[THawbaker]

I picked this car up as a work beater. Sometimes when I start it, it acts like it is running out of fuel. Rough Idle, coughing and it dies. I hooked up a fuel rail pressure gauge and when I turned the ignition on, it went up to 20 psi. When I tried to start it, it went to 40 PSI.
From what I can find on the web, the fuel rail pressure should be around 58 psi. I've looked for a fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail, but I haven't found one. I replaced the fuel filter last year, it is the one with the fuel return line. Is the fuel pressure regulated in the fuel filter? Could my fuel pump be weak?
It is also throwing a P2177 code "System Too Lean Off Idle Bank 1".
Anybody have any thoughts as to what my little car's issue could be?

 

[rod_4447]

Have you changed the fuel filter? Then recheck pressure.

 

[THawbaker]

I replaced the fuel filter about 8 months ago thinking it was clogged, no change.

 

[ejpomeroy]

Did you check the intake sock on the fuel filter assy that is in the tank? Your car is old enough to have developed some rust flecks and sediment/vernish in tank. Remove pump assy. from tank and inspecr/clean or better replace. Since you have to extract the pump to do this, might not be a bad idea to replace pump too. If DIY the parts should not be more than 80 bucks or so. Just in case a previous owner did something squirrely, visual inspect line from tank to rail for another fuel filter in line that might be clogged. Good luck.