Mr. Lambach,
> Thank you for your reply and questions. I'll insert answers following each
> question.
First, as harsh as it sounds, Bill's comment is correct. Doing your own repairs without the proper tools or knowledge can be very expensive. It may very well be that you can not afford to fix this car at this time. I have a large amount of tools and knowledge and have still had to face this very issue. One of the most frustrating things is to sell a car you know that your could fix if... The other is to do the same thing AFTER sinking a lot of money into it chasing your tail.
>Did this problem occur gradually or suddenly?
> Occurred very suddenly; we ran out of fuel just after exiting the freeway and
> coasted downhill to a point near a gas station. I filled a 2 gallon gas-can
> that I had in the car and tried to start the engine. It would not start, so I
> purchased another 2 gallons and tried again. As mentioned in my original
> message, my fuel gauge reading was never accurate and the car would always run
> out of fuel within minutes of the fuel light coming on. In all the previous
> times this had happened, we just put a couple gallons into it and it fired
> right up. This time it would not start. (Right now, with 6 gallons in the
> fuel tank, the gauge reads just over 1/2 full.)
> I assumed that running out of fuel had caused some sediment or something to
> have been sucked into the fuel filter, so we towed the car home, bought a new
> filter, installed it, added another 2 gallons of gas and tried to start it.
> Nothing had changed; it still wants to start, but does not. When I installed
> the filter, I had my son turn the key on so I could check for leaks. I had 2
> leaks, one on the lower pump and the other at the filter. I tightened the
> lines a bit more and that fixed the leaks so I tried to start the engine. No
> luck! I can hear the fuel pumps engage when the key is first turned on and
> then, after a few seconds, they stop pumping, so I think the pumps are working
> OK.
The fuel filter was a valid suspect. A good first choice, but now it looks like this repair could get expensive. When you run dry you get debris, as well as what ever sludge is in the bottom of the tank. As this car sits up a lot, it would have a lot of varnish and sludge, as well as possible inert gas. Step one, is to disconnect the fuel line at the fuel distributor and check pressure. (While cranking) Also, pull a sample of fuel from that point, and light it far away from the car. If you have poor fuel, or water in the lines, it will burn differently from fresh gas... If the pressure and fuel are good at this point, do the same thing at each injector to eliminate the fuel distributor as an issue. Still OK, and you have to pull the injectors and test them. Good luck.
Lee (A different one)