Hello everyone, this is my first time on this site so I hope get right. Ok I own a 2000 Town n Country and three days ago on my to work it started acting as if it was running out of gas, so I look at my fuel gauge,1/4 tank so its not empty. I began to loose speed and could not regain any so I pull over and she died. Tried cranking it several times nothing, I checked to see if the pump was coming on, it was. I check the pressure at the rails, nothing at all. Here's where I screwed up, I decided to change the filter first since its the cheapest route and broke the stem off the fuel assembly, now I have to buy a new pump because its sold as a unit. New pump, new filter she cranks right up. Now here's where I need help, before this problem I could get like 22-26 mpg's hwy, now its so bad I really can't afford to drive it. I was sitting at a red light today and on the information center the DTE went from 41 to 27 just from sitting at a red light, right now I get about 9 mpg. If anyone can help me I would gladly appreciate it and thanks in advance.

 

Since it started after the pump/filter change I would check the pressure again at the rail. Should see 49 psi. Any signs of a leak? Check engine light/codes? Other than the lousy mileage how does it drive?

 

Generally speaking if a problem comes about right after you've done some remedial work, a VERY critical examination of what you've done, plus all around it is in order. Take your time, and if at all possible have a knowledgeable friend do the checks with you. On a time-effective basis it's well worth doing.
1) Knocked off the injector back-leak pipe?
2) Forgotten to tighten a union?
3) Black smoke on acceleration? This is certainly excessive engine fuelling.
4) If the road is wet, look for oily-rainbow marks where you've been waiting with engine running.
5) Keep in mind this may be a phenomenon unconnected with your work, just a co-incidence.
6) "It acted as if it were running out of gas". This may be a different fault from the one it looks as if you've located. In England this is called "sod's law".

Leedsman.

 

My bad fellas for not getting back sooner. If it wasn't for the horrible mpg's you would think the problem has been solved. There's no check engine light,no fuel leakage,there's nothing to indicate that we have a problem and that why I'm so confused.

 

I don't know anything about the 2000. You had and solved a problem. Your current issue may not be a problem at all. Do you have a :

- 'live' read option
- 'average' read option

of your MPG readout ? It seems to me that one (1) setting gives your running and adjusted average MPG readout and the one at the traffic lights is the (2) instant 'live' readout. Reset the information centre to the MODE that displays average not live MPG.

 

In the information center there's three different readings regarding fuel, you have the average mpg,the one that calculates the mpg instantly and ARE distances to empty. The DTE reading is just like the fuel gauge except it's digital, when the DTE gauge dropped, the fuel gauge dropped also and then the low fuel light came on.

 

My hunch would be that it has nothing to do with the pump itself but rather the fuel level sender unit. When this occurred, did you check to see how much fuel was actually in the tank?

My 98 Grand Voyager has a issues which sounds similar. If I fill it to more than 3/4 of a tank, it will read as normal until it reaches about 1/4, then it seems to stick, giving the previous economy figures and everything that is until it suddenly just drops, fuel light comes on etc; however, I now know, after a little digging, that it drops to what it should actually be reading. Now, I know the pump and filter were replaced in my van by the previous owner about a year before I purchased it, so I'm wondering if there is something related to swamping out the pump which causes this?

 

Thanks Vonhofinvule for that response, I think you're right, I was explaining these problems to a friend and he said the exact same thing you said, not the pump but the sender unit. I haven't had the chance to actually check the tank to see how much fuel is really in the tank, but I did notice this morning when I went out to start it just to see what it was reading, it said there were 120 mi to empty which is just shy of a half tank, but when I got home from work yesterday it said 104 mi to empty, keep in mind when I fueled it up yesterday, it was at 150. I work maybe 15 mi from where I live.I wonder if it could be a defected part or could this be a common issue with after market parts.

 

Well it does sound like you are having the same problems as me! I know the replacement pump fitted to my van was an Airtex, not an original Chrysler part; there's a receipt for it somewhere. Something else I'm aware of is that it reads full when there is still space for about a gallon and a half. I realised this in the summer after filling it, I had travelled about 30 or so miles before it began to register that anything had been used.