Engine Randomly dies but then restarts

[joezek]

I was driving 60 mph with cruise set, for about 15 min and suddenly the engine just about shut off. After losing about 5 mph it jumped back to life.

About 20 min later I was at McDonalds idling in the parking lot, suddenly it drops to 300-400 rpm and will not respond to the gas pedal. Did this for 45 seconds, then like a switch it jumped back to life and ran perfect again.

Two days later, after driving for 20 min with the cruise set, during deceleration when approaching the highway exit, the engine almost quits completely so I pulled over. It continues to idle at 300-400 rpm with no throttle response for about 45 seconds, then runs perfect again.

Two days after that, while driving just above idle through the neighborhood, it began to try to stall again at 300 rpm. After 30 seconds it finally stalled and wouldn't restart. I waited 10 seconds, then it restarted and has ran perfectly since for the last two days.

I suspect the fuel pump might be about to quit, and seems to me that it's just not getting fuel when it acts up. It runs exatcly the same when I do an injector flush and disconnect the fuel pump to dump fuel pressure.

Has anyone experienced this problem? How hard is changing the fuel pump?

JOE

 

[masterhacker]

Fuel pumps arent horribly hardm but you do have to wrestle the tanks.
first things first CHANGE YOUR FUEL FILTER (they take like 10 min to change on a expy). next buy a gauge set to check fuel pressure, or have a mechanic do it for you. finally if you determined its a bad pump make sure you change the pick up sock/get you tank cleaned (i have a radiator shop clean up all my tanks for me yes even plastic ones, they can clean them out easier than I can, and they don't charge much)

 

[Canadian Expy]

I had my old Bronco do this (it was converted to full EFI) figured out it was a bad ground to the computer. But it could be the fuel pump in your case. intermittent stuff sucks to figure out!!!!

 

[masterhacker]

I picked up a 99 sunfire for $200 because no one could figure out why it was back firing. it had a butt load of new parts on it, they even put a new head on it cause they thought that may have been what was doing it. anyways it turns out the wiring for the computer was ass messed up and was messing up when one injector would fire. I think i spent like 6 hours figuring it out and a couple more fixing it

 

[joezek]

Thanks I'll check my grounds to the computer. The fuel filter isn't old, and I doubt it would run perfect and then randomly run at idle only, then snap back to running perfectly again, if it was a filter.

If anyone's ever tried unhooking their fuel pump while engine running, to empty the fuel pressure, then you'll know the description of my problem.

It happened two more times between yesterday and today. Once was while coasting the interstate off ramp, other time was during bumper to bumper rush hour while going UP a very steep bridge. Luckily both times it jumped back to life after about 5-10 seconds of low idle.

 

[race4beer]

Apologize for reviving an old
Post but my 03 Expy started doing this recently, same symptoms. Did you ever find the cause?

 

[Bedrck47]

Apologize for reviving an old
Post but my 03 Expy started doing this recently, same symptoms. Did you ever find the cause?

Rather than reviving an old post you would be better off starting a new thread and explain in detail YOUR problem

This thread is over 5 years old and some of the members in this thread haven't been on the forum for a few years

 

[race4beer]

Thanks

Rather than reviving an old post you would be better off starting a new thread and explain in detail YOUR problem

This thread is over 5 years old and some of the members in this thread haven't been on the forum for a few years