Hey guys, here is the story. I was on my way home from school today, it's a 2 hour drive from Decatur, IL to Joliet, IL and is mainly ALL highway speeds. Through-out this whole story I just want to get this out of the way now, I filled up on gas last night after the car sat with 1/4 tank in sub 10 degree weather for 3 days or so. After I filled completely up I bought a bottle of HEET from the gas station and added them to the tank that day.
Here is where the problem kicks in, when I hit about the 3/4 way mark of my trip i'm on the highway cruising at about 70-75 mph and all of a sudden I feel the car sputter. I think nothing of it because I still have over 3/4 a tank of gas and it goes back to normal right away. After a few more seconds of driving I feel the engine sputter again and all of a sudden I loose all power. For some reason I think I may have lost 5th gear so I down shift into 4th and the car still wont rev up. I pull the car over to the side of the road and after trying to rev the engine in 1st the motor sputters and dies. I get out of the car at this point and check the usuals, to see if the gas cap is tight, making sure all 4 tires were full of air, making sure all of the intake system is hooked up and tight, and then I checked the oil. All of which is good and I get back in the car to call the rents. Well after getting off the phone w/ my Dad, I try and start the car again and each time I try the car turns over, starts, and then sputters and dies.
Well making a long story short my car is now at a local gas station/service station in Dwight, IL waiting for the mechanic to start working on the car tomorrow. I am assuming that the fuel pump is dead but i'm really hoping its a plugged fuel filter because replacing the fuel pump is going to be E X P E N S I V E.
Please give me your advice on what could possibly be wrong with the car so when they call tomorrow I know what to check to see whats wrong. Thanks in advance guys I really appreciate the help because i'm going to need it.
P.S. the car is an 03 Ecotec motor and it JUST turned 90,000 on the clock. To be more specific the car has 90,007 miles on it.
sounds like the fuel pump. mine did it last month and my local friend had the same thing happen. both were fuel pumps gone bad.
Thanks for the quick response guys, looks like i'm really going to bite the bullet on this one then...
From a conversation that I overheard in my local auto supply store about 3 years ago,
the 2003 models were fitted with fuel pumps that tended to fail...
The auto supply store was having difficulty finding new fuel pumps due to high demand...
