My car stalled with 1/4 tank of gas

[mellonc]

In the middle of a highway with range indicating I have 48 miles to go, the warning lamp came on. Less than a minute later, the range turned to --.-- at which point, the car stalled. I had about 1/4 of a tank and was traveling about 12 miles to my destination. I was 1 about a half mile from a gas station. So I walked and bought a gallon of gas in a portable tank which was used to get the car to the gas station. Here is the strange part: when I filled up, it took 15.2 gallons!!!. Doesn't make any sense. with 1 gallon from the portable tank and 15.2 gallons, it would make 16.2 gallons. That is almost 20% shy of the full tank which is 20 gallons.

when I spoke to the dealer I found out that there was a fuel control module recall which was already performed on my car. frankly I don't know about the FCM but the range shoudn't go from 48 miles to 0 miles in no time like that. Something is not right. it's a safety issue as we live up a mile long hill. I can't imagine what my wife would have done if she didn't have power brakes and power steering coming down that hill.

Any research or info would be highly appeciated. As I find information from other sources I will post also.

[mellonc]

I found this article from almost 2 years ago at Motor Trend that talks about the same issue. But this seems like it was written before the FCM recall. Check it out. http://m.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneye ... _update_7/

[rstolz]

fuel level sending unit is a part of any fuel system and is the part that tells everything else how much fuel is in the tank, including the"FCM". yours is bad. Generally the only problem this causes is the gauge to read wrong, but because Nissan has everything looped into a computer circuit that's tied to everything else, if the sending unit sends a signal that gets read as no fuel, it'll kill the engine to protect itself from catastrophic failure.

for the record, your power brakes are powered by vacuum, which is generated by the engine spinning. as long as the engine is in gear while the car is rolling, you'll generate vacuum to power assist the brakes... not as much as if the car were running, but better than none.

The ABS may or may not continue to work depending on how it's wired and programmed. ditto power steering.

[Mjkkb2]

I had the recall done and still have the issue of stalling with <1/4 tank of gas. It's frustrating but I just try to have more than 1/4 tank of gat ant any time. It is a hassle, but it would be more hassle to take it to the dealer, who most likely wouldn't be able to replicate the issue, would want to get paid for the diagnostic etc. I just learned to live with it. My quest only have done it traveling down steep decline, or after being parked nose down on a slope. Shutting off like that on a highway with those speeds is a major safety problem which should be addressed!!!

[rstolz]

if you aren't willing to address the issue, it mustn't be that big of a safety concern...

[mellonc]

Mjkkb2 - I hear your pain. I'm still scratching my head as to why the smart engineers at Nissan, the same people who produced the Skyline, would mess up a simple thing like a fuel sender or perhaps the fuel tank. In fact, the FCM is made by Hitachi one of the world's best specialty electronics manufacturers. To top it all off, the interior materials used is simply top notch. No squeaks or rattles and it drives great (OK I don't like the CVT that much but.......).

I am going to solve this problem even if I have to buy an aftermarket gas tank. The van is too nice to get rid of. I will keep you all updated on various steps I take.

[Mjkkb2]

if you aren't willing to address the issue, it mustn't be that big of a safety concern...

As I have said. Never had it stalled on me/my wife on a major road, or driving fast. Few times it happened on my driveway that' sloped, few times in the city, (would not start)' but only once while driving. It is more of an inconvenience for the reasons explained. Had it, or if it ever happens on a highway it will be more of a safety issue. Right now I just deal with it.

[mellonc]

Fully preapared with extra gas I did it again. The remaining range went from 54 miles to 25 in less than 2 miles of driving. On the exit from the highway it stalled. Yet when we got to the stop sign it came back to life. The gas station was an uphill from that point on and it made it. It took exactly 16.5 gallons this time. So now I know it stalls with about 3.5 gallons in the tank. Still this is better than the first time when the range went from 50 to nothing.

[ricebike]

go back to the stealership before your 3 year/36k warranty runs out! have them document everything so you have a paper trail!

i wouldn't accept a fairly new vehicle with that problem!!!

[rstolz]

If you had the recall item replaced, it's very possible your fuel pump is dying. Most times fuel pumps don't jsut quit, they usually slowly start to lose pressure. They will still flow the right amount, but won't be able to maintain the proper psi in the lines. When this happens, periodically there won't be enough pressure in the lines supplied to the pressure regulator, which starves the injecotrs and stalls the engine.

This is an intermittent problem.

This was a common problem with '07-'09 Versa's, among other vehicles. Thought they had that issue licked, but maybe not.

[DiiGii]

Ask the service advisor to reflash the car's computer. That's what they did with my 2013 Quest SV and it has not stalled, even if I ran on less than 10 liters of gas a few times.

[mellonc]

update: new fuel sender installed. The range remaining is still incorrect. e.g. I can still only put 16.5 gallons when it says 10 miles remaining. but the process of going to 50 miles remaining to 10 miles remaining is now gradual. I can safely drive comfortably to find a gas station when the 50 mile warning comes on. Of course, this is still pitiful range of about 260 miles or so but at least it's not crazy like last time.

[rstolz]

you might try stashing a 5 gallon container of gas in the back then running it unitl it quits to see where everything lines up.

On my '13 I ran it unti lthe miles remaining registered "--" and kept going for a few more miles. when I got to the gas station I still had a little over a gallon left. those calc's are conservative estimates, I wouldn't rely on them being terribly accurate.

glad the fuel sender cured the stalling.