[vw_golf_nutter]

ok thank you. tomorrow i will go and take a wire out the relay and see what happens!

[Sgt_Lemon]

The running better with more fuel definitely sounds like a lift pump problem to me. When Mine went the car broke down with just under half a tank, as soon as I got home and facing downhill it started first time.