It could also indicate a blockage or obstruction in the PILOT JET of the carb (also referred to by various other names like "slow jet", "low speed jet", "idle fuel jet", or even other unprintable names when it gives trouble). Because the pilot jet has a much smaller orifice than the main jet, the pilot jets are more apt to "catch" a small piece of trash than the main jet. Particles that can clog a pilot jet may very well pass right through the main jet. Because the pilot jet has such a tiny orifice, blobs of water can "stop up" the hole as effectively as solid debris. I personally think that if the fuel pump were at fault, or anything else that would affect "MAXIMUM fuel flow", the problem would not be what you describe (removing the load from the engine and reducing throttle to a slower position). If you had a problem related to maximum fuel flow, you would experience things like "it runs OK at idle and will throttle up to high RPM but when I engage the deck, the engines begins to slow down and run rough after a few seconds. If I disengage the deck, the engine soon speeds up again. Or "It does OK until I go up a hill (or other scenario where load on engine increases). In regard to fuel pump at idle RPM versus high RPM: Pulse vacuum fuel pumps have a "relatively flat" output volume at any given RPM. This is due to the time allowed for the pump diaphragm to "react" to the "pressure to vacuum" oscillations of crankcase pressure. At idle RPM, the pulse changes occur fairly slow, so the pump diaphragm is able to move a greater distance with each pulse, because it has enough time to move the greater distance, thus it will move a certain volume of fuel in a given PERIOD OF TIME. At higher RPM, the pulse pressure to vacuum changes occur more often (because of the greater speed of the engine pistons). At higher RPM, the fuel pump moves LESS FUEL PER PULSE, but because the pulses occur at a FASTER RATE, the net output volume of the pump (during the same time span) is about the same as at idle. The volume capacity of the pump is always engineered to be well above the actual requirements of fuel flow needed by the engine anyhow. In operation, the fuel pump will fill up the carb bowl to the "float level". When the float level is attained, the needle valve closes and no more fuel is allowed into the carb until enough fuel is consumed to let the float drop a bit, at which point, additional "make up" fuel is allowed to enter the float bowl. During the times that the needle valve is closed, the fuel pump diaphragm IS NOT MOVING, because it now has a "head of positive fuel pressure" against the diaphragm, preventing it from moving at all. This is the nature of diaphragm type pumps. Carburetted engines are always running "off of" the fuel in the carb bowl at any given moment of operation. If you are running a carburetted engine that uses a fuel pump to transfer fuel from tank to carb, and you "pinch off" the fuel hose to the carb, the engine will not react immediatly to that action (by dying). It will continue to run on the fuel already in the bowl, until it consumes that "finite volume" of fuel. Water in the carb bowl (and other places in fuel system) might be to blame for the problem you are having here. A good clean out of carb and fuel tank (and a new fuel filter) might fix it. The auxiliary tank could certainly "rule out" any concerns about fuel pump performance, but I doubt a fuel pump max flow problem because THAT would cause problems during times of HIGH fuel requirement (cutting or towing heavy) and not when the engine load becomes "lighter".

Hi again Fred. First, do you have auto dimming headlights? If so, unplug the connector from the rear the rear view mirror and see if your lights go out. Now that's the last "silver bullet" that can be thrown out. All too often I see people make light of what a tech has to do today to repair someones car. You don't have to read too many threads right here in this forum and you will see just how rare it is to get respect for what we do. We DON'T just swap parts as you did by playing musical relays in order to figure out a problem with someones car. You should have noticed though, that when you were plugging the relays in, they probably clicked because they are "being commanded on". This command could be a false one such as a grounded wire. We don't actually call that a short because shorts blow fuses, that's not happening here. Looking at the schematic, and not knowing for sure which system you have (there are two designs, one with auto dimming, and one with just Daytime Running Lights) makes it impractical for me to type out each step to lead you to diagnose this thing. Seriously, it would take me about 1/2 an hour to diagnose it, and three hours to type it all out. Average pricing for a tech/shop to diagnose this issue around here would be in the $100 range. Keep in mind things like "Flash to Pass" and the fact that the multifunction switch is a significant part of the circuit. Any aftermarket alarm systems, could also be in play. I'm not going to be able to go into great detail, make sure there are NO blown fuses in any of the vehicles fuse blocks. A blown fuse would of course be evidence of a short occurring somewhere, and this can result in a back feed which can command a relay on. Later today I can look closer at what you have written here again. But if you don't have the skills to do the diagnostics on electronics at this level you should plan to have a tech repair this. JMHO.

Good story, but you left off what you paid the lock smith. If that was less than $50 you saved up to a couple of hundred, good if it didn't take more than a few hours. Here I accept it cost time to take the car to the dealer and to pick it up, so that time you pay either way. Feels good to DIY and to save tax free dollars, great! Any dollar you save is yours, nothing goes to Uncle Sam or the Governor.

Excellent testing procedure. Glad your problem could be solved. For everyone...there are plug-in electrical circuits testers specifically designed to check receptacle polarity (the problem mentioned here), ground connection, and even if a GFI circuit is properly working. These cost about $8 at home centers