Bummer :o(

Before we went shopping for the day, we stopped at the PO Box, and got the last of my KT Christmas cards, since, with dad having had pnuemonia the week before Christmas, I didn't get there to get the last of them. After they towed the car away, DH brought me home, and one of the first things I did was open those cards! How nice it was to see about 10 cards from my wonderful friends here after that rotten experience with the car! Thank you!

Tami

Could be the fuel pump. Maybe even just a dirty filter. Not healthy to let a gas tank run "dry' because it makes it easier for dirt to get into the lines and clog the injecters or filters. Best to always keep a quarter tank or more.

Hope it's not a major thing.

Wildchild, When I left the house this morning, I had over 1/4 tank, and usually don't let it get below that, anyway. DH, on the other hand will let the light come on before he fills up! It hadn't run dry, just was down to 1/8th tank, which I don't like, and we have snow, snow, snow. Not nearly as bad as the central part of the country, but not good weather to get stranded in. So, I just had DD put in 2 gal. to get me closer to 1/4, and only had about 10 miles to go to get home. I only made it one mile to her house from the station. Fuel injectors HATE going dry, I know! (but you do learn how far you can go after the light comes on). There should have still been about 3 gallons in it before we put the 2 in, and there wasn't much for bumps and only two turns before it died, so I don't think the gas mixed a lot in case there was water in the new gas, but shouldn't have been. They are a reliable station. I really hope it's not the fuel pump. That will hurt the pocket big time! If it's a filter, that would be the cheapest fix, but even if it's a fuel sensor in the computer, that would still be cheaper than the fuel pump that they would have to drain and remove the tank to get to. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Tami

Tell AAA to bring out 5 gal of gasoline and try that before towing. When the tank is that low, a small change in attitude (rear of vehicle higher than the front, or leaning more to one side) of the vehicle can pull the intake out of the fuel.

Also, you are assumming the gas gage was accurate. In many vehicles, the gage falls faster during the last 1/4 tank to urge the driver to fill up. However, the sensor that sends the signal to the gage is part of the fuel intake and float system. When the fuel level goes below a certain level, the float assembly may bottom out and not drop any more, and the gas gage needle also stops falling giving you a false sense of security.

I bet you are our of fuel.

One reason why you should not make a habit of running out of fuel is that it may cause burnout of the fuel pump. The pump depends on fuel flowing through the pump to cool it. In late model vehicles, there is a continous flow of fuel in the system because a pressure regulator sends the extra fuel back to the tank.

Jem, those are good ideas. However, I have been in that same spot, with the gas gauge that low before. In fact, it has been lower! That car has never run out of gas, either. I've had the light come on, sitting in the same spot waiting for traffic before turning into her drive to pick her up before filling the tank for a day's outing. Unless the sensor, or fuel pump went unexpectedly, the gauge has been acurate up until now.

Tami

Here's hoping it's nothing major, Tami.

DS was driving home from work Monday and about three miles from home he heard a big WHAM! and then a god-awful racket. The exhaust pipe running from the muffler had just split! He made it home and checked it out, the pipe was rusted through. He could get a new exhaust pipe and put it on himself, but it's a very low car and we don't have a lift, so to do the welding he would have to put it up on blocks and shimmy underneath, and he'd have been just a couple inches from the heat of the welding gun. We opted not to chance it.

So he took it into the shop yesterday and picked it up last night ... $350 later!

Have you found out the problem yet?
Hope it is not too $$$ to fix!

Well, so far it is the fuel module. They got the part today and will know tomorrow morning if that is the whole problem. The module was shot and would imediately blow the fuse. Until they can replace the module, they can't test the system to see if there is anything else adding to the problem. So far, the price tag is $387 + tax.

Stoney, I feel for him!

Two weeks before Chirstmas, it was the hot water tank. DH said what else can go wrong? I told him to not even THINK the question!

Tami

I was going to say it is the alternator or battery, or ignition switch. Those have all gone out on me at weird times. Good luck!

Yikes to $387! You better tell DH to start thinking of what can go right;-) I hope that's it, though, and it fixes the problem.

Oh, Tami ... I really was thinking INEXPENSIVE thoughts for you, hoping it would be something simply cheap and easy. I'm sorry my thoughts weren't strong enough!

Hopefully tomorrow will be good, and they'll tell you that all is well now.

I got my car back last Thurs evening. Just under $400. It was the fuel module. I got lucky. When we picked it up, they said they had another one like it in the shop that had blown the fuel module, and when the module went, it took out more of the system. For me, it was just the module. So, even tho we really didn't need this now, I was very lucky!

Thanks for the inexpensive thoughts, I think they worked!

Tami

yea!!!!!!!!!
Yep, I think they worked also!

Glad the news was no further things wrong with the system. That's actually a pretty good price for a new module and labor. At least here it would be.