what could this be?

82 GT · 03-21-2001, 11:29 PM

The other day I was driving my 88GT and was driving down the off ramp from the interstate when for no reason at all the engine stalls.(yes there was gas in it)
I thought "Oh great, here we go with the problems now!
I coasted to a stop and started it up again and it fired right up and I drove home with no more problems. Earlier that day it did hesitate and sputter for a second but didn't stall that time. This was 2 days ago and nothing has happened since. Is this a symptom
of a fuel pump starting to go bad?

84_GT350 · 03-22-2001, 12:25 AM

Well...did it feel like the car was running out of gas? Usually if a fuel pump goes bad then the engine dies a little more slowly. Not all of a sudden. I'd check your ignition system. My car kind of did the same thing when one of my plug wires fell on a header tube and got bunrt to all hell. It started off with a little stumbling and a stall here and there and progressed into this huge problem within a few weeks.

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1984 1/2 GT350 (#842 Hatchback w/ T-tops), 302HO, Comp cams Xtreme Energy cam, Carter 625cfm carb, Weiand Stealth intake, MSD distributor, MSD coil, FMS 9mm wires, 1 5/8" MAC unequal shorties, 2 1/2" MAC Prochamber H-pipe, Flowmaster 2 chambers, KYBs, 16"x8" 4 lug Cobra Rs, Falken 245/45ZR16s

[This message has been edited by 84_GT350 (edited 03-22-2001).]

82 GT · 03-22-2001, 04:29 PM

Well now that I think about it, it did kind of slowly die. It happened again today on the way home from work but it didn't stall this time. It just felt like it ran out of gas for a second. I was on it hard in second gear this time but then it caught itself and started to pull again. I am going to check the spark plug wire like you said tonight.
Does the fuel pump slowly go bad before it does nothing at all?
Where is the fuel pump on the '86-up mustangs? In the fuel tank?
If that's what it is I may as well upgrade to a better pump then.

Smokedawg · 03-22-2001, 04:34 PM

My fuel pump did that exact same thing to me. First it got weak and died on me a few times. Then finally went out on me. I would imagine that yours is in your tank. follow you fuel lines back and see.

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347 Stroker Motor: Balanced, 24lb Bosch Injectors, Cobra Computer, Cobra Transmission, Extude Ported and Polished Upper and Lower, GT40 Milled Ported and Polished Heads, B303 Cam, BBK 1 5/8 Headers, Holley Fuel Regulator, March Underdrive Pulleys, Electric Fan, Accel Performance Coil, Accel 300+ Racing Wires, Ram Air, K&N Filter, 79mm Mass Air Unit, FlowMaster Exhaust w/BBK Offroad H-Pipe, Hurst Short Throw Shifter, 3:55 Gears, Ram Clutch, Cross Drilled Rotors, High Tolerant Painted Calipers

5ive.oh · 03-22-2001, 05:06 PM

Yep, fuel pump in the tank. Check the fuel filter first, make sure it's not restricted. If it's good, take your car to a shop and have a pressure test done on the fuel. This will tell you if the pump is going, which it sounds like. It's hard to tell by listening to the pump cause all ford pumps whine and groan like they're dieing.

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82GT, TorkerII intake,Holley exhaust w/dumps,Hedmanheaders,carter625,88 306ci block, speed pro cam.

03-22-2001, 05:51 PM

Sounds like fuel pump and/or regulator. It could also be the TFI module, but sounds more like fuel pump.

dinomite · 03-22-2001, 10:14 PM

Fuel pump sounds right in this case, but one thing that people ofte don't think of is bad gas, water in the gas that you get can do funny stuff like this too. All you have to do to fix that is get some gas drier with isopropyl alcohol in it.

82 GT · 03-22-2001, 10:31 PM

Well it's like this..My fuel gauge is always stuck on "full" and I always reset the trip odometer at every fill up and fill up again when it reaches about 200 miles.
Then odometer was around 160 when it first happened and it was at 187 today when it happened. I figured maybe I didn't get as much gas the last time as I might have thought and the gas is low. I went and put $10 and then took it out on a back road and did a few hard runs and had no problems.
I will fill it up completely tomorrow and see if it does it again when there is more gas in it.

