Help!

[nfpgasmask]

Well, I suppose it could have been the plugs. I honestly don't know, and I'm still not 100% sure all is well.

Would it be possible for me to have had some "bad" gas? I mean, I have never experienced anything like this in all of my cars I have ever had.

Bart

I've ran mine out of gas twice (don't ask). It never had any ill running problems. It ran...gas ran out...engine stopped runing! Put in gas and it fired right up and ran like a champ!
Also try tapping on your fuel rail. It may be clogged. Run some cleaner through it.

[Joe_Black]

It's very likey you could have had a little bit of water rolling around on the bottom of the tank since it's heavier than gas, and by letting your VX get so low it managed to get into the fuel line. Keep some 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol on hand to put in occasionally as that's the same stuff in "water remover", just much less expensive.

If it would have been the plugs you would have seen an immediate difference. Don't forget to note the date and mileage info in your maintenance log for the plug change!

[nfpgasmask]

Thanks Joe! Its funny, you should see my maintenace log. I made a special VehiCROSS binder and I keep it under my seat. I write down everything I do to my VX, and I mean EVERYTHING.

So yes, mileage, plug change, oil change, filter change, PCV Valve, all noted and then some.

And just another quick update, I just finished changing the oil and took her around the block again, things are looking good. I might go to get some dinner at Chilis (Its a chips & salsa and beer night) which is a ways out in the burbs so I may take the VX out on the highway shortly.

Thanks - Bart

It's very likey you could have had a little bit of water rolling around on the bottom of the tank since it's heavier than gas, and by letting your VX get so low it managed to get into the fuel line. Keep some 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol on hand to put in occasionally as that's the same stuff in "water remover", just much less expensive.

If it would have been the plugs you would have seen an immediate difference. Don't forget to note the date and mileage info in your maintenance log for the plug change!

[nfpgasmask]

Hey, what about this product called "HEET"??

It is supposed to clear up condensation in your gas tank. Anyone ever use it on their VX?

It sounds similar to your alcohol method, Joe.

Bart

It's very likey you could have had a little bit of water rolling around on the bottom of the tank since it's heavier than gas, and by letting your VX get so low it managed to get into the fuel line. Keep some 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol on hand to put in occasionally as that's the same stuff in "water remover", just much less expensive.

If it would have been the plugs you would have seen an immediate difference. Don't forget to note the date and mileage info in your maintenance log for the plug change!

[Joe_Black]

HEET is pretty much just methanol which does the same thing at a premium price. A lot of folk use it for making small (like less than a litre) batches of biodiesel and also for fueling small-scale pulsejet engines.

[nfpgasmask]

Premium price?? I just bought a jug for $1.19....

Bart

HEET is pretty much just methanol which does the same thing at a premium price. A lot of folk use it for making small (like less than a litre) batches of biodiesel and also for fueling small-scale pulsejet engines.

[Joe_Black]

Okay smarty, that's still twice as much as some isopropyl.

[nfpgasmask]

Okay smarty, that's still twice as much as some isopropyl.

[zilik]

Since water is heavier than gas is it not rolling around on the bottom of the tank all of the time? Unless we have floating pickups in our tanks I don't think the volume of gas would make much difference.

Gary

It's very likey you could have had a little bit of water rolling around on the bottom of the tank since it's heavier than gas, and by letting your VX get so low it managed to get into the fuel line. Keep some 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol on hand to put in occasionally as that's the same stuff in "water remover", just much less expensive.

If it would have been the plugs you would have seen an immediate difference. Don't forget to note the date and mileage info in your maintenance log for the plug change!

[Joe_Black]

Since water is heavier than gas is it not rolling around on the bottom of the tank all of the time? Unless we have floating pickups in our tanks I don't think the volume of gas would make much difference.

Gary

The bottom of the tank isn't perfectly smooth and water will tend to accumulate in the low spots and stay there while a consistent level of fuel is providing compressive force on the liquid. When the tanks gets very low the fuel will tend to slosh around to the extent that these low areas are completely exposed to air and will be picked up and moved to the pick-up area of the tank more readily than when a greater volume of fuel is in the tank.

That's really an over-simplification of what happens, but although infrequent it still happens.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, I talked to my mom yesterday, she is STILL driving her '96 Trooper, and she said this exact thing has happened to her a couple times...

Bart

[vxDAKINECHICvx]

My VX had a similar problem about a month ago (running rough), but the CE light never came on. Come to find out the place where I got my gas a few days earlier was known for giving cars problems. ( I had no knowledge of this beforehand of course). The bf ran some sort of (lets call it 'gas ointment' -since Im too stupid to remember the name of it) in the gas tank, cleaned it out and haven't had anymore problems. So that may have been your problem. My 2 cents...not sure what its worth.