Sputtering at speed, long cranks, dying on hills — fuel starvation has a pattern.
Starvation shows up under load
A weak pump keeps up at idle and fails exactly when demand peaks: climbing a grade, accelerating onto the freeway, tank near empty on a hot day. Long cranking before start — especially cured by cycling the key first — points the same direction. A fuel pressure test under load settles it before anyone buys a pump.
Quick tips
- Keep the tank above a quarter; the pump uses fuel to stay cool
- A whine from the tank area that grows with the years is the pump talking
- Dies on hills but restarts after sitting = classic starvation pattern
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