Car won't stay running

[jamesmm]

Hi,
I was leaving work it went a couple blocks and then stopped. It has gas. When I put a little starting fluiyin it will run for a few seconds and stop. Fuel pump? Any ideas?

[firebush357]

Hi,
I was leaving work it went a couple blocks and then stopped. It has gas. When I put a little starting fluiyin it will run for a few seconds and stop. Fuel pump? Any ideas?

Did you hit any bumps large enough to trip the inertia switch?

Check all your fuses and that inertia switch first then take the fuel line off and connect ground out the test connector by the brake booster with the key in the run position to see if the fuel pump is working.

[Eaglefreek]

Bang on the bottom of gas tank or flip the back seat up and bang on the floor with a rubber mallet while someone is cranking the engine and see if it starts. If so, it's your fuel pump. Make sure you don't get run over if you choose to go under the car.

[jamesmm]

thanks for your responses. I am checking it out now. checking with Festiva Shop manual

[jamesmm]

disconnected fuel line from carb and turned over engine. no gas came out. figure it is the mechanical fuel pump. will change filter too.

[TominMO]

With carby cars, always have a spare fuel filter in the car (and the tools to change it out). In my experience, they seems to last for about 10K miles. Having the spare on hand has saved me twice on cross-country trips.

[Eaglefreek]

Oops, I didn't think to ask whether it was carb or EFI.

[WmWatt]

Clogged fuel line could be screen in gas tank or fuel filtre low on diriver's side fire wall. Mechanical fuel pump bolts on rear of engine block top driver's side. Easy to remove, check, and replace.

[sc72]

Didn't drdan do a write up about a fuel hose on the carb cars that gave trouble, I think it would kink after time.

[WmWatt]

^^ Right, forgot abut that. Where the fuel line leaves the engine compartment at the fuel filtre and runs under the body back to the tank there is a rubber fuel hose which can collapse with age and block the flow of fuel. I replaced mine with a longer piece which loops gradually, removing the sharp bend. Good point!

[jamesmm]

Thanks for all your help. I have changed the filter and fuel pump. Back to its old self.