QuestionQUESTION: Me and my wife bought a car a few months ago, and i've been driving it back and forth 16 miles each way to work 4x times a week. I'm not sure if the milage is a factor, but i figured it wouldn't hurt to add the info. Recently (the past week or so) The car will start jerking a little like its running out of gas. It doesn't matter how fast the car is going, and it doesn't have a problem shifting gears at all. The RPMs will drop from around 2k to 1,100 and flutters for a couple seconds, like its going to run out of gas. Its been happening more often as the week goes on. I start my car 10-15 minutes before i leave work, and today when i put my car into reverse to leave, the car cut out. It hadn't cut out at all until this point. We decided to go to a auto store to fun a diagnostics to get some leads on what it was. On the way there, it dies as we where driving! I went to two auto stores, and had them run diagnostics tests on the engine. 1. said it was possibly the crank shaft module that regulates when your cars pistons fire. 2nd place told me that it was the control unit going out.The check engine light has been on the entire time we've had the car, so its not like it just turned on after all of this. I was just wondering if you had some insight as to what it could be? I tried to be as descriptive as possible, but if you have anymore questions feel free to e-mail me.
Thanks for your time.
ANSWER: Hey Dustin:
If the service light is on there should be a code(S) stored. untill you know what that code is it's impossable to tell you what is going on.. usually a crank sensor will not make it feel like it's running out of gas it will just cut out with out any warning at all. same thing with an ignition module. more so the sesnor then the module.. other things that are common on that car are mass air flow sensors that will cause a idle flutter and feel like it's running out of gas. unplug it and drive it and see what happens. it's on the top of the throttle body assemby it has 3 wires on it like pink/yellow/black. Another thing with these older ones is the catalitic converts would go bad and then engine can't breath so they lack power rare but it does happen.. Lastly the fuel filter I would replace it and see if that helps that is never replaced on these cars and they plug up solid and eventually damage the pump. that is where I would start. remeber that if you drive it with the MASS air sensor unplugged it will set codes for that. I would try another auto parts store first before you induce more codes into this by unplugging it.. depending on where you live advance auoto parts or O'riely usually will scan for codes for free also.. good luck :)
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Just a couple follow up questions for you.
I know you do this for free, and i can't stress how much i appreciate your time.
Is my fuel filter mounted in the gas tank?
Is there anyway to troubleshoot, and find out if it is my catalitic converter?
Since i asked you the question in the past few hours, we ran a few errands, and it felt like it was drastically getting worse, and more frequent in sputtering as if it were running out of gas.
I dont know if that matters, or if symptoms deteriorate faster on one or the other of your suggestions.
Thanks again,
Dustin
AnswerThe fuel filter is under the car back by the gas tank on the left side of the car forward of the gas tank. You can use a fuel pressure gauge and see what the pressure reading are. if you bleed off the pressure in the fule line when you put the gauge on it then turn the key to the run position the pressure should jump up almost instantly if it builds slooowwwlyy then you more then likley have a plugged filter and I fear thata pump will not be far behind. as far as the converter you would have to remove the front exhaust pipe from the engine and drive it with the pipe unhooked. too much back pressure from a restricted exhaust will make it run like krap as well.
