First breakdown! A bit unsure why however!
Discussion
Hey,
The weekend before last was my first breakdown in a 2000 auto.
The first sign was on an A road with 2 cars in front doing about 40 mph so I went for the double overtake. I had a few stutters during this and passed them a little bit pathetic. A brief loss of power a couple of times like I had taken my foot of the accelerator and then replaced immediately. Symptoms faded and I drove up a series of country roads quite steep, up and down. I then spotted a pub as I was hungry and pulled up next to it at a junction and indicated right. I had the top off (the car not me!) and a selection of kids made their way from the playground to point at the car. Then suddenly as I was about to pull out the car started violently shaking and cut out. It restarted but not on all cylinders clearly before cutting out. I started again revving in park and then quickly slipped into drive and hopped into the car park. Quite an embarrasing entrance to a packed pub!
The fuel gauge said just under a quarter tank and I have driven it lower than this before refuelling. However after I had eaten and had a much needed pint I poured a gallon and a half in from two cans. This was after trying it a few times again, it was getting worse however, cutting out quicker everytime. After giving it some petrol it took two starts before behaving perfectly normal again. So out of fuel was my conclusion. However after driving to the nearest petrol station it only took 45 litres before clicking off and the fuel gauge read full again. Which would suggest I really had just less than a quarter tank when it died.
Any ideas? My initial thoughts.
It was the time of the fuel problem. However I am from Yorkshire.
Possibility of fuel cap vents being blocked?
It has since been to Chester and back with no problems. And, should the DIC be right, my best ever fuel reading of 26 (31 ish by our conversion)
I guess it isn't really a problem. But the time I needed performance I got a stutter. Just picturing me playing chicken with an artic in the future!!
Cheers
Ian
The weekend before last was my first breakdown in a 2000 auto.
The first sign was on an A road with 2 cars in front doing about 40 mph so I went for the double overtake. I had a few stutters during this and passed them a little bit pathetic. A brief loss of power a couple of times like I had taken my foot of the accelerator and then replaced immediately. Symptoms faded and I drove up a series of country roads quite steep, up and down. I then spotted a pub as I was hungry and pulled up next to it at a junction and indicated right. I had the top off (the car not me!) and a selection of kids made their way from the playground to point at the car. Then suddenly as I was about to pull out the car started violently shaking and cut out. It restarted but not on all cylinders clearly before cutting out. I started again revving in park and then quickly slipped into drive and hopped into the car park. Quite an embarrasing entrance to a packed pub!
The fuel gauge said just under a quarter tank and I have driven it lower than this before refuelling. However after I had eaten and had a much needed pint I poured a gallon and a half in from two cans. This was after trying it a few times again, it was getting worse however, cutting out quicker everytime. After giving it some petrol it took two starts before behaving perfectly normal again. So out of fuel was my conclusion. However after driving to the nearest petrol station it only took 45 litres before clicking off and the fuel gauge read full again. Which would suggest I really had just less than a quarter tank when it died.
Any ideas? My initial thoughts.
It was the time of the fuel problem. However I am from Yorkshire.
Possibility of fuel cap vents being blocked?
It has since been to Chester and back with no problems. And, should the DIC be right, my best ever fuel reading of 26 (31 ish by our conversion)
I guess it isn't really a problem. But the time I needed performance I got a stutter. Just picturing me playing chicken with an artic in the future!!
Cheers
Ian
We have twin pumps in the C5 don't we? One to pump fuel to the engine and the other to pump fuel from one tank into the other to keep the tanks at the same level.(As the tanks straddle the trans-axle)
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Soop Dogg said:
We have twin pumps in the C5 don't we? One to pump fuel to the engine and the other to pump fuel from one tank into the other to keep the tanks at the same level.(As the tanks straddle the trans-axle)
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Good point and I understood it! Possible the relay that controls the pump for the passenger side tank which is the lifter pump that sends fuel to the lefthand tank from where the fuel is pumped to the engine.
If any of the following DIC codes have been set
P0230, P0461,2,3, P1431,2,3
Then these would indicate there is an electrically problem with the fuelling system.
Edited by vetteheadracer on Wednesday 7th March 13:03
Thanks guys,
The fill up was actually Shell V power. But the previous was Tesco little of that diluted in as it was near empty when filled with Shell!
Sorry for appearing stupid but when the DIC finds an error will it display it immediately. Or do you have to search for the code?
I did wonder how both tanks worked together, I guess that is a possibility!
Ian
The fill up was actually Shell V power. But the previous was Tesco little of that diluted in as it was near empty when filled with Shell!
