mY FUEL GAUGE HAD STARTED TO ACT UP ABOUT A MONTH AGO, GOES FROM FULL TO EMPTY WITHIN A MATTER OF SECONDS,, i KNEW THAT THE UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED , BUT I MADE SURE TO KEEP GAS IN IT ,TODAY I STARTED MY CAR AND IT STARTED BUT IT WAS KIND OF JUMPY, THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SHUT OFF....WOULD NOT TURN BACK OVER, SO I THOUGHT MAYBE OUT OF GAS .... WENT A GOT A CAN OF GAS AND PUT IT IN THE TANK , BUT THE CAR STILL WILL NOT TURN OVER.... DID I DAMAGE SOMETHING ? DOES THE GAUGE READING EMPTY CAUSE THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN,,, PLEASE HELP ,PLEASE HELP.....

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ok i'll compensate - no caps. i've read other posts that if you run the gas tank empty it can fry the fuel pump because its cooled by the gas. never heard of that, but i suppose its possible. turn the key to 'on' and listen for the fuel pump to run - you may have to stand outside the car and it should only run for about 5 seconds. the fuel pump and sender are the same unit, so maybe the gauge going was a percursor to the fuel pump going. run the diagnostics and pull the codes.

ok, sorry about the caps , im so upset that i didnt notice,, thanks for the reply.. the car has never been empty just the fuel gauge reads that, i ran the codes and this is what i got
P0106 - Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) System Performance
P0463 - Fuel Level Sensor Circuit High Voltage
B0087 - Supplemental Deployment Loop #2 Open
im going to check and see if i hear the fuel pump.....
thanks again for the reply..

ok, sorry about the caps , im so upset that i didnt notice,, thanks for the reply.. the car has never been empty just the fuel gauge reads that, i ran the codes and this is what i got
P0106 - Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) System Performance
P0463 - Fuel Level Sensor Circuit High Voltage
B0087 - Supplemental Deployment Loop #2 Open
im going to check and see if i hear the fuel pump.....
thanks again for the reply..

I'd lean toward the MAP code as a start. There is no engine shutoff related to a sensed low fuel state and if you never ran out of gas I think the gas gauge problem is just a distraction from what's causing your current problem. The gas gauge in my STS has never worked right and it doesn't have any issues because of that. Start by checking the MAP sensor.

i checked to see if i heard the fuel pump cut on, i didnt hear anything , i also stood out side and still didnt hear it cut on ..

Just went out and checked my STS - you can hear ithe fuel pump run for about 2 seconds if you stand by the drivers side rear wheel. Try it again and if no sound check your fuses first. When you wrote "won't turn over" do you mean that the starter cranks but the engine won't catch or the starter doesn't turn at all?

yeah it starts but wont turn over, ill check again(the sound of the fuel pump).

Remove the fuel cap and put your ear to the filler pipe. Have someone turn the key on, but do not crank. If the pump is good, you'll hear it run for 2 seconds.If it does not run, check the fuel pump relay. Tap it with a screwdriver handle or swap it with another relay to see it that helps. Verify the pump by putting a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail test port and get a pressure reading. Another test is to spray gas or Brakleen into the TB while someone cranks the engine. If it starts and then dies when you stop spraying, your fuel pump has gone T.U. (Tango Uniform).

It sounds to me like the car went completely empty and the fuel pump turned into a fritter. Even a short time of sitting with no fuel to cool it can cause those darned pumps to burn out. I dont know why they heat up so much but the fuel is absolutely key to it keeping cool.

Even happens to the big HD trucks. My boss in Kansas ran out one day and had to have the fuel pump replaced the next day.

Hopefully its just a fuse, but there seems to be much in common there.

i'll try those things in the morning , by the way what is (tb), where sould i spray the gas , thanks for all the help, looks like either way i'll be out of about four or five hundred dollars(huh)? if its the pump...

Spray the fuel or whatever else you use directly into the TB.