Road trip almost ended on a bad note.

[Turbo1dr]

I was traveling back from a 400 mile road trip this past weekend when my turbocharged hybrid started slowing down on Interstate 40 near the state capitol's airport exit. That's not really an ideal place to be breaking down at 5PM on a Sunday evening. My wide band air fuel ratio gauge was indicating a VERY lean mixture. The car felt like it was running out of gas...bucking and surging as I pat the gas trying to get near the right shoulder of the road. Of course, everyone was doing 75-85mph and I was pushing the Malibu right there along side the best of the best cars out there! After I finally made it to the the shoulder of the road I got out and took a look underneath to see if there were any traces of fuel where it could have leaked out. I also raised the hood and didn't see a thing wrong. I got back in the car and turned the key on and listened to the fuel pump. I heard it come on and build pressure but at the last second I heard what sounded like it released. So I thought maybe the rubber fuel line that attached the pump to the sender has a pin hole in it and caused the pressure to drop...hmm. I listened a second and a third time and made my mind up that that was the problem.

So now, I'm sitting wondering should I pull the tank on the side of the road and check....hmm...I have the all the tools I need since I just helped a friend install a engine in a 93 GMC Typhoon. Anyway, I checked the fuel level in the tank and it was 3/4's of a tank. No way could I have pulled the tank by myself and get it back up in there. So by now my mind was wondering who should I call to come get me. I go sit back in the car and thought to myself...I've got another complete fuel system....I wonder if I could just switch over to it and continue on home without a problem! I get back out...go under the hood and manually switch my dual fuel system to run off the 116 race fuel tank. I boot up the laptop PC and load the correct fuel system file into the FAST XFI computer. I reach for the ignition switch and turn it to the start position and.........IT STARTS UP!!! I go close the hood, get back in, pull it in gear and tear up the asphault while trying to get up to speed.

I thought the weekend trip was going to end bad but the only thing that ended bad was having to drive on high dollar race fuel. I'll bet the cars behind me was wondering where that sweet smell coming from...


The actual problem ended up being a clogged fuel filter on my main fuel system. The fuel pump must have a pressure relief that was popping off due to high fuel pressure.

 

[Boost231]

wow. atleast it wasnt anything major. but racegas isnt cheap hope you didnt have to drive far.

 

[stack1]

That sure was easier than dropping the tank on the side of the road!!! I had a similiar situation, I was only 2 miles from my house. I just kept hitting the alky test button and made it home on straight methanol.

 

[NCTyphoonKid]

I was traveling back from a 400 mile road trip this past weekend when my turbocharged hybrid started slowing down on Interstate 40 near the state capitol's airport exit. That's not really an ideal place to be breaking down at 5PM on a Sunday evening. My wide band air fuel ratio gauge was indicating a VERY lean mixture. The car felt like it was running out of gas...bucking and surging as I pat the gas trying to get near the right shoulder of the road. Of course, everyone was doing 75-85mph and I was pushing the Malibu right there along side the best of the best cars out there! After I finally made it to the the shoulder of the road I got out and took a look underneath to see if there were any traces of fuel where it could have leaked out. I also raised the hood and didn't see a thing wrong. I got back in the car and turned the key on and listened to the fuel pump. I heard it come on and build pressure but at the last second I heard what sounded like it released. So I thought maybe the rubber fuel line that attached the pump to the sender has a pin hole in it and caused the pressure to drop...hmm. I listened a second and a third time and made my mind up that that was the problem.

So now, I'm sitting wondering should I pull the tank on the side of the road and check....hmm...I have the all the tools I need since I just helped a friend install a engine in a 93 GMC Typhoon. Anyway, I checked the fuel level in the tank and it was 3/4's of a tank. No way could I have pulled the tank by myself and get it back up in there. So by now my mind was wondering who should I call to come get me. I go sit back in the car and thought to myself...I've got another complete fuel system....I wonder if I could just switch over to it and continue on home without a problem! I get back out...go under the hood and manually switch my dual fuel system to run off the 116 race fuel tank. I boot up the laptop PC and load the correct fuel system file into the FAST XFI computer. I reach for the ignition switch and turn it to the start position and.........IT STARTS UP!!! I go close the hood, get back in, pull it in gear and tear up the asphault while trying to get up to speed.

I thought the weekend trip was going to end bad but the only thing that ended bad was having to drive on high dollar race fuel. I'll bet the cars behind me was wondering where that sweet smell coming from...


The actual problem ended up being a clogged fuel filter on my main fuel system. The fuel pump must have a pressure relief that was popping off due to high fuel pressure.

that sucks vernon glad you made it back to new bern alright.thanks for helping pat put 1993 GMC Typhoon # 1710 back on the road.

 

[Turbo1dr]

wow. atleast it wasnt anything major. but racegas isnt cheap hope you didnt have to drive far.

I probably had about 3 or 4 gallons of race fuel left in my Metco spare tire fuel cell. I did stop by the nearest gas station to finish filling it up. I had another 100 miles to drive so the race gas is gone. The cost of the fuel beat a high dollar wrecker bill though.

 

[Boost231]

very true.

 

[SilverSleeper]

Man, sounds like it coulda been a lot worse. A wrecker bill for that many miles would be insane.
When my Regal had the 307 carbed setup, I was still new at driving, but the sender always was spot on. I could drive with the gauge on E and still have enough to get to the nearest station.
When I put the LC2 in, along with the new tank, pump, and sender, I ran out of gas the first time I let the tank drop below 1/4. It started sputtering, and I had to nurse it off the road. I was like, it sounds like its out of gas but the tank is 1/4 full.... hmm. Good thing my dad wasn't far behind me on that trip, we made it to the gas station, bought 2 2 gallon tanks, and filled them up just before it closed. Got back to my car, and whaddya know, started right up. I even put a new sender in, but now I start watching anything below 1/2, and won't let it get close to 1/4. I wouldn't want to run out ever again. Thats the only time Ive ever run out of gas.
Sounds like a pretty good setup you have. I've seen the spare tire fuel cells, and thinking about one for mine. Gotta run all new lines now anyway, might as well build a dual system now, than re do the whole thing down the line.