I filled my tank up 2 days ago, took a trip north of seattle and back yesterday with no significant problems on the way there. On the way back it was stop and go and lafter about 45 min of this crap and only going 3 miles my car dies. I thought well maybe I let up off the clutch on accident so I go to start it and right after it turns over it does again. Im stuck on I-5 for 5 min trying to figure out wtf is going on. I let the car sit for a couple min and start it for the 6th time and it turns over like nothing happened. No odd noises, vibrations, nothing. I pull off the freeway to go to the closest gas station to find out whats going on only the same stop and go off the freeway too, car dies again 5 min later. In downtown seattle, on a hill, it was great. Got the car to start again, a camry hits me cuz she's not paying attention (no damage to my car, her's is screwed up tho) So in the middle of waiting for that woman to realize it was her fault sitting on the side of the road for a good 20 min (she flagged down a cop who explained to her that I wouldnt be getting any tickets and that she would so she might as well give up) I turn my car over and it's just fine. Checked the fluids and all were fine, I wasnt misfiring or anything. But here's what strikes me as odd: since I filled my tank up my idles been lower than usual (usually it'll sit around 700, after the fill up it sat around 500) and the last 3 times I started it it made a popping sound along with what sounded like a backfire when I revved it up a little. Cold start usually requires me to rev it a little before it'll idle where it should but the popping and backfiring came out of nowhere. Can anyone tell me wtf happened?
I pul like 6 bucks of a diff. gas station gas in it and it's doing better but I still got quite of bit **** gas in there, any suggestions?

 

sounds like a fuel pump failing.

 

thats what I was thinking since it was whining pretty much the entire time after I filled up. But I put about 5 gal of diff gas so far into it and I havent heard it since. The motor hasnt made those interesting sounds the last 2x I started it (after I put 5 more gal in) so Im not sure. I dont want to drop the gas tank to get to the pump if its not necessary, but at least if I have to I have access to a lift

 

if it's making intermittent noises it's failing

 

Ive had the car for about 6 weeks now, never heard the fuel pump whine before this and not once since. The last 3 owners are friends of mine (it's been passed around but Im the only one putting work into it) and none of them have heard it whine before either. Cant call it intermittent unless it happens more than once and so far, nada.

 

only way I'd say it wasn't your fuel pump is if maybe the sock in your tank was gone and it sucked up some piece of crud and it passed and is now stuck in your filter. Either way I still say it's your pump

 

funny you should say that, Im planning to replace the fuel filter once it stops raining so much here, so when I do that I'll let you know.