Engine starts and then stall like it’s out of gas?

Tiny
GAGNONTRAVIS50
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
  • 196,047 MILES
My car’s fuel gauge sometimes doesn’t read right and if it gets below a quarter of a tank, I usually run out of gas, but sometimes even though there’s plenty of gas in the car after it sits, I’ll go to start the car and it’ll start and then stall like it’s out of gas usually if I add a little gas or beat on the tank, it eventually starts back up and then reads back to a normal reading like a half a tank or something so I’m not sure why it does it. It seems to be random even though I know there’s gas in it. The gas gauge will read empty and then I put five dollars worth of gas in it and then when it starts it’ll all of a sudden say it has a half a tank or more I don’t understand why it acts like it’s out of gas even though I know there’s gas in there and then if I add a little bit of gas, it usually starts and I usually have to prime it with the Key a couple times
Monday, March 23rd, 2026 AT 1:42 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 55,211 POSTS
Yep, this is a classic fuel pump failure problem, I would drop the fuel tank and install a new pump here is a video to help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhd0vd8pdBU

If you have problem upload a short video or image so I can help. Let us know how it goes
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 AT 9:17 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.