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I took the car to my local mechanic two weeks ago with the problems described above. He replaced the air filter, spark plugs, and did an oil change, saying those were likely the issue.

After these repairs, I tried to start the car in front of him 5 times, finally succeeding. He tried too and said it must be the fuel pressure, but that I should drive it for a few days to see if the problem continues and if the check engine light stays lit.

It's still lit and the car still takes 2 to 4 crank attempts, failing to accelerate beyond 80 mph. At 80mph the engine makes some stalling-like noises, but continues running.

I know very little about cars, but don't want to just throw money at someone who gave mine back without knowing it still wasn't working properly. The mechanic thinks it's a fuel hose issue. Does his assessment seem likely, or are there more probable repairs I should request from them or another store?

Thank you!!

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    Did the kind gentleman do a fuel pressure test on the system? Seems like the fuel pump may not be keeping up with demand at speed. The fuel pump anti-drainback mechanism may not be working right as a different possibility, at least for the starting. If it loses all of its pressure right after the engine stops (or soon after), it can become really hard to start. And what is the code for the CEL?
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Jun 21, 2016 at 21:41
  • I had a similar problem in my 2005 Chevrolet Celta (Brazilian market) and it was just a hose that was misplaced in the fuel pump that was choking it. The mechanic had even replaced the pump before he realized the problem. If your mechanic tried to solve the problem by changing common components, he doesn't know what he's doing. In software development, we call this poke-and-hope. Just don't come back there again and look in Yelp for a better one. Secondly, buy yourself a cheap code reader. You can get one for as little as $7 those days.
    – Gabriel Diego
    Jun 22, 2016 at 18:04

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Have him change the fuel filter. These get dirty and need changing. Very easy and cheap if it's external. Some are inside the tank. A dirty filter can restrict fuel flow. If you have high miles this could be the problem

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  • Or better yet change it yourself :) It's really not that hard.
    – Cullub
    Jul 2, 2016 at 17:24

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