Possible Fuel Pump Problems.

Iam a mechanic by no means but yesterday my 98 Kia Sportage began sputtering and shaking. When I finally pulled over it had gotten to the point to where the engine sounded like a lawnmower or even a small motorcycle. When I restarted it and gave it some gas it was backfiring through the engine blowing this rubber cap off emitting a small flame. It wont even turn over now just gives a small grind when you turn the key. A cpl ppl I have spoken to said that it seems like its the fuel pump. Any help would be greatly appreciated and or suggestions as to what it may be. As of right now Iam thinking its the fuel pump.

What mileage is the engine? THis might rather sound like a classic timing belt going haywire. Change is recommended after 65,000 miles and a lot have gone through it. This has no adverse effect on engine integrity though as this is a non intererence engine.

Check these :
www.geocities.com/lmp4203/kiasport/timingbelt_.jpg
www.geocities.com/lmp4203/kiasport/kiatimingbelt.txt
www.geocities.com/lmp4203/kiasport/timingbelt.pdf

Thx for the reply just hit 92 thousand.

Okay iam only able to get the first 3 bolts off of the case. I can pull back the case and I can see the belt when I pull up on the belt it gives me no slack likes its securely on the cogs.

Well it is still possible it has slipped a few cogs but it can also be something else . Can you pinpoint the markers on both cams and verify that they both point to the mark simultaneously? However if the slip has occured on the crank pulley (that has half the cogs), both cams will still be correctly aligned relative to each other, so this might prove nothing.. .

An other commonly reported issue is related in this thread
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=427167
but usually the symptoms start showing when the car will not start, then would finally fire up, then die later, all of this happening more and more frequently until complete failure....do you have the possibility to have a code scan? I'm told Autozone does it for free...

A third common problem - less common though but it is heard quite often also - is that the coil packs go haywire..
Unless ou have a positive indiation of something else, I suggest these 3 items to be investigaed first because they make the bread and butter of Sportage forums...The other most common issue, not engine related, being the front locking hubs.

Okay checked the timing belt its fine. Checked the fuel pump its fine. What it ende up being was one of the spark plugs has actually broken. When we took it out it wasent even screwed in and the teeth were stripped. Had to refit it but now it works fine. The coil was actually cracked so I need to get a new one but other than that its running like new.

It figures. Stripped threads in this aluminum head are a reported occurence. It generally requires to use an "helicoil" to refurbish the head threads. ALso, use of an anti seize compound when installing spark plugs is mandatory otherwise there is a risk the steel threads will bond with the aluminum threads and removing the plug the next time will take the threads with it.....