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starving for fuel?


standswithasmirk
02-04-2004, 07:44 PM
I am in Florida, don't know if that has anything to do with it but it was arm today. Anyways, as i was driving, the car started to kind of lug down, like it wsn't getting fuel. So, i pulled in and put some gas in it, it had been down to 1/4 tank.
It seemed to be going fine until i got onto the freeway. as I was trying to accelerate, it really bgan to just...well, there seemed to be no power even though the power was on, it did not accelerate. so I poked down he road in the breakdon lane for a mile or so. I pulled over next to a motorist aid cal;l box and sat there for a minute or less with the car turned off. Then I started the car and vroom vroom. it drove to the next exit at 70 no problem. When i got off and started to slow down it lugged again and started to slow down. when I took my foot off the gas...it seemed ok again and as long as I drove under 40mph...it kept going. As soon as i got over 45, it started to feel like it was gonna stall again.
Whts up with that? does it sound liek a fuel filter problem?
I had an old Buick Special once that did the same kind of thing and it was a fuel filter. but it was an inline filter and relatively easy to replace.

Could that be the problem with this and could i be so incredibly fortunate to have it inline in this car...my 1991 buick Lesabre...
thanks for your help

pcv
02-05-2004, 10:15 PM
Replace the fuel filter first and yes it is an inline filter, same as the old one. Also check the fuel pressure, it is possible that the pump is getting weak and is not pumping the full pressure when needed.

huey286
05-14-2004, 11:42 AM
Also, consider replacing the gas cap. My '91 did the same for over a year, no stall, just stumbling. Replaced fuel pump, fltr, press reg, O2 and coolant and crankshaft sensors, oil press switch, coil pack assy and ign mod, plugs, wires, and may have forgotten some. still did same thing. Tried driving with gas cap loose, and ran good. Had checked it before, couls suck air through from tank side, but couldn't blow thru. Think this is correct, but rubber seal got harder over years, and must take too much vacuum to pull air in, and pump can't overcome it. Good luck, Huey286

pcmos
06-07-2004, 09:34 PM
My car had the same problem where it would lose power for no reason under hot driving conditions, this turned out to be a bad cam shaft position sensor, but it drove me crazy for many years. No mecahnic could find the problem, same story I went through fuel filters, etc. I even had them do an entire fuel system flush and bought a new gas tank. I would just be driving along on the highway perfectly normally and all of a sudden I would hit the gas only to find that the car had no power and the engine would almost die out. I would let off the gas and accelerate gently and it would get up to speed. One cold winter day I went out with a hair dryer and got the cam sensor nice and warm, turned on the car immediately and boom it was acting up. I had the sensor replaced by a mechanic and never had a problem again. This problem as it turns out when I studied the wiring systems in the GM shop manual could also be caused by the crankshaft position sensor, but usually this causes rough idling and all kinds of trouble codes and will also lead to failures to start. The cam shaft position sensor with an intermittant failure will not trip a code on the PCM unless the failure lasts for a fairly long period of time or is constant. Have your mechanic heat up the cam shaft position sensor on the engine with a heat gun ( these sensors are made to take extreme heats) and then test the car.

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