1999 Ford Ranger. I don't know much about auto mechanics, so any advice would be appreciated. After about 1 1/2 hour of driving, stopped at light. When I started off, truck began to spit and sputter and felt like engine would die from lack of gas. I had to keep tapping the accelerator to continue a few feet at a time to pull it off the side of the road into a parking lot. Then it died. It cranked right back up, but then it started to spit and sputter again and engine shut off. Waited 10 minutes and cranked it, drove around in the parking lot for a bit and it started to spit and sputter again, then died. So waited for 40 minutes, then it cranked and seemed to drive fine. Was leery of getting back on the road for the 1 1/2 ride home, so had it towed home instead. Since then, I have been driving it everyday locally and haven't had the issue.. Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem? .I'm afraid to take it long distance.

 

Welcome to the forum

Bad Gas?
All gasoline has some water in it, and water and gasoline can't bond/mix with water they stay separate
Water is heavier than gasoline so will settle to the bottom of the tank over time, where fuel pump can suck it in
Too much water is "bad gas"
Makes engine run like crap of course when water starts to get into engine end of the system
So when was the last time you filled up before this happened?

1998-2000 Ranger had a unique fuel pump setup
First Rangers with 60psi fuel pressure, previous years used 35psi
And Ford put the Fuel Pressure Regulator(FPR) in the fuel tank on the OUTPUT hose of the fuel pump
This didn't work reliably, fuel pressure at the engine/injectors could drop as much as 25psi
(in 2001 Ford added a Return line on fuel filter going to FPR in the tank, which remedied this problem)

So what you describe could be a failing FPR or pump, but no way to diagnose this except at the time its happening by putting on a fuel pressure gauge on the engine
If you change the fuel pump assembly you change both FPR and pump, part of same assembly


Engine issue
Could be computer was causing the issue from bad data or bad computer
Does your CEL(check engine light) work, come on with key on, goes off once engine is running?

If so is it on with engine running?
Do you have a OBD2 Code reader?
Bluetooth OBD2 reader is under $15 and good tool to have, works on ANY VEHICLE 1996 and newer, its the Law, Ford, GM, Audi, Honda, ect................

 

will take it to get the codes and then post back - thanks