I drive a 2007 Ford Focus and when the fuel level gets to half a tank the car tries to die, and quite often does, when making a left turn. About 1% of the time it will do it when making a right hand turn. It will also sputter and die when running it on idle for a few min. It first started doign this at 1/4 tank but has gotten to where it will do it at 1/2 now. Any help trying to figure this out would be great.
I doubt that turning the car has much to do with it. The fuel pump should be well submerged at 1/4 tank. How many miles on the car? My first guess is that you may need a new fuel filter. Is the check engine light on? If so, have you had the codes read?
BTW, no left turns? No stock car racing for you!
Check the fuel-log pressure when it’s acting up…If you are losing fuel pressure, it’s time to drop the tank and find out why…
My first thought was the fuel filter but that didnt correct the issue. I hope that turning has nothing to do with it but I can drive for hours and the only time it will do it is when turning to the left. The light is on and when got it checked wa an O2 senser. That may be causing the issue but was doint it before the light came on. The car has about 91000 miles on it.
The problem might caused from a weak fuel pump.
The level of gas in the gas tank can assist a weak fuel pump in delivering the proper fuel pressure. This is called head pressure. When the gas tank is full the head pressure is at it’s greatest. Then as the level of the gas in the gas tank drops the head pressure decreases to where it no longer assists the weak fuel pump and the fuel pressure drops so low the engine starts to run rough or stall.
Tester
So… how hard would it be for a beginner to change the fuel pump. I know just enough about workign on cars to be dangerous but follow directions very well for new things.
The first thing that must be done is remove the fuel tank from under the vehicle. Are you up for that?
Tester
Don’t fall into the trap of changing parts until you know with reasonable certainty which parts to replace…Replacing the fuel pump usually involves removing the fuel tank from the car and opening the porthole in the top of the tank to access the fuel pump…A few cars have an access panel in the trunk floor to allow this operation without removing the tank…A service manual for your car would be VERY helpful…On the fuel log that feeds the injectors will be a service port where fuel pressure can be measured…Fuel pressure testers are not very expensive…Check your fuel pressure with the tank full, then when it’s almost empty. They should be the same…
There is a surprising amount of plumbing inside your fuel tank. Sometimes the hose/tube that connects the pump to the fuel pick-up “sock” (filter) leaks, allowing the pump to suck air when the fuel level drops to the level of the leak…This is not a pump problem, it’s a leak problem…
so if it is a leak problem how do i fix that?