I’m thinking of buying my friends truck for cheap. The issue with the truck is that it starts to run poorly like it is being fuel starved. He changes the fuel filter and it runs fine for a while, but then runs poorly again, until he changes the filter and it runs fine again.
He’s done this like 5 times now. He thinks it’s because of rust in the gas tank. Seems like a reasonable diagnoses. But I wanted to check here to see if anyone has run into this same issue but it had a different cause.
If it is caused by a rusty tank, is the only fix to buy a new tank?
Have the pressure checked and see if it’s good. You don’t know if the fuel pump works right. They might be able to check the tank if the pump has to come out. Tanks don’t always rust inside enough to make a difference.
Define “a while”. Are you talking a day, year? I ask b/c I once had a car that was chronic complainer. Take it to the shop, or do any repair, and it ran better for a couple weeks.
You might try running it nearly empty, slosh the tank (bounce the bumper), and drain the last bit into clean pans. With luck, you’ll see some water, rust, or other contaminants. There are “sneak-o-scopes” that can peer inside the tank, but it usually is done by pulling it out.
There are several home fixes on the I-net, vinegar, coke, whatever, to remove rust, but I’d use POR-15 gas tank sealer. (There are other similar products.) Though it says it’ll seal split seams and pinholes, I’ve only used it on a tanks that was rusty, but structurally sound… and it’s 10% the cost of a new tank.
Probably a rusty tank and it would be best to just replace the tank. Maybe you can negotiate at least the price of the tank itself from the asking price of the truck.
Remove the six bolts that secure the box to the frame, and lift up the box to expose the tank so the fuel pump can be removed to inspect the inside of the tank.
That’s what I did when I replaced the fuel pump on my 95 Nissan pickup.
There could be a problem with the EVAP system or the gas tank cap - causing the pump to pull against an increasing vacuum. The vacuum becomes too much for the pump to pull against after a while. Opening the system, by removing the gas cap or changing the fuel filter, brings the tank back to normal air pressure.
Are you referring to the white glue that held the filter in place in its canister? If it’s a white material in the fuel, maybe a “friend” added a gallon of milk to his tank.
Next time he pulls a filter, he could see if it still “passes gas” like a new filter. It doesn’t look plugged.
Sometimes kids will put sugar or sand into gas tanks as a prank. It’s also possible the gas station’s storage tank has sand in it. I had that problem in Colorado one time, made my VW Rabbit run poorly. You’re going to have to hire a shop to remove and clean the tank. I expect that – and a locking gas cap – will fix the problem. Also try to buy fuel at a name-brand gas station that sells a lot of gas.
Ah, thanks, and that’s good news. You know the cause and how to fix it. It’s been the 60’s since I last heard of that idiot stunt. Probably no rust. When cleaning the tank, check the filler neck.
Sugar doesn’t dissolve in gas, but there is some water in fuel. That may be how some slips past the filter. It’ll burn in an engine, but leaves a deposits behind. (That’s from the one time I worked on a head, after being sugared.) He caught it as soon as he went to refill the truck.
