i recently started having a problem with my car. it had been sitting on ramps for about a month and a half while i did some engine work on it. after turning the car on it worked fine and it works fine until you drive it a while. it turns off. but as soon as you pump some gas in it it turns back on. at first i thought it didnt have enough gas so i took it to the gas station to fill it up, the only thing was that if filled up with about $1.50 of premium. proving that the tank was full. on my way back home from the gas station it turned off again. i tried putting some gas in it, but like i said it was full. after a while it turned back on allowing me to get home. since then ive drove it a few times, and it sometimes does the same thing. what i do to make it turn on again in is shake the rear of the car. im thinking some thing is preventing the gas to pass through properly. what can it be?
any advice is welcome.
is there a way to check the lines to see if something is clogged up. by the way it started doing the problem after a day when the temp was below freezing, but i doubt it had something to do with it.

 

The first stupid question is, did you leave the fuel filler cap off anytime during your stay on the ramps? Have you changed the fuel filter? You need to monitor fuel pressure when the problem occurs. Use a gage with a hose and tape it to the windshield when you drive.

Another thing you can do is have someone turn the key on engine off KOEO for 2 seconds, see if you can hear the fuel pump kick in with your ear to the filler neck of the tank with the cap off. Then the next time the problem occurs and the engine is shutting off, try the same thing and see if you hear the pump kick in.

The fuel pump in my 99 P-up just died suddenly yesterday. I had to check it in the parking lot of a strip mall. The first thing I noticed was no pump noise. I then had to bleed the fuel pressure off at the schrader valve. It appeared to have plenty of pressure as the fuel shot out when I pressed the center of the valve. But after I bled the system down to nothing, I primed the pump (tried to ) 5 or 6 times by going KOEO. Then checked the schrader valve and there was nothing. The point is, the pressure may seem fine but in actuallity, it's not.

By the way, I got back to my store by having someone turn the key to start the engine while I tapped the bottom of the tank to jolt the pump. It started and I proceeded to a dealer to get my pump(never chanced shutting off the truck while I was there). Just a helpful tip for those stranded. It works about 50% of the time.

Dave

 

You are assuming it is a fuel problem. Use a test gauge to prove it.