The high-pressure fuel pump fitted to the 2.0 ltr, TDI engine of the first and second generation is a piston pump driven by the crankshaft by means of a toothed belt. The high-pressure fuel pump generates a fuel, pressure up to a value of 180 MPa (1800 bar).

A fuel pump is a component in motor vehicles that transfers liquid from the fuel tank to the carburetor of the internal combustion engine.

Carbureted engines often use low pressure mechanical pumps that are mounted outside the fuel tank, whereas fuel injected engines often use electric fuel pumps that are mounted inside the fuel tank (and some fuel injected engines have two fuel pumps: one low pressure/high volume supply pump in the tank and one high pressure/low volume pump on or near the engine).[1] Fuel pressure needs to be within certain specifications for the engine to run correctly. If the fuel pressure is too high, the engine will run rough and rich, not combusting all of the fuel being pumped making the engine inefficient and a pollutant. If the pressure is too low, the engine may run lean, misfire, or stall.

Some engines, such as older motorcycle engines, don’t need a fuel pump because they use gravity feed from the fuel tank.