Nissan Nissan Micra 2005 - Chugging but not stalling. Any ideas?

Inactive

Looks like another 8 hours at McDonalds then..

You cannot run a car on air, sad but true.:)

iamana1ias

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

This is an urban myth, because tanks drain from the bottom, and because engines have fuel filters.

OP, put more fuel in it.

Well the last fuel tank I changed had a big layer of crap in the bottom, despite never running low.

bryanb

Check the breather is clear, you could be getting a vacuum in the tank. Next time it happens take off the fuel cap, this will tell you if the problem is vacuum.

sho_me_da_money

I dont understand what you mean when you say Vacuum?

Ive noticed whenever I take off the cap when filling up - I get a massive sucktion noise or exaclty how you described - like the hole breathes out loud. To be even more descriptive the noise is like when you let air out of something (like when u do a silent smelly fart - deflated sound).

Can you clue me up with what you mean? And how can i resolvce this - what do I ask a mechanic to do?

bryanb

You definitely have a blocked breather, I've no idea where it is on a Micra.
When you take fuel out of your tank air must go in- if not you get a vacuum, then gradually fuel stops getting to the engine.
Ask mechanic to check the breather if you cant find it.

anewman

My understanding of petrol fuel injection systems is that the petrol tank is vented via a pipe which goes to the engine bay to a charcoal cannister. Fumes are stored in the cannister. There is a valve controlled by the fuel injection system that opens when the engine is able to burn the fumes in addition to the petrol. I don't know if there's a separate venting system or not.

sho_me_da_money

Ohh man im confused.

What do I have to have check - breather, valve, charcoal cannister or pipe?

Please can you guys make it easier for a noob?

tomstickland

The fuel is probably swilling around in the tank and occasionally you get a load of air going up the pipe instead of fuel. Just put more fuel in it.
There might be something wrong with the swirl pot in the tank, but more fuel is the obvious first thing to try.

I've changed a few fuel tanks. The inlet pipe always has a crude filter on the end of it in the tank and I've never seen any contamination in the bottom of the tank either.

tomstickland

sho_me_da_money wrote: »

I dont understand what you mean when you say Vacuum?

Ive noticed whenever I take off the cap when filling up - I get a massive sucktion noise or exaclty how you described - like the hole breathes out loud.

Breather, yes.

As the pump takes fuel out of the tank then air needs to get in . It does this via a narrow pipe with a carbon filter on the end of it. This stops fuel vapour from getting out.

The suction noise is the air getting into the tank when you open it.

You need to get a garage to inspect the fuel tank pipes, specifically the breather.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

iamana1ias wrote: »

Well the last fuel tank I changed had a big layer of crap in the bottom, despite never running low.

...and that crap wouldn't have been pulled through even if the tank was low, would it?