I just bought this car a week ago off the second owner. Has 1,450 miles on it. The original owner used it for 3 years then parked it for 30 years. The guy I bought it off owned it for 3 years. He gave me $6,500 worth of receipts that he spent to get it running when he bought it in 2018. This included cleaning out the gas tank, new fuel pump and sending unit, new fuel filter, and new injectors. He only drove it 100 miles and then parked it with a full tank of premium gas in early 2020 and did not start it again.

I then bought the car. The gas smelled normal, so I started it up and it ran fine. I drove it home 10 miles. It sputtered a bit when I tried to accelerate hard (thought it could be the old gas). As I stopped in my driveway, I heard a loud whining noise from the rear of the car in the area of the gas tank (it is not the power antenna which is disconnected). I drained 13 gallons of old gas out of the tank which was all I could get out with a siphon (gauge then read on reserve). I added 8 gallons of fresh premium gas. Took it for a drive and it still sputtered when I put my foot into it. Idles fine. The next day I took it for another drive and it sputtered again on hard acceleration and then died while I was coasting along. Restarted it and limped home. Can hear the loud noise from the gas tank area as I am pulling in my driveway and then the car dies again. I have not tried to restart it.

I suspect a bad fuel pump, even though it is only 3 years old and has done 100 miles. Any ideas of what my next steps should be before I spend money on another fuel pump? I was thinking about changing the filter first as it is cheaper.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

Get a fuel pressure gauge they are available at most chain parts stores rent a centers. You want in the area of 35 psi. If low pressure check fuel filter then check the fuel pump is noisy you can pull it and make sure it has not slipped off the pipes and the pumps are not expensive or hard to pull or install, round trip 1 hour

. Who knows it might be as simple as the strainer is clogged with goo or clogged filter

 

A question to nrl073
When you do a cold start, does it run fine until the engine is warm?
Thanks

 

yes. It pretty much is fine for a while and then the problems seem to begin.

 

I know there are a slew of diagnostics you should try but my guess is the fuel filter disintegrated after 2 years of non-use and might be clogging up the line. You should change that and then start testing. I would change that anyway as part of purchasing a new car let alone one that stood idle for a few years.