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Anyone ever run out of fuel?

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Old Feb 17, 2002 | 06:09 PM
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HighTach7's Avatar
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From: Gaffney, SC Cherokee
Exclamation Anyone ever run out of fuel?

Give the "Idiot Award" to me for this week.

However i'm not sure, but it looks evident that my 94 RX-7 ran out of gas during a 70-80% throttle run. Here are a rundown on the engine mods:
Intake, DP, MP, exhaust, streetport, Pulleys, G-Force ECU, Boost cont. (running 11-12psi on Blitz SSBC w/ stock injectors and fuel pump)

Here's the reinactment:
Driving back to college at 2am, i had my friend in the car. Considering i'm not going to possess the car much longer i wanted to show my boost-virgin friend what a mildly modded 7 feels like. The fuel light was on, but had recently come on, therefore i assumed i had enough for a quick run to 130mph. 3rd-4th gear i shot a flame (usual), then 4th-5th i shot another flame then felt the car go dead. The gas (or should i say air, hehe) pedal was down yet the car gave no response. The RPMs went to zero and all the interior lights came on as if you put the key into the "ON" position. On a side note let me state that coasting at 100+mph with stiffening brakes isn't fun, so i used the e-brake ever so carefully and pulled off the road to begin diagnosis.

Ok first thing i do (of course), is try to start her up. The engine turns but doesn't fire up... sometimes it would emit a backfire or two. I prime the fuel pump a few times then try it again.. nada. A gas station is 1mile down the road so we make the trek up there and get 3 gallons. Into the gas tank it goes but to no avail, there is no difference...... In the morning i give it another shot. No change, but this time it wasn't backfiring. I get my friend to turn the key to the "ON" position while i stick my ear to the open gas tank and i don't hear the "wrrrrrr" of the fuel pump, or any other sound for that matter.

Right now the car has been towed to MAZDUH. I simply want them to diagnos and find out what the problem is.. NOT FIX IT, hehe (bad experience with mazda in the past). Hopefully i did not lean out the engine and blow it... but i doubt that happened because i don't hear the rotors clacking against the housings. I assume it has some relation with the fuel pump b/c i can't hear it prime... Where is the fuse for the fuel pump? The tow truck guy was saying i "hardened up the teflon seals", whatever that means.

Any insight on my problem is greatly appreciated
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Old Feb 17, 2002 | 06:17 PM
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From: Wausau WI
I ran out of gas in my 'Cuda once, but the gas gauge in there really does not work. It gives more of an estimate than a real figure! Anyway, I just got some gas, added a couple gallons, hit the fuel pump (I have an electric pump that goes through a switch under my dash), started it up, and off I went. Man am I ever thankful for the simplicity of older cars
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Old Feb 17, 2002 | 07:09 PM
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From: Pleasanton,California
yes you deserve the idiot award alright.. I guess fuel sloosh problem was not enough for you...what do you mean by not have the car very much longer...are you selling it....

attention EVERYONE... dont buy this car..owner did not take care of it
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Old Feb 17, 2002 | 07:53 PM
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From: Hermosa Beach, CA
You know, my gas gauge was calibrated slightly high and it would run out of gas basically right when the warning light came on. Driving around Chapel Hill, lots of stop-go, speed bumps, etc., gas burned quickly. I usually kept 1/4 tank in it at least, but I was in a rush to get back from errands to go to a game and just as I pulled in my dorm parking lot the warning light came on. When I went to crank it again later that day, it wouldn't start. It was out ... my friend and I just bought a can and got some gas from a gas station down the road. Ever since then I've carried a spare gallon in the back ... well when the car was working.
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Old Feb 17, 2002 | 08:31 PM
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From: Atlanta
Hey man,
I think that you are probably alright. The reason that I say this is that when working on the fuel injectors in the car, it states that to remove the fuel pressure you should:
Start the car up and with the car running remove the EGI fuse, which cuts the fuel pump AND cuts the spark plugs from firing (you might have a problem with this).
Anyway, you can prime your fuel system by with the key in the ON position go to the diagnostic port under the hood and grounding the F/P (fuel pump) outlet. This will make the electric fuel pump run and prime your system.

Hope your car is ok.
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Old Feb 18, 2002 | 02:13 AM
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From: Los Angeles
There's a low fuel indicator light in the 3rd gen?

I guess I've never gone low enough to see it.

I've run out of gas twice in my old 325is. Probably because my car's fuel level sender was blown out and I never bothered to fix it-the tripmeter was my "gas gauge" =)

I had a friend who was known for running out of gas frequently in his Jetta-he was even a SIG Alert once because of it. He also discovered that if you're stranded in the desert and the only thing is a 7-11 nearby with injector cleaner, a few small bottles of it will get you far enough down the road to get to a gas station.
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Old Feb 18, 2002 | 08:20 AM
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From: st pete
i ran out in my fd no problems though just filled it up after i pushed it to the gas station.
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Old Feb 18, 2002 | 01:15 PM
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From: Gaffney, SC Cherokee
Originally posted by Johnny
yes you deserve the idiot award alright.. I guess fuel sloosh problem was not enough for you...what do you mean by not have the car very much longer...are you selling it....

attention EVERYONE... dont buy this car..owner did not take care of it
Thank you sooooo much for the kind words, i think i already established that... You're a moderator? pssh.

Anyways, i'll try the EGI fuse and toggle around with the fuel pump. Hopefully i didn't run it lean before the engine cut off
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Old Feb 18, 2002 | 01:44 PM
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From: Pleasanton,California
hey dont blame me....you did it. and announcing to the forum ..to your potential buyers also...

yeah you probably didn't do any harm...I'll grant you that...but you said yourself....idiot move..right.

this is my last post on this subject..

Last edited by Johnny; Feb 18, 2002 at 02:16 PM.
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