My 2002 vw beetle stalls when i drive it. Only if its below a 1/4 tank of gas. Ive put 4 fuel pumps in within a month because each mechanic swears the others have failed. My pump has power but its not getting gas to the engine. Help! Im going broke!

Steve,

Try disconnecting your MAF sensor and then start the car...If it keeps running, then your MAF is bad and needs to be replaced. By unplugging the MAF the engine's computer will default to a preset value and keep the engine running. Also check this next one I found on the internet....go to Google and type in your problem and vehicle info...you'll fins alot of info. Good luck !This problem haunted my beetle forever. Everyone and his brother had a recommendation. I changed the fuel pump, filters, fuel pressure regulator, the MAF sensor, engine speed sensor, replaced the factory airbox with a K&N, kept stalling. Turns out the problem was something that not a single mechanic thought of, and that no diagnostic tool hooked up to your computer would find: sludge in the gas tank. Over time, the lining in the gas tank wears, creating a sludge. This is usually not a problem until you run below a certain level. For me, this is when the gas gauge goes below half. The solution would be to have the entire fuel system cleaned, which I did, but you have to get the tank pumped and cleaned too. Otherwise, the sludge remains. The temporary fix is to never let it go below half. I hope that helps!

more like fuel pump damaged. gasoline keeps fuel pump cool and lubricated if fuel tank run empty fuel pump will over heat which will destroy it. never run out of gas.fuel filter will get plugged with debris from fuel tank when tank runs empty all sediment botton tank will break up stop up fuel filter.

leave gas cap loose if it stops look atvent for tank

On just about every vehicle I have ever seen, the fuel gauge will move faster from 1/2 to 1/4 (I never let a tank run past 1/4. Bad for the fuel pump) than from full to 3/4 or 3/4 to 1/2.
Do a mileage check. Fill the tank until the pump stops, reset your trip or note your odometer miles. Dive a few days or a number of miles. Fill the tank again until the pump stops and not the amont it took to fill. Note the number of miles you put on and do the math.

All vehicles with fuel injection use a high-pressure pump mounted inside the gas tank. This is virtually all vehicles built since about 1990. I don't know about this particular vehicle, some have an access panel above the tank that allows you to remove the pump without dropping the tank, others don't. Dropping a nearly full tank of gas is no easy task. Try asking your auto parts store or the Chrysler parts counter if this car has such an access panel.

By the way, the pump is immersed in the fuel, and uses the fuel to cool the pump. Never let your tank get below 1/4 full to reduce overheating of the pump, which shortens its life. Occasionally is OK, but running below 1/4 tank on a regular basis will cut the life of the pump significantly.

it may be due to a bad fual pump open the little door to the gas cap and put your ear up to the tank and have someone turn the ignition on and see if you hear the pump, if nothing it may be in your pump.

this sounds like quality of parts not workmanship. however did he verify total running voltage at the pump while the vehicle is running. perhaps its getting too much voltage. cheers

Your car should average roughly 32.5 mpg-US (7.24 L/100 km; 39.0 mpg-imp)

check the fuel pump. there is an access port on the fuel rail underneath the intake manifold cover. it looks like a valve for putting air in a tire. at your local car parts store you can find a fuel pressure guage to make sure your getting the 45lbs psi that is needed to run the fuel system. if your not getting 45psi when you crank the engine replace the fuel pump. it is located in the gas tank. ( FYI ) If you run below a 1/4 tank of fuel the fuel pump is no longer covered with gas, and over heats. thats why most of the gm pumps go bad. D