ive had this trouble with my car where it would intermittenly stumble and die. i knew it was fuel related because when this would happen my fuel pressure would drop and if i removed the fuel line, air would come out under pressure instead of gas. sometimes it would start back up. sometimes i would have to get towed home. its happend 3 times now. upon advice from this forum i dropped the gastank to have a look at the fuel filter and the fuel pump. what i found is that dodge has a rather interesting way of mounting the fuel pump in my stratus.
the fuel pump is contained in a canister inside the fuel tank. the fuel pump has 2 inlets, and 1 outlet. when the pump runs, it sucks fuel off the BOTTOM of the tank through the first inlet, through a filter sock. this fuel gets pumped into the canister where the fuel filter is located. the canister serves to bathe the fuel pump in gas at all times so that it can remain cool. the fuel pump picks up gas from the canister and pumps it into the fuel line and filter and finally out to the engine.
my problem i found out was that the filter sock on the bottom of the tank was clogged up solid. i removed it and was barely able to blow any air through it at all. so what happens when the filter sock is clogged like this? the pump does not get bathed in fuel. it probably runs hot. when the fuel level in the canister drops below the pumps pickup it starts pumping air and my engine stumbles and dies. i verified this by running the canister, pump and sock in a gallon milkjug with the top cut off. i put the assembly under the car and started it up. with the clogged sock in place, the canister initslly fills with fuel, slowly. and the engine starts. eventually the canister is unable to maintain a high fill level and the pump goes dry. so i removed the filter sock and tried again. now the canister fills up quickly with fuel and the pump remains bathed in fuel. my fuel pressure stays good and the engine runs normally.
so what i found out from this is that under normal conditions, my pump remains fuly bathed in fuel and does not get warm. even if my tank is nearly empty. as long as theres enough fuel to keep the canister full, my pump remains happy.
this blows the throey out of the wayer than running a tank low makes a pump run warm.
my next observation, i cant find a replacment sock ANYWHERE for sale. everyone wants to sell me a replacment canister assembly, including a new pump, new sending unit and new pressure regulator. i only need a little dinky sock. the new assembly is about $400 from dodge. its about $150 for an aftermarket chinese unit. i tried to clean the sock but its just not working. i think im going to have to either run without it, or nut up and buy a new assembly.
the fuel pump is contained in a canister inside the fuel tank. the fuel pump has 2 inlets, and 1 outlet. when the pump runs, it sucks fuel off the BOTTOM of the tank through the first inlet, through a filter sock. this fuel gets pumped into the canister where the fuel filter is located. the canister serves to bathe the fuel pump in gas at all times so that it can remain cool. the fuel pump picks up gas from the canister and pumps it into the fuel line and filter and finally out to the engine.
my problem i found out was that the filter sock on the bottom of the tank was clogged up solid. i removed it and was barely able to blow any air through it at all. so what happens when the filter sock is clogged like this? the pump does not get bathed in fuel. it probably runs hot. when the fuel level in the canister drops below the pumps pickup it starts pumping air and my engine stumbles and dies. i verified this by running the canister, pump and sock in a gallon milkjug with the top cut off. i put the assembly under the car and started it up. with the clogged sock in place, the canister initslly fills with fuel, slowly. and the engine starts. eventually the canister is unable to maintain a high fill level and the pump goes dry. so i removed the filter sock and tried again. now the canister fills up quickly with fuel and the pump remains bathed in fuel. my fuel pressure stays good and the engine runs normally.
so what i found out from this is that under normal conditions, my pump remains fuly bathed in fuel and does not get warm. even if my tank is nearly empty. as long as theres enough fuel to keep the canister full, my pump remains happy.
this blows the throey out of the wayer than running a tank low makes a pump run warm.
my next observation, i cant find a replacment sock ANYWHERE for sale. everyone wants to sell me a replacment canister assembly, including a new pump, new sending unit and new pressure regulator. i only need a little dinky sock. the new assembly is about $400 from dodge. its about $150 for an aftermarket chinese unit. i tried to clean the sock but its just not working. i think im going to have to either run without it, or nut up and buy a new assembly.