Urgent Secondary air pump problem
 

Just went to go fill up the car as I need it tomorrow morning and the EML came on.

Secondary air pump is making a right racket and smell and it wont turn off unless I unplug it.

Once unplugged the EML went off is it safe to drive the car with the Secondary air pump unplugged?????

What car you got?

I have a hawk STI and just had the system removed including the valves that bolt onto the head and blanking plates fitted.

The only point of the system is to help when the engine is cold by feeding air into the heads.

You can run the car without it but the EML will be on, which isn't that much of a problem but could be masking another problem. Most mappers can get the EML's turned off for you.

It's a hawk wrx the only way to turn it off was to unplug it it just kept going even with the engine off!!!! is it safe to drive with it unplugged?

common fault for the relay to stick for the secondary air pump

As a short term solution I would say yes BUT it may be masking another problem so either get it fixed or get it mapped out.

I have heard that once the engine is warm, you can use a diagnostic machine (like one off ebay) and delete the fault with the engine running and it should be ok.

Another thing you should consider is why it was staying on. Is it a fault with the pump itself, one of the sensor or even the TGV's.

Best get it checked asap in any case.

Lets get this right, the Secondary air injection system only works on cold start, it's ecu controlled via a relay in the fuse box, this relay can be known to stick open causing the pump to continuously run on, this system has no inputs on the engine sensor side of things at all. basically uses the ECT sensor for a temp to actuate or not.
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There is no set code for the pump not working, however the primary combi valve has an atmospheric pressure sensor fitted inside, when the system is due to finish its 30 sec cycle the combi valve shuts and ramps the system pressure up the Atmospheric sensor see's a rise in pressure so it knows the pump is working. this is how it diagnoses itself. now if the valve was to fail the pressure would be too high if stuck shut or too low if the valve was stuck open these are the only 3 codes present.

Ok before I get drastic and rip it out does anyone know which relay would need replacing or how I would find out?

engine base fuse compartment just behind the battery. look in the lid it will say something like sec air pump relay