Oldsmobile/Buick Repair: car stalls; 1993 olds, oil pressure switch, fuel pump relay

Question
I HAVE A 1993 OLDSMOBILE ROYALE WITH 3.8 ENG. with 118,000 miles.problem started on a trip,was on level road way,it gave 1 or 2 quick jerks it ran perfect for the next 150 miles then i was going down hill all at once it had no power at all,pushed on the gas pedal and the thing died pulled off the road and it started right back for the next 300 miles it did this every 1 to 6 miles.got home changed the fuel filter it ran good for about 1700 miles.now its doing the same thing but now it dieswhen you come to a stop sign,not every time [most]also i have noticed that the fuel hand will be on 1/2 tank turn the key on if the hand stays there it will start right up,,,but when you turn the key on and the fuel hand will go to empty its hard to start,then it will only run 3-8 seconds. auto zone & napa has no advice...CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME.   Thanks Much...lewissoloe@yahoo.com

Answer
Hello Lewis,
It sounds like the fuel pump is quitting for some reason.
Now, the pump could be wearing out, or it could be just fine, so don't run out and buy a pump.
The fact that the fuel gauge seems to also be affected makes me think it might be the fuel pump relay dropping out.
In addition to the relay, the pump is also powered by an oil pressure switch that as long as there is oil pressure in the engine, keeps the pump running.
Assuming the relay drops out and it is running on the oil switch, coming to a stop sign could drop the oil pressure enough that the oil switch opens, although it is supposed to operate on something like 3PSI.
That's just a possible scenario.
Another thing you could do is loosen the gas cap, and leave it loose, to see if the tank is forming a vacuum, thus not allowing the fuel out.
If you want to check wires, there is a connector on the fuel tank, and out of that connector comes a ground wire that bolts to the body somewhere. It is the ground for both the pump and the fuel sender, and must be clean and tight. I don't see it correcting itself every time the car dies, though, but check it anyway.
Eventually, you will need to find out if it is a power problem, or a pump problem. One thing that might help is if you can hear the pump running as ithe car dies, or prefferably, even a couple seconds after it dies.
But that 3-8 seconds sure sounds like a power problem, loose connection, relay, etc.
Van