cutting out?

[johntom]

Hi
having recently bought a 1990 SL300 with a few probs (see thread - broken down) i spoke to the previous owner who stated that when he p/x'd the car a month ago, it used to cut out when the fuel level got down to 1/4 tank !

The car has just been in the garage following breaking down then restarting on the motorway. The morning afterwhich the car would start and then cut out after a couple of seconds, or not start at all. The garage basically twiddled the fuses and the car has run since - but surely this can only be coincidence as the fuses aren't for the fuel / injection systems, or are they?
What could cause this cutting out at 1/4 tank, the garage said the fuel pump and filter looked quite new?

 

[television]

Have you ever checked to see how much fuel you can put into the car, as the fuel gauge could be out

 

[roofless]

poss 12 on this http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.434&CT=F&cat=515&SID=47&SGR=015&SGN=01

 

[johntom]

Hi
the fuel gauge is spot on, the rac asked me to fill it up when the car broke down for that reason. Also when i collected the car the needle was on empty with the light on.

 

[television]

If the problem is fuel in the tank not getting through, then you can hear the fuel pumps running all the time, and these are easy to hear.

You have 2 pumps, and they are easy to test,, just take the live wire off each pump one at a time, and the car should run on only one pump

 

[johntom]

hi
why does the car have two pumps and are they both in the same place?
many thanks

 

[television]

The pumps are in the link

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.as...GM=717.434&CT=F&cat=515&SID=47&SGR=030&SGN=02


Two smaller pumps are better than one big one, and this mod was done back around 1985 on most cars.

They are behind the off side rear wheel, with a plastic panel hiding them, the filter is there too,, if this looks old do change it

 

[roofless]

the most common fault is the dizzy cap & rotor arm in the 300 if fitted & the symptoms are often confused with fuel faults

 

[johntom]

Hi
i have fitted a new dist. cap, rotor arm and 100 Ah battery today (in place of the 65Ah which was fitted) so at least i can rule them out.