The final (I hope) major mechanical problem with my 84 wagon is that after the gas tank gets just below the halfway mark, it starts running lean, hesitating, backfiring, and won't start. I verified the lack of fuel flow by disconnecting the fuel line and jumpering the fuel relay to turn on the pumps - I get sporadic squirts of gas instead of the steady stream that occurs when the tank is over half full. I have also verified that the gas gauge is correct by running it until it acts like its empty (it shows slightly less than half full then), adding 1 gallon of gas to the tank from a gas can, and then driving to a gas station to fill up. It only took 6.5 gallons to fill up, whereas if it had been really empty, it should have taken 12-13.

So, what would keep the car from being able to use a full tank of gas? The only thing I can think of is that the lower part of the sock on the in-tank fuel pump is clogged. Is this the first thing to look at, or do you have a better idea?

John ('84 and '86 240 wagons)