Pontiac Repair: Troubleshooting, gas gauge, gauge needle

Question
I have a 2000 Firebird, V6, 3.8 liter that starts knocking while driving down the road. The car refuses to take the gas. My tank is half full and my gas light comes on like I've run out of gas. If I let the car cool off about 20-30 minutes it will start up and drive like nothing is wrong. No mechanic has been able to figure out what the problem is. This is the 3rd time its done this. Last time was about 6 months ago. This time was about a month since the last time. The gas gauge needle works. I reset the trip every time I fill up. I usually get about 350 miles to a tank of gas. Please...can you help me?

Answer
Hi Clara:

when this happens that is when the low fule lmap comes on of is the low fule light on all the time? does the gas gauge work okay but the lamp is on? of does the gauge quit as well. Thisa will be a tough problem to find being that it happens 3 times in 6 months.. Some one is going to have to catch it happen when driving it. which in not likely to happen. BUT the times that it has happens was there around the same amount of gas left in the tank and where you doing the same kind of driving. The car ran for X amount of time on the thruway and it died every time? if that is the case you may be able to induce the problem take it in for a check with around the same mount of gas in tne tank and have them drive it "X" and hopefully it will do it. If it wre me I would drive it with a fule pressure gauge on it and see what happens to the pressure when it quits running.. If it happens to you do this open the gas cap and listen for a rush of air into or our of the tank.. You could have some sort of a vapor lock going on in the tank. I also assume that no serviced engine soon light has come on? If so it would make it easier to find the root cuase here. good luck :)