I recently ran out of gas on a hill. I put gas in and it still would not start?

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MEMBER
1993 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
100,000 MILES

1993 Volkswagen Rabbit. I recently ran out of gas on a hill. I put gas in and it still would not start. Had car towed to home, tried on level ground. Did not start. In other cars if you run out of gas, you can prime the carburetor and it will start. My problem is this has no carburetor. It is fuel injected. Do you know where the fuel filter is located so I can try replacing that? Or do you have any suggestions? I need to get to work on Monday. Thank you in advance if you have a reply.

1 Reply

SQM

MECHANIC
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

First of all, can you hear the fuel pump when the key is turned to the on position?
The fuel pump will prime for a few seconds when the key gets turned on.
While it is possible to have debris in the line which can cause the fuel to not reach the engine. Another possibility is the fuel pump being burnt out due to fuel starvation. The fuel pump can overheat (as the fuel acts as a coolant for the pump) and burn out.

So, you need to first make sure that the fuel pump is functional.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-fuel-pump-works

The fuel pump is located in the fuel tank. In order to replace the fuel pump, the tank will have to be removed.

Please let me know what you find.
Thank you.

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