My 87 has had a gas gauge issue and it ran out of gas last week. I put gas in it and it ran fine for about 1/4 mile or so and then shut off. I can let it sit for about an hour or so and it will do the same thing.

I replaced the fuel filter and still the same thing.

The guy at the auto parts store says I need to find the fuel pressure reset switch because the system lost it's pressure.

Where is it?

speakeraddict

 

When you turn the ignition to the on position, do you hear the fuel pump turn on for a few seconds?

S

 

I hear it whine, yes.

speakeraddict

 

If you hear that whine then there is pressure in the system. Thats the fuel pump going. I you have no gas in the tank you wont hear it. If you have a very small amount the whine will be very loud.

When you start it up did you try giving it gas to keep the motor going?

 

yes I gave it gas. It will drive for about a quarter of a mile and then just quits and won't restart till I let it sit there.

There is about 5 gallons in the tank.

speakeraddict

 

Damn man I had the same exact thing happen to me. It happened awhile ago, so forgive me if I can't remember the remedy off the top of my head. Okay a few more questions.
Have you done any sort of regular maintence?
How was it running before?

 

I ran fine before. I do regular maintenance. The only problem with the car mechanically is I can't find a radiator for it and it has a leak that requires water to be added every 3 or 4 days.

It has a new clutch, injectors, brake calipers and pads, etc.

If you think of what the solution was, please let me know.

speakeraddict

 

moment of clarity coming!

Okay your car just dies after starting. Check for a vaccum leak first. In the EGR system all those plastic hoses some of them melt or crack after time. Check the operation of the EGR valve. If you unhook the vaccum hose to the EGR valve does the car run better? If it does then check the the TPS. Adjust the TPS it might cause the EGR to activate while the car is at idle choking the engine. Hope this helps!

 

speakeraddict, auto zone can get your lifetime-warrantied radiator for about $170. but it's a special order part, or at least it is for my store (mechanicsburg, PA).

just in case you wanted to know. I wouldn't run straight water through the cooling system because it boils at a lower temperature, and may pose a rust issue.

Dan
-----------------

 

Thanks for the tip on the radiator.

Just checked their site and you are correct. The store told me they couldn't even get one and nissan wanted $460!

I can't have it repaired because they pressure tested it and found a leak around the tank on the bottom which cannot be repaired. At least that is what they told me.

speakeraddict

 

hehe, thanks for taking over D. My brain is overloaded with work!

S

 

Just trying to help out!

 

hehe it helps! I've been everywhere today...doesn't help when I'm checking out the forums at the sametime!

S

 

When the engine is about to quit, does it pretty much take
flooring the gas pedal to just keep the engine running and the
car pretty much takes every ounce of energy just to move
it to the side of the road?

Scott

 

www.importedcarparts.com

is where I got my radiator for around 120-140 I dont remember exactly. THey do not charge shipping on anything over $100. And I dont know whats wrong with your car. You can always spray starting fluid in the intake manifold to find out if its a fire or fuel problem. And also just make sure you coil wire is on good.

 

I don't know how much this well help, if at all, but it's an idea I had.

pull out the fuel pump and make sure the strainer isn't clogged with anything. if the tank was run down that low, anything in there that wasn't gasoline could have contaminated it. it's probably not causing the problem, but it never hurts to check.

also, is there a circuit breaker for these fuel pumps that could open the circuit if there's an overload, and then reset in a few minutes? that also came to mind, but someone else in the forum is better suited to answer that question than me.

Dan

 

To be clear the fist thing you should do is unhook the the vaccum to the EGR valve. That should allow you to start the car.
Let us know if you have anymore ?'s

 

Uhh...how does unhooking the EGR valve allow one to start the car? I mean if it was stuck open, the car will idle rough. It won't cause the car to die out completely. A vaccuum leak might cause the problem....but the more I think of it, it sounds almost like fuel starvation.

Sorry....reread the thread and noticed that.....

S

 

after I changed my clutch I did not put the crank position sensor back in and my car just kept turning over but would not catch....same thing when coil wire had poped off...none of that is related to running out of gas though....the only thing I really thinks that makes since if running out of gas was your only problem would be that the screen by the pump is clogged? I would try filling with more gas...maybe it will stir things around a little...just an idea

 

If it is the EGR then it will help. There was something else though. I remember because the car stalled a block from my house. My dad told me to hold the gas pedal for three mins then start the car, I told him it wouldn't work on a fuel injected car. Turns out for some strange reason it worked, but the car took longer and longer to start everytime. I can't remember Ill go look at my old posts and see if I posted the fix.

