1997 Mercury Tracer LS - Fuel system problems?
 

Okay this is for my dad. He has a 97 Mercury Tracer LS. He says, "I was driving the car and I ran out of gas. I had a gas can with some gas in it so I poured it in the car and started it, drove about 3 blocks and it started sputter, missing, bad like it wasn't getting gas. Then suddenly it would run fine again for about 3 blocks and do the same thing. I went and put $10 of gas in it and it still did the same thing." Okay, now he replaced the fuel pump and fuel filter since we thought he burned the fuel pump up because he is always letting the gas tank get pretty much empty, but it still does the same thing. I've been wanting to look at it myself but I haven't had time to because I've been working 12 hour shifts. Anyhow, he also stated that with the key out, the radio and the clock on the dash stays ON, with the key out, which it never did this before. He noticed this the night the car started doing this so he just took the fuse out for now. Could this radio problem staying on relate on how the car is running? Maybe bad contacts in the ignition switch leaving a closed circuit for the radio to get power? Maybe a bad ignition switch could relate for maybe, a fuel pump cutting off and on while driving? I personally haven't looked at it so I don't know what to cancel out yet. Any suggestions?