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car cuts off, gas tank half full

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rlouis12

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I am having a problem with my engine. When my gas tank is half full, or have a quarter tank of gas left in it, it will cut off on me. The only way I could keep it from cutting off is by putting more gas in it when the tank of gas gets close to half way. How do i solve this problem, so i could get the car to completely empty its gas tank before it cut off?

here is what I do know:
I have a 2.5, golden horizon cooling, and a paris racing pipe.
The engine temp does not go over 240 degrees.

Please help me solve this problem
 
It sounds like you have a clogged needle. Like when you have a full tank there is enough pressure to keep fuel going to your engine but when it goes to half the pressure isn't sufficient. Try taking your carb apart and cleaning it. Do you have a fuel filter?
 
Yup yup/ I would check what Kodama suggested. Check the tank if the pick up is clogged. If So replace it. The Carb could be the culprit. check the needle as it may be gummed up. The Lines also. If you have a fuel filter I would take that baby apart and wash it out with some good fuel or Denatured alcohol.
 
Your problem could be any number of things.

If you are running a fuel fitler, it could need some cleaning. A partially obstructed fuel filter coupled with the decreased pressure of a not so full tank of fuel can lead to a fuel starved engine.

If you have bashed your truck particularly hard, you could have cracked your fuel tank. The resultant air leak would only become evident when the truck starts running near a half a tank or when the fuel gets lower than the crack. The T-maxx tank is infamous for cracking at the seam where the top of the tank is joined to the bottom of the tank (or at the half tank mark). Again, the issue is causing a fuel starved engine.

If you have a really lean setting, the engine might be getting overheated. TRAXXAS engines run hot to begin with. A lean setting sets the engine up to starve itself of fuel as the tank runs low or when the engine overheats and stalls itself out by boiling off the fuel in the carb.

The other fellows mentioned clogged or dirty needles. That is a possibility.

Air leaks are another possibility. This could prevent the engine from getting the fuel it needs.

A loose cooling head, loose exhaust header, or any other loose connection that might allow the engine to not function 100% could also lead to your problem.

Since you noted that the engine does not run above 240F, I would suggest looking into cleaning out the carb needles, the fuel fitler and check your fuel tank for a cracked seam.

Let us know what you find.
 
If you have a crack in the fuel tank, don't you think it would leak at least enough to collect dirt?
 
It might, but notice he did not mention that the tank was clean. Not to mention that when I ran my Maxx it collected enough dirt and mud that a little extra would have easily gone unnoticed until some other symptom showed up.

Believe me, it happens. I had it happen to me, and it took me a little to find the problem because my truck was fairly dirty so the fuel tank (not ever having one crack until that day) was the last thing on my list of troubleshooting an engine that kept cutting out.
 
can yo fuel tank havea crack but the crack aint big enogh 2 leak gas but it will leak air ???
 
Well if the temp isn't changing I don't think that it is an air leak problem. I think its prob a needle problem less fuel in the tank = less pressure in the fuel = less pressure at the needle. Check the needles then go from there.
 
My maxx has been doing the same thing, but I don't run it much, and I keep it pretty clean, so I was interested in this thread for my on benefit, as well as others. I have a new tank that I haven't put on yet. Maybe I'll find time to mess with it this weekend, but it will probably at least be next week. Please keep the posts coming, and post if you figure it out.
 
y does traxxas make them real small t-maxx fuel tanks are they like a add on or something ???
 
I've only seen one size acually made for the T-Maxx. Are there two sizes, or do you think the standard T-Maxx fuel tank is small?
 
The standard one is bigger the other 1 i saw was smaller. It said 75cc that what made me thing that u add it on or somethin' ???
 
I don't know, maybe it is for racing or something. How many cc's is the normal one, 125?
 
Like I said, maybe if you raced it, and it was on a short track, or short race? I don't know. Pulling truck, or hill climber? Rock crawler? Your guess is as good as mine.
 
How do i go about clean the needles? Please explain it to like I am a five year old.
 
First the stock tank size is not 175cc. Hell the LST is that size or right around int. My MGT has a bigger size tank stock. Will get the numbers to you in a bit.

I know how to clean the Carb but I am not confident on wording the process. Ask one of the Mods as they are proficient at it.

Sorry

I wll try to see how it looks on paper.
 

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