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Ran out of gas... NEED HELP!


brandon99
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So I ran out of gas and put a 1/4 back in,now it starts but just barely and then quits. When it ran out I cranked it a couple times(i know, my Dad would be pissed lol), anyways so can anyone help me diagnose this? Is runs a little so I think that means my pump is ok (next time I wont crank it like that), so my guess is I sucked up junk into my fuel filter from running my gas down... does that sound right?

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Put more gas in it? P...

 

Or check the filter like you said.

 

I ran mine down until it quit while driving once. I pulled over, and cranked it, then realized it was out of gas (gauge didn't work)

 

Got the jerry can, put five gallons in. It barely ran. So I put five more in and let it sit for about 30 mins, then started it. After a few minutes of idle it was all good again.

 

So uh, check filter and add more gas?

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Under the hood, right inner fender, behind the battery next to the p/s reservoir.

 

 

May have burned the fuel pump up. Gas acts as a coolant and lubricator as it passes through it. Fuel pressure test is what I would do.

Edited by 5523Pathfinder
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Quite possible that the filter is clogged, and you might have air in the lines (don't know for sure on these vehicles). I'd change the filter, there is no harm in that, especially if you havent before. It is in the passenger side, under the hood, held by a clip. You cant miss it...

 

When you turn the ignition on, does the fuel pump turn on for about 5 seconds, then shut off?

 

B

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If that doesn't do the trick, you might need to test the fuel pressure (or have a mechanic do it). It is supposed to be 40+ PSI IIRC.

 

B

 

Well, either I'm slow today or everyone else is lightning quick! Um, what 5523 said...

Edited by Precise1
damn
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Not that i can hear, but its parked near a loud street a 1/4 mile away. Im going to head over now with this new info. Will i be able to visually tell if the filter is bad? Can i clear it or bypass it to get it home?

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Yes, the fuel pump isn't very loud and it should just run briefly, you need relatively low noise and just turn the ignition on and stick your head under quickly. If you have someone to help, get under and put a pipe, rod or long screw driver against the tank and cupped to your ear with your fist and then have them just turn the ignition on, NOT start it.

No, the filter is a metal cannister about 3" in diameter, 4" long with a hose in at the bottom and hose out at the top. No way to tell what is inside without removing it at least. I don't recommend bypassing it, because if you do have crap in the tank/lines, you could foul the pressure regulator or injectors, causing more problems...

 

B

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Ok so i pulled the filter and had someone crank the engine. No fuel came out. When i turn the key i hear a click but nothing else. So is my pump bad? Can the pump itself be clogged?

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Check your fuel pump fuse and relay. In case it got hot and burned those out. Otherwise yes the pump could be bad. Not sure on your truck of the pump has a inlet filter on it. If it does, sometimes putting a about a half a tank of gas and letting it sit for a bit might clean it off enough to pull some gas.

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Ok so i pulled the filter and had someone crank the engine. No fuel came out. When i turn the key i hear a click but nothing else. So is my pump bad? Can the pump itself be clogged?

Sounds like the pump isn't running so like Rebelord said. Hopefully it is the peripheral components, but as 5523 said, the gas cools the pump so if you cranked a lot when it was emply...

 

I'll share a trick for the future though, always fill up at 1/4 tank (if you have the $), just treat it like the new E. You shouldn't experience problems like this again, but most important is that you will always have some gas in case of an emergency. ;)

 

B

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A while back (year or so IIRC), I ran mine out of gas. I don't think it was totally empty but it was damn close. It seemed to be losing power on the way home, sort of shaking oddly, and then it crapped out in my driveway. It wouldn't restart. When my dad unhooked the gas line to check pressure, it sprayed him in the face, so we assumed the pump was okay. He managed to make it start but it had this weird loping idle and just sounded awful. We gave up and had it towed to a shop. They put some gas in it and it started up... and made it about a block before sputtering out. Then they cleaned out the fuel pump and put it back in. I suspect it had sucked up some crap from the tank (especially since I'd sloshed the fuel around a bit driving over a bump in my yard). Anyway, cleaning the pump fixed the problem, and it's run without hesitation since.

 

I did replace the fuel filter a couple months later, and when I cracked the old one open, it looked just fine.

 

I don't know if you're fighting the same issue, but if the wiring is okay, you might try cleaning the pump before buying a new one. This won't help if you've burned it out but if the issue is tank gunk, it could save you the cost of a new fuel pump.

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Probably (hopefully not) burned up the pump. Mine's a trooper, I've ran the thing out of gas way too many times and it still works fine at 216K. :lol:

 

I'd check the connections on the top of the tank like 5523 said and if those are good drop the tank and pull the pump assembly.

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If I remember correctly, a pump from a Quest/Villager van was cheaper, smaller, and much quieter than the stock Pathfinder one. It also fits into the carrier without a lot of work.

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Popped the access panel and two wires were disconnected. Removed corrosion and connected wires and now fuel pump works???? What the hell, this truck is weird, I ran out of fuel, so now...

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Pump got hot, locked up, resistance heated the wires to melting? I remember a friend tested a 15A fuse to 40+ amps before it blew. He said with cheap brands there's a lot of onconsistency.

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