Terrible Performance When Low on Fuel

[CyanEyed]

when my fuel gauge reads roughly 1/4 tank or below the performance drops SIGNIFICANTLY. i cant find any posts related to this, so:

is it normal? (some kind of fuel conservation bs device)

is it indicative of fuel pump failure or some sort of crap in my tank? (ive already replaced the fuel filter... it always happens right at 1/4 tank)




example: there is a very steep hill with a stoplight at the bottom that i raced a ricer up one day (and beat him) and i usually use it as an opportunity to pass alot of traffic (most cars cant accelerate up it, they usually slow way down) normally i go shooting up it at WOT like a bat out of hell but when im at less than 1/4 tank i actually start slowing down while climbing. (not to mention general acceleration/speed is ****ty everywhere else)

 

[Masterd]

Sounds a bit off. My motor has 314,000 and change on it and has no problem getting to 75 mph usually. Biggest obstacle I run against is temperature. If its 80+ degrees out I notice some power loss. If its 75 or below it runs well. And thats with a fresh fuel filter and good plugs.

 

[arco777]

May have a failing fuel pump. The pump is cooled by the fuel and a failing pump can often give adequate performance when it is well cooled, but when the level drops too low the pump heats up. Alternately, check if someone has botched a fuel pump replacement and the pickup is not sitting low enough in the tank.