Buy Audi A5 Direct Injection High Pressure Fuel Pumps

The direct-injection high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) on the Audi A5 is a small cam-driven piston pump that raises fuel pressure from about 4-6 bar in the low-pressure line to well over 100 bar-sometimes up to 200 bar on stock EA888 engines, and as much as 350 bar in modern systems-so the injectors can spray a fine mist straight into each cylinder for clean, powerful combustion link . When the pump, its cam follower, or the supply line wears out, drivers may notice hard starts, surging, rough idling, or a strong fuel smell. Simple checks, timely maintenance, and correct torque values keep the pump working and help avoid costly failures and fuel leaks.

The HPFP (also called a gasoline direct-injection pump or fuel-injector pump) sits at the top front of the 2.0 TFSI/TFSI engine and is driven by a tri-lobe on the intake camshaft. It takes fuel delivered by the in-tank electric pump at roughly 5 bar and compresses it to the high pressures the direct-injection rail demands (static.nhtsa.gov). Without this pressure boost, injectors cannot atomize fuel finely enough for modern combustion and emissions targets (hella.com).

• Mechanical drive: A cam lobe pushes a tappet and spring-loaded piston inside the pump.
• Pressure control valve: An internal solenoid bleeds off excess fuel so rail pressure exactly matches the ECU's request, typically 30-125 bar on early A5 models (static.nhtsa.gov).
• Sensor feedback: A rail-mounted pressure sensor lets the ECU adjust duty cycle in milliseconds.
• Two-pump system: A low-pressure tank pump feeds the HPFP-if either side fails, pressure drops and the engine stumbles (gmb.net).

This high-pressure pump design is shared across many VW-Audi 2.0 T (EA888 Gen 2 & 3) and some 3.0 TFSI engines, covering 2008-2017 A5, A4, Q5, TT, and others with the 06J- or 06H-series pump housing (parts.audiusa.com). Always check the build date and engine code stamped on your pump flange or consult the VIN-based parts catalog.

• Long crank or no-start when hot (audizine.com)
• Hesitation above 2500 rpm or limp-mode entry
• Random misfires and lean/rich codes P0087/P0088
• Fuel smell near the firewall from a porous HPFP line (static.nhtsa.gov)
• Metallic ticking as a worn cam follower collapses (audizine.com)

1. Follower wear: The small coated puck between cam and pump can wear through in 60-80 k mi, scarring the cam lobe and lowering stroke (ttforum.co.uk).
2. Dirty or low-quality fuel: Debris scars the piston and check valves.
3. Oil starvation: The follower relies on engine oil for lubrication.
4. Over-boosted tunes: Continuous 200 bar+ demands overheat the pump (etektuning.com).
5. Pressure-line aging: Audi issued Recall 20AV/18V430 for porous supply lines that can leak and ignite (asburyauto.com, static.nhtsa.gov).

• Scan-tool test: Watch requested vs. actual rail pressure during a full-throttle pull. A drop >10 bar often flags a weak HPFP.
• Cam follower peek: Remove the 3 T30 screws, slide the pump rearward, and inspect the black tappet for wear rings.
• Fuel-in-oil sniff: Diluted oil signals internal pump seal failure (youtube.com).

1. Disconnect battery and relieve rail pressure with a scan tool or by pulling the fuel-pump fuse and cranking 5 sec (youtube.com).
2. Mark and remove the high-pressure line (cap openings).
3. Unbolt the pump evenly, 5 Nm hand snug then out.
4. Swap the cam follower and new o-ring.
5. Re-install pump bolts diagonally: hand tight → 5 Nm → final 20 Nm (audizine.com).
6. Tighten the steel line flare nut to 27 Nm (nostrumshop.com).
7. Cycle ignition 3 times to prime, then start and leak-check.

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• Change oil on schedule; clean oil slows follower wear.
• Run Tier 1 premium fuel to reduce deposits and pump varnish.
• Inspect the vent hose and fuel line for damp spots every 10 k mi.
• Replace the cam follower every 40 k mi on tuned cars; 60 k mi stock.
• Flash ECU updates that improve pump duty-cycle control.

Upgraded piston-style HPFP kits increase effective stroke area, safely pushing rail pressure to 240 bar, supporting E85 blends and 400 + hp builds (034motorsport.com). Larger injectors and a low-pressure pump upgrade must accompany high boost tunes for balanced fueling.

Audi's Recall 20Z8 (2017) and later 20AV (2018) replace porous hard lines that feed the HPFP on certain A5 model years to prevent leaks and possible fire (asburyauto.com, static.nhtsa.gov). Always verify open recalls with your VIN at the official NHTSA lookup before servicing.

Gasoline direct-injection engines like the A5's cut CO₂ but can emit more fine soot than older port-injected setups, prompting the addition of gasoline particulate filters in newer models (en.wikipedia.org). Keeping your HPFP, injectors, and ECU software up-to-date helps minimize particulate spikes during cold starts (sae.org).

• HPFP: High-Pressure Fuel Pump.
• Cam follower/tappet: Small puck that rides the cam lobe.
• Rail: Metal tube distributing high-pressure fuel to injectors.
• Bar: Metric pressure unit; 1 bar ≈ 14.5 psi.
• Low-side (LPFP): In-tank electric pump supplying the HPFP.

Q: Why does a direct-injection pump need such high pressure?
A: Fine atomization demands 30-200 bar so the gasoline turns into a mist and burns cleanly; low pressure would leave big droplets and poor power (bosch-mobility.com).

Q: Can I drive with a noisy HPFP?
A: A ticking pump often means a worn follower. Continued driving may wipe the cam lobe and send metal into the oil-fix it soon (audizine.com).

Q: Is it safe to reuse the old cam follower?
A: No. Audi's follower is a wear item; swap a fresh one every service to protect the cam and pump (ttforum.co.uk).

Q: What codes point to HPFP trouble?
A: P0087 (rail pressure too low), P0088 (too high), P2293 (regulator performance), and misfire codes P0300-P0304.

Q: My tuned A5 runs lean at high RPM. Will a bigger HPFP help?
A: Yes-aftermarket pumps with larger pistons raise flow 30-50 %, supporting high-boost or E85 maps (034motorsport.com).

Q: How often should I check rail pressure?
A: Scan once a year, before long trips, or any time you experience hard starts or hesitation (hella.com).

Q: What fuel economy gain does direct injection provide?
A: DI engines typically improve fuel efficiency 10-15 % by allowing higher compression and leaner mixtures (bosch-mobility.com).

Q: Does the HPFP need priming after install?
A: Yes-cycle the key a few times so the low-pressure pump fills the rail before cranking to avoid dry starts (youtube.com).

Q: Are there emissions downsides?
A: Direct-injection engines can emit more soot; keeping the pump, injectors, and ECU software fresh helps reduce particulates (sae.org).

Q: What torque for the hard-line flare nut?
A: Tighten to 27 Nm and recheck for leaks after warm-up (nostrumshop.com).

For deeper technical reading, explore Bosch's overview of high-pressure GDI pumps and Audi's official spec book for complete pressure tables.