Q: What causes the fuel pump to keep burning out?

The first thing to come to mind is the quality of your replacement pumps. There are many manufacturers in the business of making inferior pumps and selling them for a tempting price. These are often what you get at the poplar retail stores. In this case you get what you pay for.

On the other hand, there are some retailers who buy these poor quality pumps and sell them for the price of a factory replacement. In this case you don’t get what you pay for.

Audi uses Bosch fuel system parts, and anything less than a Bosch factory replacement is liable to be disappointing. If you don’t have a Bosch parts distributor, you may have to bite the bullet and go to the dealer parts counter.

But before you put in yet another new pump, check the tank for contamination. You can look into the top of the tank while you have the fuel pump-sender out of the tank. Use an LED flashlight to avoid the explosion hazard associated with a drop light.

Any rust or dirt in the tank that finds its way into the pump can quickly lock it up. The sock on the fuel intake should keep this from happening, but if it is torn, or not mounted properly, contamination may find its way in.

If you are sick of changing fuel pumps, contacting your mechanic can bring a technician to your home to help you figure out how to fix it and keep it fixed.