Sorry for appearing stupid but when the DIC finds an error will it display it immediately. Or do you have to search for the code?
I did wonder how both tanks worked together, I guess that is a possibility!
Ian
I am assuming you know how to display your DIC codes if not see here:
Turn the key to the ON position, but don't start the engine. Clear any present messages by pressing the RESET button. Hold the OPTIONS button down, and press the FUEL button 4 times. This will get you into the CODES section of the DIC. The computer will automatically display all the codes your car has created. It will cycle through each code every 3 seconds. Any code that ends in H is a history code (something that has occured in the past) but is fine now. Once the computer has finished going through all of it's codes, press RESET to enter Manual Configuration mode. It should start with a module and show "NO CODES" or "# CODES".
To optionally reset the codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until it displays "NO CODES". Press OPTIONS to go to the next module. Repeat the steps in this paragraph until you have reset the codes in all the computer modules. NOTE !! Only reset the codes IF you want to - it is NOT necessary to do this.
Turn the key to the ON position, but don't start the engine. Clear any present messages by pressing the RESET button. Hold the OPTIONS button down, and press the FUEL button 4 times. This will get you into the CODES section of the DIC. The computer will automatically display all the codes your car has created. It will cycle through each code every 3 seconds. Any code that ends in H is a history code (something that has occured in the past) but is fine now. Once the computer has finished going through all of it's codes, press RESET to enter Manual Configuration mode. It should start with a module and show "NO CODES" or "# CODES".
To optionally reset the codes once in manual mode, press and hold RESET until it displays "NO CODES". Press OPTIONS to go to the next module. Repeat the steps in this paragraph until you have reset the codes in all the computer modules. NOTE !! Only reset the codes IF you want to - it is NOT necessary to do this.
Soop Dogg said:
We have twin pumps in the C5 don't we? One to pump fuel to the engine and the other to pump fuel from one tank into the other to keep the tanks at the same level.(As the tanks straddle the trans-axle)
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Doesnt the fuel get drawn by a syphon pump from the secondary tank to the main, by the operation of the normal mechanical fuel pump ?
stevieturbo said:
Soop Dogg said:
We have twin pumps in the C5 don't we? One to pump fuel to the engine and the other to pump fuel from one tank into the other to keep the tanks at the same level.(As the tanks straddle the trans-axle)
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Could this happen if the second of these pumps failed so that the fuel pick-up in the tank that feeds the engine was sucking air? You'd still have fuel in the other tank, but nothing pumping it to the tank with the engine pick-up. (If you can figure out what my ramblings mean!!)
Just a thought.....
Doesnt the fuel get drawn by a syphon pump from the secondary tank to the main, by the operation of the normal mechanical fuel pump ?
Depends. They changed the fuel system during the 2003 model year to the FFS system which is what all later C5's and also the C6's use. Not sure what the earlier cars use so you may well be right.
stevieturbo said:
Doesnt the fuel get drawn by a syphon pump from the secondary tank to the main, by the operation of the normal mechanical fuel pump ?
You could be right - mine is an '03 so I was thinking along the lines of how that works.
I still think that given the symptoms of running out of gas when there is obviously fuel in one/both of the tanks, the principle of what I was thinking would still be where I'd look at first. i.e. the passage of fuel from one tank to the other(or lack thereof) resulting in the fuel pickup sucking air.
Yes it runs fine when there is plenty of fuel in. In fact before this time it ran fine with little fuel in too. It has only done this once.
VHR was right though it has thrown up one of the listed error codes.
In the Power Train Control Module it has thrown up a P1431 H. Which is a Fuel Level Sensor 2 Circuit Performance. My car also does the drop to zero fuel trick around twice per fill up. Something I have always just ignored. It goes back to normal after stopping and restarting or you can just clear it!
It also had B1001H Option configuration error.
B2282H
B2284H
B2283H
B2285H These are all door battery faults!?
And then U1064H in two different modules whcih is a Loss of communication with BCM?
I don't know how long these codes date back to but I haven't really noticed anything else.
VHR was right though it has thrown up one of the listed error codes.
In the Power Train Control Module it has thrown up a P1431 H. Which is a Fuel Level Sensor 2 Circuit Performance. My car also does the drop to zero fuel trick around twice per fill up. Something I have always just ignored. It goes back to normal after stopping and restarting or you can just clear it!
It also had B1001H Option configuration error.
B2282H
B2284H
B2283H
B2285H These are all door battery faults!?
And then U1064H in two different modules whcih is a Loss of communication with BCM?
I don't know how long these codes date back to but I haven't really noticed anything else.
Gassing Station | Corvettes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff