Last night, car acted like it was running out of gas?

[Larry Hampton]

It's got 3/4 of a tank, filled it last week. Drove it into town last night, 8 miles, everything fine. Left to go home, starts right up, but go to give it gas and it acts like it's not getting any, doesn't die, and idles fine, just sorta fell on it's face. I took some neighborhood streets for a couple miles, then it ran fine the rest of the way home, and fine this morning.

I assume the fuel pump has been replaced before, all the screws are missing from the interior cover. '91 EFI 5-spd.

[walth]

all the screws are missing?!?!?! that's not good. Do you have a way of grabbing some from another car? I can give you some too if you can't

I would check your fuel filter as I doubt it is your fuel pump. And if that's clogged up then obviously you'll have some issues with stumbling etc. but while you're in the gas tank I'd check the screen on your fuel pump as well. But now that you know the gas tank is technically open I would get that fixed so no more dirt and junk gets in there

[DrMaxwellEdison]

I think he's talking about the panel above the fuel pump that has 4 screws holding itself above the fuel tank, it's got a rubber grommet....

[htchbck]

Walth, I think he's just missing the screws on the plate under the rear seat (ie. interior cover) and not the actual cover that bolts directly to the tank. And yeah, my first guess would be filter and/or screen.

edit: DrMaxwell beat me to it! lol

[iceracerdude]

You can put a pair of vice grips on the fuel return line and then take it for another ride around the neighborhood.
That will show you if the pump is too weak or getting ready to go. If that improves the situation, then you'll have
your answer, this of course based on the idea your fuel filter is not the trouble.
Also, it's Probably the original tps (my first choice), check it for proper adjustment first, maybe replace it!?
To bad, I just took a perfectly good VAf back to the pick-n-pull just for it's core value of $7.
I do still have a good tps though, in the meantime start putting penetrating oil on those little tps machine screws.

[FestYboy]

falling on it's face and not stalling.... check your coil wire and look for arcing, i'll bet you have the coil tower arcing to the body of the coil. yes it could be the filter, but if it were, i would expect it to have happened more frequently...

[Larry Hampton]

It's run fine ever since. I checked the underhood wiring when I got home, jiggled it around, nothing loose. Now Saturday, I gave both of my Festy's a bath, using pressure washer under the hood of both. It drove into town fine, and I would think that the 8 miles for 15 minutes would get everything hot enough to evaporate any residual water. Been driving fine since.

[walth]

yeah, my fuel pump quit twice and "came back" before I changed it. I missed FM last year because I didn't know what was wrong.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31610

[nitrofarm]

I do still have a good tps though, in the meantime start putting penetrating oil on those little tps machine screws.

Those stinking little screws are such a pain !

[walth]

Larry, any updates?

[Larry Hampton]

Nah, still running fine, and I haven't had any time to mess with it. I'll try and look at it this weekend.

Back in the day, a buddy said they used to take a piece of old used vacuum hose that was the same diameter as the plug wires and take the coil plug off and put the boot ends on the vacuum hose. There was enough carbon in the old vacuum line that the car would start, but if you gave it gas, it'd die because it couldn't carry enough energy. Guys would start their cars, pop the hood and start wiggling stuff and grab that coil 'wire' POWW!!!!! Zap 'em everytime. You think the old shutoff next to the plug on an old lawnmower would bite you, WHOOOWEEE!!!