 

Duh
The MAF sensor! Ill bet sarins rims that, that is the problem. The connector for the MAF might be dislogged or you could have gotten water in there somehow. When that goes you cant even start the car. Check it. Go to a junk yard and find one to replace it with, or just use the multimeter to see if its even functioning.

 

hehe! Now your thinking Dwayne! One apparent sign also if you have a bad MAF is sometimes the car will not rev past 2k rpm. Also sometimes there will be a code on the ECU, sometimes there isn't. So you might want to pull codes and see what the car is throwing at you as well.

S

 

Reason I asked the above question is because what you described is
exactly what happened to my car just before the coil died...

Course, Sarin had a similar problem that turned out to be the CAS in his
distributor...

Six of one, half a dozen of the other...

Scott

 

Oh yeah....man I'm out of it. The CAS or ignition coil might be another place to look. Good call Scott.

S

 

Well, here is where I stand right now.

The MAF is good. The coil and wires are good.

Same thing it will run for a few minutes and shut off. You then have to let it sit for a few hours and it will start again.

The fuel pump whines and did before this happened. I think I will check that next.

speakeraddict

 

I guess I don't get sarins rims.

Make sure all the vaccum lines are good. Especially the one to the Fuel Pressure regulator. Make sure the sensor to the FPR is plugged in. Make sure the EGR valve is working. Make sure that the Throttle position sensor is straight.
Like this -
Not like this \
Or like this /

 

10chars.

 

if you ran the system out of gas the engine comp picks it up as somthing not right and will shut the system down, try taking the battery lead off for about 5 mins,this resets the comp.

 

i'd check the fuel lines and filter, if it had been run dry the first time in a long time it may have picked up some debris floating atop the gas and cloged something up...i have accually had that happen but it was with a carborated motor and i could see where it cloged the filter because it was a cheapo 89cent clear shucks filter

 

i run out of gas in my '88 all the time (gas guage has some 'issues') and it doest start right away when i put gas in it (i have 2 jugs with me at all times) so i have to try starting it 5 or 6 times before the fuelpump gets enough gas to the engine

i've never had the problem that you speak of though

 

older GM cars and trucks had the fuel pump wired through the oil pressure switch so that a sudden drop of oil pressure would shut off the fuel pump and the engine would stall to prevent damage. that's why all old GM vehicles had to be cranked for a good amount of time, regardless, for them to start, because enough oil pressure had to build up in the engine during cranking before the fuel pump would operate. if I crank the blazer enough to make the oil pressure light go out and the gauge to read above zero, I can hear the fuel pump start buzzing. but if I let the key off and stop cranking, the gauge drops and as soon as the oil pressure and check gauges warning lights come on, I hear the relay click as it shuts down the fuel pump. that's REALLY fun when it's cold out.

I guess it's a good idea, but it's more troubleshooting when there's a fuel delivery problem.

yeah, I don't think the maximas had this feature, so I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with this thread and it really doesn't help.

Dan

 

i just reread this thread again and realized that you alternator might be dead (you know how if something runs out of batteries, then you shut it off for a while and then when you turn it back on it will work for a little bit before dieing again [my maglite is a good example LOL])... when it dies do all the lights still work?

 

Only other thing that caused my car to act like this was a bad ECU. Which is not common these things are supposed to last for a long time. If you have a junkyard around you can get on for 100$. Or just test one out and see if that helps the car.

 

that's possible, when the alternator quits and the battery loses its charge, the engine will lose power and start to sputter. your radio will shut off (especially if you have an aftermarket) when voltage drops, but the car will still run. your gauges might start acting up, and you might get a check engine light (if you have one) cos the sensors will read incorrectly. the alternator light may never come on to warn you. eventually it'll just stop, but stay running, and when you hit the gas it'll die because there's no more juice for the spark. it'll also die if you hit the brakes. is your voltmeter showing 14-15ish?

but I think with a thread this long, he would have run that battery completely dead to the point where it wouldn't even start by now.

Dan
----