A few weeks ago i let my fuel level run down past the "80KM till i stop working" warning, not long after my car started acting up quite a bit, heres the symptoms:

Loss of power (i can notice it, my mechanic cant though, hes probly just used to driving his VT) - doesnt have the pull it used to at high revs.

It revs real sluggish, i put my foot down, nothing happens untill after kickdown (its an auto).

Sometimes it hunts for idle (between 500-800 RPM) and goes to stall when i first try to reverse (just for a moment)

It sound much louder and huskier (like its working hard)

It does have a tick/rattle from the front of the motor (its always had a noisy lifter) - but there is a new sound.

My/my mechanics suspects are:

timing chain /guides.

fuel pump has picked up crud from tank and is blocked and dying or the filter is clogged.

Injectors are now clogged/dirty.

Were gonna try a fuel pump that we know works (with new filter) if no luck then im gonna swap to a different set of injectors if still not working then we are doing the timing chain tensioner, if still not working then timing gear is getting replaced, after that ill crack the s**t and buy a new motor (unless someone has a better soloution)

ALSO - does anyone know how to remove the little flap inside the ULP restrictor if its broken off and is stuck halfway down the filler neck?

Jose

There is a short rubber section between the filler and the tank, its just held on with hose clamps, if you remove that section you may be able to get to the flap.

The 80k alarm should not have caused you any problems, unless you have been using dirty fuel and your tank is full of s**t. I often run mine down below the 80k warning. It looks like you are on the right track, as I would also suggest, clean fuel pump, clean tank, new fuel filter, clean injectors.

ran mine down to 18km coup days ago, was waiting to get paid so i could fill the thing and it didnt cause probs

I often let both my EB and my EF hit 0

I guess if you do it enough theres never any s**t left in the bottom.

I've only ever had one fuel pump go on me, and that was 2.5 years ago in the EF.

I also subscribe to this theory... just keep the manifold in vacuum...

Well Jose i reckon a fuel filter change wouldnt be out of line. Not a big job... and can go from there.

yeh, ive let it run right down a couple of times before as well, never did this though, i had been using crap fuel a lot recently (safeway plus), i really hope it is just the pump, i cant be buggered doing the timing gear. oh well will know over the weekend.

I agree with the rest. sounds like dirty fuel to me.
Unless i am going on a long trip. i never put more that 30 bucks worth of fuel in the tank and then run it till the needle hardly moves when i start the car..
Never caused me trouble, and i do it so when i do go on a long trip, i can fill up with premium and not have too much of a mixture in the tank.

i just fill and run it down everytime, tank only lasts a week or two so it dont worry me, oh and we do this to all our cars and have never had a prob with fuel pumps or anything