03-21-2001, 11:29 PM	#1
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	what could this be? The other day I was driving my 88GT and was driving down the off ramp from the interstate when for no reason at all the engine stalls.(yes there was gas in it) I thought "Oh great, here we go with the problems now! I coasted to a stop and started it up again and it fired right up and I drove home with no more problems. Earlier that day it did hesitate and sputter for a second but didn't stall that time. This was 2 days ago and nothing has happened since. Is this a symptom of a fuel pump starting to go bad?

03-22-2001, 12:25 AM	#2
84_GT350 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Overland Park, KS, USA Posts: 1,631	Well...did it feel like the car was running out of gas? Usually if a fuel pump goes bad then the engine dies a little more slowly. Not all of a sudden. I'd check your ignition system. My car kind of did the same thing when one of my plug wires fell on a header tube and got bunrt to all hell. It started off with a little stumbling and a stall here and there and progressed into this huge problem within a few weeks. ------------------ 1984 1/2 GT350 (#842 Hatchback w/ T-tops), 302HO, Comp cams Xtreme Energy cam, Carter 625cfm carb, Weiand Stealth intake, MSD distributor, MSD coil, FMS 9mm wires, 1 5/8" MAC unequal shorties, 2 1/2" MAC Prochamber H-pipe, Flowmaster 2 chambers, KYBs, 16"x8" 4 lug Cobra Rs, Falken 245/45ZR16s [This message has been edited by 84_GT350 (edited 03-22-2001).]

03-22-2001, 04:29 PM	#3
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	Well now that I think about it, it did kind of slowly die. It happened again today on the way home from work but it didn't stall this time. It just felt like it ran out of gas for a second. I was on it hard in second gear this time but then it caught itself and started to pull again. I am going to check the spark plug wire like you said tonight. Does the fuel pump slowly go bad before it does nothing at all? Where is the fuel pump on the '86-up mustangs? In the fuel tank? If that's what it is I may as well upgrade to a better pump then.

03-22-2001, 04:34 PM	#4
Smokedawg Tires Fear Me... Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 867	My fuel pump did that exact same thing to me. First it got weak and died on me a few times. Then finally went out on me. I would imagine that yours is in your tank. follow you fuel lines back and see. ------------------ 347 Stroker Motor: Balanced, 24lb Bosch Injectors, Cobra Computer, Cobra Transmission, Extude Ported and Polished Upper and Lower, GT40 Milled Ported and Polished Heads, B303 Cam, BBK 1 5/8 Headers, Holley Fuel Regulator, March Underdrive Pulleys, Electric Fan, Accel Performance Coil, Accel 300+ Racing Wires, Ram Air, K&N Filter, 79mm Mass Air Unit, FlowMaster Exhaust w/BBK Offroad H-Pipe, Hurst Short Throw Shifter, 3:55 Gears, Ram Clutch, Cross Drilled Rotors, High Tolerant Painted Calipers

03-22-2001, 05:06 PM	#5
5ive.oh Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Rocky Posts: 13	Yep, fuel pump in the tank. Check the fuel filter first, make sure it's not restricted. If it's good, take your car to a shop and have a pressure test done on the fuel. This will tell you if the pump is going, which it sounds like. It's hard to tell by listening to the pump cause all ford pumps whine and groan like they're dieing. ------------------ 82GT, TorkerII intake,Holley exhaust w/dumps,Hedmanheaders,carter625,88 306ci block, speed pro cam.

03-22-2001, 05:51 PM	#6
88GT5.013.02 Guest Posts: n/a	Sounds like fuel pump and/or regulator. It could also be the TFI module, but sounds more like fuel pump.

03-22-2001, 10:14 PM	#7
dinomite The Dude Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,262	Fuel pump sounds right in this case, but one thing that people ofte don't think of is bad gas, water in the gas that you get can do funny stuff like this too. All you have to do to fix that is get some gas drier with isopropyl alcohol in it.

03-22-2001, 10:31 PM	#8
82 GT Import Slayer Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 2,241	Well it's like this..My fuel gauge is always stuck on "full" and I always reset the trip odometer at every fill up and fill up again when it reaches about 200 miles. Then odometer was around 160 when it first happened and it was at 187 today when it happened. I figured maybe I didn't get as much gas the last time as I might have thought and the gas is low. I went and put $10 and then took it out on a back road and did a few hard runs and had no problems. I will fill it up completely tomorrow and see if it does it again when there is more gas in it.