I've had something odd with my 96 Neon Sport for a while now. When the fuel level is below about 3/8 of a tank, it will struggle and die as if it can't get enough gas when I make a turn. It's as if all the gas is sloshing to one side of the tank, so the pump can't get enough. At first it actually would die, but that was because I was stepping on the throttle as I shifted into 2nd gear, and the combination of the higher gear and the lack of power would suddenly kill it (and throw me forward a bit). But once I learned to expect it, I could just keep it in first around the turn, not accelerate until it recovered, and then shift up. At first it only seemed to do it on left turns, which gave me the sloshing theory, but now it does it when I turn either way. It never happens when I'm going straight. It doesn't happen only in 1st or 2nd gear; it'll also happen in higher gears going around fairly sharp curves. Once I straighten out after the curve, it struggles for a few more seconds, and then is fine, as if it's getting enough gas again.

It starts acting up when the gas level gets below 1/2 tank, about 3/8 or so, and gets worse and worse as the level gets lower. I've never run it entirely out of gas, so I know there's really that much in there. As it gets lower, it also takes it longer to start, and I can smell a definite odor of bad gas, like turpentine. So at first I figured I bought some bad gas, but I've run a few dozen tanks of gas through it by now, and it's not getting any better. I've also put a few cans of Heet type stuff through it. If it were bad gas or water, I surely would have burned through it by now. I did change the fuel pump a while back, but that was 4-6 months before this started, so it doesn't seem related.

As long as I keep the gas level above a 1/2 tank, it runs fine, but this car's tank is only about 9 gallons, so filling it that often is pretty annoying. Plus, I'm concerned that it's going to continue getting worse until the level doesn't matter, and also that if I'm burning "bad gas" all the time, it could really hurt efficiency.

Any ideas? What could cause the fuel supply to be short, but only on a turn with the tank more than half empty? I've wondered if someone could have put something in the tank that floats, and so only gums up the pump when the level gets low. As soon as I fill up the tank, it's instantly fine. If I can provide any more information, I'll be happy to. This really has me stumped, and I can't find anything like it online. I hate to pull the fuel pump out just to look at it.

 

If your 100% positive its the fuel level causing it I would assume the fuel pump isn't in the canister correctly.

 

That sounds like a good possibility. When I installed the new fuel pump, I remember it had some sort of canister or plastic sleeve around it, and it seems like it was loose from the rest of the unit. Maybe it shouldn't have been, and it's gotten worked into a position where it's not letting fuel run into the pump fast enough. I'll pull it out and take a look. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

If the lower pump o ring isnt sitting in its spot then it wont suck fuel from the outside of the canister.