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Q: Just bought car, sputtering and loss of power going up hills 1991 Dodge B250

asked by on August 17, 2016

Hi, I have a '91 Dodge van that I bought in Atlanta and drive 2000 miles back to Utah a month ago; the whole drive back, it sputtered and lost power going up hills when the gas gauge read half or less; I tried adding fuel additives several times during the trip when filling up, but no change; he problem went away after I filled up. I had the fuel filter changed when I got back, but the problem HS continued. When I fill up, there is a strong has smell in the cab for the first 50 miles or so. I'm hoping this isn't the fuel pump, since dropping the tank is expensive; any chance it could be something else? Thanks.

My car has 42000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hey there, thanks for writing in about your Dodge B250. If the vehicle runs better when above half a tank, the pick up tube in the fuel tank may be broken or disconnected. Replacement does involve replacing the fuel pump. If you need someone to come out and inspect the car, a local expert from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the loss of power in person and help you move forward with appropriate repairs.

Dodge
gas tanks
V8-5.2L
1991
loss of power
fuel pumps
fuel system
gasoline
B250
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