97 Nissan PU lurches when gas is low.

External Since: Apr 12, 2006 Posts: 139

97 PU, 2.4 liter, 4 cyl, 5 speed stick. 62,000 miles. Bought new in 97.
When my gas gets down to about 1/8th of a tank, I cannot floor the gas
in first gear without the engine lurching like someone was shutting the
gas off and on rapidly (like with a light switch). It doesn't happen if
I floor it in any other gear with that low gas indication. When it
happens, I know I have to fill up to stop it. It has a 15 gallon tank
and it usually takes 11-12 gallons to fill it at that point, so there
was 3 or 4 gallons left of the old gas in the tank. Perhaps it is that 3
or 4 gallons surging to the rear of the tank and the gas pickup tube is
open to the air in the tank, but it is getting some gas to make the
engine lurch.
I have to remember this when the gas gets too low, so I don't try to
jump out into a space in fast moving traffic (i.e. highway merging). If
I let off the gas a little from being floored, the lurching stops. It
has done this for as long as I can remember. I thought it may be water
in the tank, but I have been dumping dry gas and other water dispersing
cans of stuff in there, especially when the tank was low, so as to get
the most benefit from the dispersant. If the tank is more than 1/8th
full, this lurching doesn't happen in first, or any other gear. Any ideas?

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

External Since: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 54

On Jun 18, 12:56 pm, Jim Yanik <jya... RemoveThis @abuse.gov> wrote:
> willshak <wills... RemoveThis @00hvc.rr.com> wrote innews:QKadnXlWi9L4rsTVnZ2dnUVZ_tLinZ2d@supernews.com:
>
>
>
> > 97 PU, 2.4 liter, 4 cyl, 5 speed stick. 62,000 miles. Bought new in
> > 97. When my gas gets down to about 1/8th of a tank, I cannot floor the
> > gas in first gear without the engine lurching like someone was
> > shutting the gas off and on rapidly (like with a light switch). It
> > doesn't happen if I floor it in any other gear with that low gas
> > indication. When it happens, I know I have to fill up to stop it. It
> > has a 15 gallon tank and it usually takes 11-12 gallons to fill it at
> > that point, so there was 3 or 4 gallons left of the old gas in the
> > tank. Perhaps it is that 3 or 4 gallons surging to the rear of the
> > tank and the gas pickup tube is open to the air in the tank, but it is
> > getting some gas to make the engine lurch.
> > I have to remember this when the gas gets too low, so I don't try to
> > jump out into a space in fast moving traffic (i.e. highway merging).
> > If I let off the gas a little from being floored, the lurching stops.
> > It has done this for as long as I can remember. I thought it may be
> > water in the tank, but I have been dumping dry gas and other water
> > dispersing cans of stuff in there, especially when the tank was low,
> > so as to get the most benefit from the dispersant. If the tank is more
> > than 1/8th full, this lurching doesn't happen in first, or any other
> > gear. Any ideas?
>
> It sounds like you're sucking air into the fuel line.
>
> perhaps a baffle in the tank has broke loose or moved,or the fuel pickup
> has shifted,or part of it broken/rusted off.you'll have to pull the fuel
> ppump and chekc those things.I hope you don't have to drop the tank to do
> it.
>
> --
> Jim Yanik
> jyanik
> at
> kua.net

It could be what Jim says, but before you investigate the tank which
is quite a bit of work to get to, when's the last time you changed
your fuel filter? If it has been a long time, like more than 70K
miles, then change it and see what happens.

CD