ran out of gas and problems started....

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headkeek
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:46 pm

ran out of gas and problems started....

Postby headkeek » Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:28 pm

I have a 1998 pathfinder with 200,000 miles and I recently ran out of gas.
I put about a 1/4 of a tank in and it still wouldn't start. The tow truck guy had me repeatedly turn the key from the off position to the last position before it turns over. This eventually started the vehicle, but on the way home whenever I really pushed on the gas it would stall.

I've read online sometimes from running a vehicle dry you can get dirt caught in your fuel injectors. So the following day I added a fuel injector cleaner to the gas and it was a struggle to start the vehicle. I drove it around our neighborhood and the lower the gas the more it stalls and the harder it is to re-start.

Since the directions on the fuel injector cleaner say to add to the gas tank when almost empty, I was thinking of running the vehicle until almost empty and then adding another treatment. But since it's getting harder and harder to start it, I'm thinking that will almost no fuel and treatment in the tank, who knows what that will mean (at least I have no idea).

I've also seen similar scenarios detailed online where it was the fuel filter.
I've seen the how-to on replacing the fuel filter and I think I could do that, but I'm not sure about the diagnosis.

My mechanic says to bring it in and he just hooks the computer up to it, but that's $95.00 right out of the gate, and since times are tough I need to at least try to do this myself.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.


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deermjd
Posts: 459
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:24 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Postby deermjd » Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:07 am

If your fuel filter is external to the tank I would replace that and see if that makes a difference. It's cheap and easy to do. When the gas tank ran dry all the sediment at the bottom of the tank could have clogged it up. Well even if you don't have an external fuel filter, it may be a good idea to replace the fuel pump and "internal filter" mech screen. Especially if the fuel pump is original.

You're on the right track with cleaner the injectors and looking into the fuel filter.


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