Car jerking and cutting out

Driving at any rate of speed, my car jerks and cuts out alot. I went to AutoZone for the computer ck, but was told that the ck engine light has to be on. Of course it wasn’t that day, it comes & goes. I have changed the spark plugs & wires. I’m thinking it may be the fuel filter, which is in the gas tank! Someone told me that it could be the transmission. Please help!

Ooops, forgot to say what kind of car. It’s a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant.

If the CEL was on there should be codes in the computer, even if the light is now off.

The fuel pump is in the gas tank. Not sure if the filter is, too. On my cars the fuel filter is under the hood.