I would check the fuel pressure before I went any further with anything else. it should be at 49 or so PSI. you can get a guage at any autoparts store they are like $20 bucks or so.

 

Okay listen up. I dont care what year your car is or what tank you have. You will have a strainer on the outside canister, one on the bump, then the accumulator on the outside of the tank. Maybe not on 99's. But I know for a fact my 98 has one. SO that 3 things that can easily clog over time. I have pulled alot of them and about 1 out of every 4 cars one of them is in nasty shape. Anyways. Your car wont start at all? doesnt even seem like it wants to? Is it when is moist out? or maybe hotter in the day? Do you beat on it? I need some more info to help diagnose a "not start issue" over text. You need these things to run
Compression
Timed spark
Fuel

I know its not compression. Because it doesnt burn oil or use it fast enough
Timed spark- This can have to do with your spark plugs, wires, crank sensor, cam sensor, and something else I cant remember right now.
Fuel- check ur fuel pressure.

Hope that helps.

 

When it starts, it generally sits at 1500 rpm's, idle. It doesn't matter what the day's like and if I have to start the car again, maybe if I had to run in a store real quick, it WILL start....but it'll sit at like, 1k rpm's for a little bit and it hesitates to get up where it needs to be but will eventually get up if i let it sit, or give it a little gas. I don't beat on my car, I drive it nice, unless i get someone doing 40 in the 55, which is an everyday hassle for some reason. I tested to see if my car spit any smoke after a little drive, I rev'd it pretty good and no smoke. I always thought maybe it could do with my fuel. I'll grab a fuel pressure gauge today to see where that takes me.

 

Ok I bought a fuel pressure tester, which by the way cost me 40 bucks. Hooked it up, at least I hope I hooked it up right, and flooded gas through the line or w/e i was supposed to do. I started my car and the pin hit 50, then started to fluctuate rapidly between 45 and 55 PSI. so now what?

 

You need to check it when it wont run

 

well its still pretty random i can't tell when it does it, its not a constant thing, so when one of these times it does actually start, and dies, then try it?

 

Yea. Then you will no if its a fuel issue. If I were you. I would have someone go with me. Get it to die. Check the spark and the fuel when its not starting.

 

alright will do. thanks very much for the help

 

Well, I keep getting the same results for my fuel pressure check, about 50 psi. Today I was in traffic, at the green light waiting to turn left, and it was idling just fine, then dropped and almost died. Yesterday I was driving home, like usual, went over my train tracks, and my car died instantly. I blew a fuel pump fuse, but would that jar from the tracks and my fuse blowing have anything to do with my car running like poop randomly? I started it up again earlier 'cuz I had to pick up some extra fuses, and it idled about 500 rpm's less than usual and it sounded as if it was choking, like it wasn't getting enough fuel