I have a few problems to post here. I'll start with the most important.

1. the car just started to spit and sputter 3 days ago. Now its so bad that I can barely take off from 1st. I have to play with the cluch and rev the crap out of it to get it going. I faught with it home from work (1 hr drive)tonight and it is jerking and jumping like crazy. A month ago it stopped idling when its warm. I'm not sure if this is related.

2. I've had the car on the road for 6 months or so and at first it would barely run when the fuel guage was at 1/4 tank, now it wont run when its under 1/2 tank. It will run (cold) when I first get going but after 15 min or so it starts to act like its starving for gas. Similar to the above problem. Full tank or even 3/4 it ran great. I replaced the fuel filter and it made no difference. I'm wondering if its a weak fuel pump. Is there any sure way to check the pump without going to the garage?

3. The car is shifting real hard, this just started a few days ago. I noticed the hydrolic clutch fluid was very low so I topped it off and it still shifts the same. When Im at a light and got my foot on the clutch it still pulls slightly. Do I need to bleed the fluid? Or is this something else?

I'm good at fixing stuff that is visual or common but I dont know anything about sensors and I'm also not used to working on stuff that wasnt built in North America. So any suggestions on what might be the cause or causes would be valuable. I do all my own mechanic work and cant afford to pay someone obviously. If I could, I wouldnt be driving a 94 elantra.

 

If your car is starving for gas, and having the tank full makes it run better, and you replaced the fuel filter, then perhaps you gas tank is "gunked". This problem happens a lot more than people think, and your car is old enough. Probably there is a little mesh filter in your tank. Gunk in the tank can clog a system. The fix is to remove your tank and get some commercial cleaner solution, and wash it out, a mess to be sure.

A lot of times this happens if your car should get "rear ended" this problem occurs, as the shock of the accident loosens all the gunk in the gas tank. That happened to me once in an old Galant.

Bleeding your hydrolic system for the clutch is always a good idea, especially if the fluid is low. It's really simple to do. Your symptoms mean you probably got some air in the system because its leaking and you let the fluid get low. You can probably just bleed it, and take care to make sure its always topped off with fluid. That way you never need bleed it again, it simply bleeds itself! You just add new fluid.

Good luck with that.

 

Hi thanks for the reply. I assumed that is what happened with the clutch since I did notice a bleeder for it last time I was under the car. But I wasnt sure. I know what you mean about the gunk build up and I actually had to replace the tank before I could get a saftey certificate so I am positive it isnt the problem. I bought a used pump today off a 96 elantra, it was only $45 bucks. but I noticed the plug is different so Im not sure I can make 1 out of the 2. The 96 has 5 wires coming off it and the one on the car has 2. But anyway I've been messing with the car and it seems to run and idle and rev up fine in neutral. I can put it in reverse and it revs and backs up without stalling. BUT!!! with the clutch in I can push it in first and it doesnt die out, its when I release the clutch and try to go forward it stalls out...Im beginning to think its not the fuel pump and its got to do with the tranny. Does any of this sound familular or would you or anyone reading this know what it might possibly be? I am stumped on this.

 

Maybe you can take your fuel pump back to the boneyard and get your money back. Here's one new for about $28 delivered. Notice the included fuel pump strainer. Did you clean or replace the fuel pump when you bought the new tank? It's got two wires in this photo.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-F...Q5fAccessories

Sounds like you might have any number of different problems. Try pulling the trouble codes, take it to your local Autozone, they'll read the codes for you for free. If you're lucky, there will be a code or two.

But if there is no codes, then I would continue to look at fuel issues.

 

no I didnt bother to replace the pump since I assumed it was fine. Unfortunatly I dont have anywere to get a free computer scan since I live in the sticks of eastern canada. And the car is pretty much impossible to drive unless I reverse the whole way. I just dont see why it would work in reverse but quit in any other gear. That sounds to me like something other than fuel. Im thinking it could have to do with the firing, Im lost on this...not to mention I missed a day of work and a hot date tonight...but worst of all I wont be able to go hunting in the morning!

 

ok doing some research...could it be the crank shaft sensor? and were is it?

 

You need to pull the ODBII codes before you start replacing sensors. Call around your area, somebody will do codes cheap. I wouldn't just start replacing sensors just yet.

Yes, anytime you replace a gas tank, or a fuel pump, you are supposed to clean the tank before you put it back in. Possibly when you changed the tank, it stirred up gunk.