Topic: Stalled on side of highway earlier today... fuel problems?

[calvinh]

On my 100 mile drive home from college tonight, I started getting a nasty hesitation and the engine started cutting out. After a few seconds, it cleared up, but it came back a few more times, enough to make me pull over. I poured a half bottle of fuel system cleaner in just to see if it would help, and surprisingly, I made it the rest of the way home.

I've noticed a few things about the problem:

When it starts hesitating, if I hit the rumble strip on the side of the highway for a few seconds, it clears up.
No check engine light
No odd engine noises
fuel pump sounds fine when it primes up when I turn the key

I think it could be either a) a loose wire on the fuel pump or b) clogged fuel filter.

Is it possible it could just be a clogged filter? I got the car 2 months ago, and before I had it it had been sitting in a barn for 2 years. I've run a couple bottles of seafoam through the tank, so could I have dislodged some crap on the bottom that blocked the filter?

I'm hoping its that, because I don't feel like dropping the tank anytime soon because it's already started snowing here.

I'd appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

[SDWE61988]

A fuel filter is a good place to start and checking your electrical connections.  Who know what kind of crap is in that filter or if it had ever been changed.

[calvinh]

I think I found my problem... the fuel filter that was on there had to be the original one, it was so rusted that there wasn't any paint left on it. I replaced it today, hopefully that  took care of the problem

[Jeffy]

Could have also been bad gas.

[calvinh]

Replaced the fuel filter, still have the same problem. It seems to only happen in 4th or 5th gear, I'll be driving and then it starts bucking and slowing down no matter how much gas I give it. If I let off the throttle completely, it idles normally.

Could it actually be the fuel pump? It primes up fine when I turn the key, and I'm not getting any check engine lights.

parts I've recently replaced: dist cap, wires, plugs, fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, o2 sensor

[grumpygy]

Last time mine did that it was a clogged cat.  Jeep even had a recall on their cats.

[sharpxmen]

fuel pump or clogged cat like he ^ said

[calvinh]

Exhaust flow seems fine, but there is a O2 too rich code being thrown even though I just changed the sensor, and a persistent occasional misfire once the engine is warmed up. I just had the exhaust looked at a few weeks ago and he didn't say anything about the cat looking bad.

Drove it 150 miles today, for the first 100 miles of interstate driving there was no problem at all, but then I stopped for a half hour and when I got back on the interstate it started hesitating again. It cleared up though and I was able to finish the trip.

There really seems to be no rhyme or reason to when the problem shows up, but since it really isn't throwing any codes that are meaningful to the symptoms, I think the TPS and most sensors can be ruled out.

One however, is the CPS (crank position sensor). Has anyone had one of these go bad? if so, did you have similar symptoms? (hesitating and stumbling seemingly randomly on the highway)

[SDWE61988]

I had a cat break apart and clog the muffler in another vehicle a number of years ago.  It would drive fine until I put the engine under load.  So is the O2 code intermitent?

[Jeffy]

Exhaust flow seems fine, but there is a O2 too rich code being thrown even though I just changed the sensor, and a persistent occasional misfire once the engine is warmed up. I just had the exhaust looked at a few weeks ago and he didn't say anything about the cat looking bad.

Drove it 150 miles today, for the first 100 miles of interstate driving there was no problem at all, but then I stopped for a half hour and when I got back on the interstate it started hesitating again. It cleared up though and I was able to finish the trip.

There really seems to be no rhyme or reason to when the problem shows up, but since it really isn't throwing any codes that are meaningful to the symptoms, I think the TPS and most sensors can be ruled out.

One however, is the CPS (crank position sensor). Has anyone had one of these go bad? if so, did you have similar symptoms? (hesitating and stumbling seemingly randomly on the highway)

I've helped a friend diagnose his CPS.  It's completely random at times.  Although his was worse enough that  the engine would die and not start.  Then he'd have to wait and it would start eventually, sometimes.  CPS is hard to pinpoint.

[grumpygy]

I had a cat break apart and clog the muffler in another vehicle a number of years ago.  It would drive fine until I put the engine under load.  So is the O2 code intermitent?

Exactly what happened to mine, did not find out till later there was a recall from the Factory to replace the cats.  I also did not notice a flow difference.  But when I was under the Jeep I could find nothing wrong, But for some reason I kicked the cat and it rattled.   The guts had broken free and would turn Sideways from time to time completely blocking the Exhaust.  Pull over and that piece would fall out and it would run fine again.

  But it was doing one other really weird thing, Oil was coming out of the Dipstick from Back Pressure in the Motor.

[justin399]

Mine did something similiar years ago but it was my own fault.  I had replaced the fuel pump earlier in the year and used some red rtv around the gasket.  It had deteriorated and got into the tank clogging the pump.  I replaced the pump and used some Indian head to seal it.  Live and learn.  If it's been sitting a couple years in a barn the old gas in the return could've got deposits and brought them to the pump.  Just a thought.

[calvinh]

problem is back, still haven't figured it out. It seemingly comes and goes at will.

I'm thinking it could be the exhaust at this point, just because theres no codes, and only occurs when you drive at higher speeds for 5-10 minutes.

I kicked the muffler a few times, and you can definitely hear stuff rattling around in there. I have no idea if mufflers are supposed to rattle.

[sharpxmen]

problem is back, still haven't figured it out. It seemingly comes and goes at will.

I'm thinking it could be the exhaust at this point, just because theres no codes, and only occurs when you drive at higher speeds for 5-10 minutes.

I kicked the muffler a few times, and you can definitely hear stuff rattling around in there. I have no idea if mufflers are supposed to rattle.

mufflers aren't supposed to rattle and neither are catalytic converters - could be that you have broken honeycomp in the cat that moves around and when it finds it's way to block the output would bog down the engine, could be the same in the muffler if it's rusted inside. this is an assumption so don't take it as a certainty, you can actually hear a hissing sound when that happens (exhaust gasses escaping under pressure).

[calvinh]

mufflers aren't supposed to rattle and neither are catalytic converters - could be that you have broken honeycomp in the cat that moves around and when it finds it's way to block the output would bog down the engine, could be the same in the muffler if it's rusted inside. this is an assumption so don't take it as a certainty, you can actually hear a hissing sound when that happens (exhaust gasses escaping under pressure).

Well its between that and a pinched fuel return line (testing the pressure sometime in the next few days) so I might try to get the exhaust off this weekend, temporarily gut the cat and muffler, and put them back on and see if that helps at all.