Hard cornering fuel starvation?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
Hard cornering fuel starvation?
I had something unusual happen Thursday in my 94 M6. I made a "spirited" entrance onto an Interstate on ramp. It was a very hard right turn and the turn is banked the wrong way. The car cornered very well, but as I accelerated coming off the turn the motor seemed to almost shut off for a under a second.
Has this happened to anyone else?
I had about 1/4 tank of gas at the time. Is it possible that the fuel sloshed to the side and it ran out of fuel for an instant? Or perhaps is it something else?
After a couple more days of driving, it has been running great with no other glitches like that.
Any ideas?
Has this happened to anyone else?
I had about 1/4 tank of gas at the time. Is it possible that the fuel sloshed to the side and it ran out of fuel for an instant? Or perhaps is it something else?
After a couple more days of driving, it has been running great with no other glitches like that.
Any ideas?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 31
From: Australia
GM cheaped out and didn't put any baffles around the pump pickup.
Will get same result on hard accel with less than 1/4 tank as fuel moves away from the pickup
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 162
Likes: 18
From: Newark ca
Yep, same thing happens to me as well @ 1/2 tank. Very fustrating when you want to pass that smug prius while going around a coner only to have it buck and sound like crap doing so.
I've been thinking about making a low CG tank out of aluminum that would sit between the exhaust in place of the spare tire/Jack. I figure you could drop 30 or so lbs. 6 inches lower on the chassis and eliminate fuel starvation while cornering.
Anybody else have thought of or tried this befor?
Lower CG=greater rear end stability
depending on design, increased fuel capacity
improved fuel pick up
Just a thought of mine
I've been thinking about making a low CG tank out of aluminum that would sit between the exhaust in place of the spare tire/Jack. I figure you could drop 30 or so lbs. 6 inches lower on the chassis and eliminate fuel starvation while cornering.
Anybody else have thought of or tried this befor?
Lower CG=greater rear end stability
depending on design, increased fuel capacity
improved fuel pick up
Just a thought of mine
Team Owner
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
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From: Tampa Florida
I've seen very similar starvation situations occur where the fuel pump was changed but the old in-tank harness/fuel pump connectors were reused. Changed the connectors on the harness....problem solved. As the fuel sloshed around in the tank (you'll get a more agressive slosh the lower the level of the tank) it would wiggle the wires/connectors slightly and interupt the connection to fuel pump.
My advice would be to change the electrical connectors on the fuel pump harness or replace the harness....then go hit that same on ramp.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: North Middlesex MA
I've seen very similar starvation situations occur where the fuel pump was changed but the old in-tank harness/fuel pump connectors were reused. Changed the connectors on the harness....problem solved. As the fuel sloshed around in the tank (you'll get a more agressive slosh the lower the level of the tank) it would wiggle the wires/connectors slightly and interupt the connection to fuel pump.
Thanks,
- Jeff
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 657
Likes: 1
From: Sykesville Maryland
Mine does it around a quarter tank.
As a garage queen, I top it off after weekend use and always set the trip odometer with a "not to exceed" over 200 miles before a pit stop on long excursions. I just don't trust my old Atari gas gauge.
As a garage queen, I top it off after weekend use and always set the trip odometer with a "not to exceed" over 200 miles before a pit stop on long excursions. I just don't trust my old Atari gas gauge.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,043
Likes: 8
From: Tampa Florida
Clean all the electrical contact points up on the assembly as best you can and change (buy or make your own) the harness. If you end up making your own harness add some extra length to the wires that run to the fuel pump so that they can be secured to fuel pump tube with several tie-wraps (the black ones) to prevent future wire wiggle.
