Dumb ol' me thought most gas tanks had baffles in them to keep fuel
from sloshing around excessively.  Maybe that's just in the big
tanker trucks on the road.

DM&FS

At 07:45 AM 12/7/2006, mordo wrote:

>I'm willing to believe that scenario but I am skeptical. If I assume that
>the sender and gauge are vaguley accurate, there should be what, 2.2 gals at
>the top reserve mark. I was not below that mark prior to making the long
>curve of the exit ramp. I then came to rest on level pavement (a very bouncy
>bridge). I then put 2 additional gallons of fuel in and still did not have
>fuel pumping sufficient to start the engine. When I inspected the filter at
>the time, it had fuel in it both before and after adding 2 gals of fuel. I
>wasn't able to watch it and crank the engine so I couldn't see if fuel was
>moving throught it.
>
>I have been thinking about this and wondering if it is inherent in the FI
>system that it can become airlocked? I look at the bottom of my tank and see
>that it is flat if not convex. Is the strainer and pickup fitted in the hump
>you speak of? I'm trying to visually remember if I've seen a cut of this
>tank assembly before.
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Mark Drillock <mdrillock@cox.net>
>Date: Dec 6, 2006 11:16 PM
>Subject: Re: Fwd: Stranded - my first heartbreak
>To: mordo <helmut.blong@gmail.com>
>Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>
>No, there was no air lock in the FI system. The problem was the air lock
>in the line before the fuel pump, inside the tank. The fuel line INSIDE
>the tank has a hump in it. If you run out of fuel you need to add a lot
>of fuel to the tank before the fuel level is high enough reach over the
>top of the hump and supply liquid fuel to the pump. The pump is not
>designed to pump air or fumes, it is designed to pump fuel.
>
>Removing the bolt from the fuel rail tee allowed air out of the line so
>the pump could have an easier time priming itself without pressurizing
>the air in the line as it struggled to suck fuel up over the hump and
>down to the pump. It is not good for the pump to be run dry. Raising the
>fuel level in the tank high enough would have made it's job easier and
>not risked damaging the pump running it while it was dry.
>
>Mark
>
>mordo wrote:
>
>>The collective wisdom and experience of the list prevails - the failure
>was
>>due to airlock in the FI system. As advised here, I bled the air at the
>>tee,
>>jumped the battery I ran down trying to start it and when I cranked it
>>anew,
>>she started immediately.
>>
>>Thanks to all that replied.
>>
>>mordo
>
>
>--
>mordo
>1990 Carat
>
>
>
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