Sputtering after 2 hours of driving
Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 8:44 pm
A little history: I have a 1800 fuel injected engine. My bus has all new fuel lines, vacuum lines, and ignition system (cap, rotor, points, plugs, wires). It has a new fuel pump and a fuel filter with 200 miles on it. I have drained the tank and no sediment came out. The engine has good compression. The AFM screw is adjusted correctly. The points are correct. The timing is correct. The TS2 has less than 1000 miles on it.
The problem: Today I was driving home from The Dalles after spending a weekend at RendezVW in Maupin Oregon. I had no problems until about milepost 15 just outside Portland. I am driving and I start to notice an occasional sputter or "kick" with the engine. As we get closer to Portland it gets worse and worse. I pull over in Portland to take a look but everything looks ok. I try to drive again but the sputtering gets much worse. I can tell the engine is losing all power for brief moments. The engine soon dies and won't restart. From past experience I know that if I unplug the fuel pump electrically the engine will run. I unplugged the fuel pump and try to start it. I can get the engine to run but it is a low, rough idle. I turn the engine off and reconnect the fuel pump and start the engine without problem.
But it will only drive for a minute or two before experiencing the severe sputtering again. We could not get home and the bus is currently on the side of the road. We are home safe but I am worried about my bus. What should I try? I have heard that the fuel pressure regulator could be failing and causing too high fuel pressure. Does this seem accurate?
Thank you.
-Chris
The problem: Today I was driving home from The Dalles after spending a weekend at RendezVW in Maupin Oregon. I had no problems until about milepost 15 just outside Portland. I am driving and I start to notice an occasional sputter or "kick" with the engine. As we get closer to Portland it gets worse and worse. I pull over in Portland to take a look but everything looks ok. I try to drive again but the sputtering gets much worse. I can tell the engine is losing all power for brief moments. The engine soon dies and won't restart. From past experience I know that if I unplug the fuel pump electrically the engine will run. I unplugged the fuel pump and try to start it. I can get the engine to run but it is a low, rough idle. I turn the engine off and reconnect the fuel pump and start the engine without problem.
But it will only drive for a minute or two before experiencing the severe sputtering again. We could not get home and the bus is currently on the side of the road. We are home safe but I am worried about my bus. What should I try? I have heard that the fuel pressure regulator could be failing and causing too high fuel pressure. Does this seem accurate?
Thank you.
-Chris