Car falls on its face

I have a 2000 ZX2 SR and when I have a quarter tank of gas the car will simply fall on its face when I am driving. It clunks in front and backfires. Pressing the gas pedal does not help. If I pull over and turn the car off, it will start and drive normally after a couple of minutes. Its not the gas (been to 5 different gas stations) and this really has me puzzled... :screwy:

are you useing 91oct?

check the air and fuel filters, does a CEL come on?

Ford had this problem a long time ago on some models. In those, they would begin to act like this as the gas tank fuel level dropped below a certain point. The problem turned out to be a defective deflector assembly, that was supposed to shield the pump intake from the turbulence and aereation caused by the return line to the tank. The solution was to keep it always above half full, or replace or bend the defective shield. You might ask a dealer if there are any service bulletins pertaining to a similar problem on your model.

Also check that you have the correct type gas cap, and that it hasn't been damaged. Also, pinched or clogged hoses from the tank to the vapor recovery system will cause partial vacuum in the tank, restricting fuel pressure and causing a symptom not unlike vapor lock. Next time it does it, as soon as it dies, try to remove the gas cap quickly. If you notice a strong pull of air (suction) rushing into the tank as you do it, this may be the problem.

i think the zx2 has a returnless system