What Should You Do If The Car Shuts Off While Driving?
An engine comprises many parts that depend on several systems and sensors to function correctly. In most cases, failure of one of these parts or sensors will not cause the car to shut down while driving, but this is not unusual.
Potential causes include lack of fuel, fuel pump problems, camshaft problems, etc. In this guide, we will look at the most common causes and how to fix them. Let’s jump! There are many possible reasons why a car may stall and behave differently depending on the grounds.
In the following sections, you will find several possible reasons why your vehicle may stall while driving. Any problem can be solved, but the complexity of the solution varies. It’s important to note that cars with internal combustion engines have no power steering or brakes, making them difficult to drive.
We will touch on this at the end of the article. Make sure you read everything, as it can help if your car suddenly breaks down.
Out of fuel
Lack of fuel is one of the most common reasons for a car to stall while driving. Sometimes this will be due to a fuel leak, while the driver is blamed for not filling the tank. It is also possible for the fuel level sensor to malfunction and give inaccurate readings.
Whatever the reason, the fact is that a car without fuel will not start or stall, no matter where you are. The fuel level warning light comes on in most vehicles when approximately 10% of power remains. This is the first warning that you must fill the fuel tank. There will be no noticeable warnings when there is no more fuel, except that the car will start to rattle for a second or two before noticing that pressing the accelerator pedal no longer has any effect.
The car will start to slow down, and you need to act quickly to get the car to a place where it is safe to stop. Once you’re in a safe place, all you have to do is fill up the tank. Make sure you have enough fuel to go to the nearest gas station and fill up.
Bad Ignition Switch
Another possible reason is the ignition switch. When you turn the car key, the ignition switch also turns, which activates the electrical systems and supplies power to the ignition system. There will be no combustion without an ignition system, and therefore, the engine will stall. Sometimes you can just turn the key, and the car will drive away. If this is the case, you should try to stop in a safe place and fix the problem.
The alternator is what makes all the electronic components of the car work. This includes the ignition coil and, therefore, the spark plugs.
Faulty Alternator
The good news is that a failing alternator will usually show symptoms long before they are severe enough to stall the engine while driving. Some symptoms include dim lights, flickering lights, low battery, etc. A car with a faulty alternator will not start, so you need help moving the car.
As mentioned above, a car with an internal combustion engine cannot run without fuel. There may still be fuel in the tank, but not enough energy is delivered to the combustion chamber. This could be due to a faulty fuel pump or a bad fuel filter. The fuel filter is to trap dirt and other particles that should not enter the combustion chamber and fuel lines.
Bad Fuel Pump/Filter
Like any other type of filter, it needs to be changed regularly. If it is not replaced, it may become clogged, and fuel cannot pass through. If there is no possibility of transferring power from the fuel tank to the combustion chamber, the impossibility of generating energy, then the engine will stop.
Likewise, the fuel pump pushes fuel out of the tank. Without the pump, there is nothing to go power into the combustion chamber, which means the engine will stall. As with generators, in most cases, a fuel pump or filter failure will be noticed before it is severe enough to stop the machine.
In both cases, specific parts must be replaced to continue. The crankshaft plays a vital role in the correct movement of the pistons and keeping the wheels spinning. Since the crankshaft must be synchronized with all other parts and processes, the crankshaft position sensor sends information to the ECU to keep it synchronized. If the methods are out of sync, a misfire will occur. In severe cases, the engine will stall.
In most cases, you won’t be able to reach your average speed with a bad crankshaft position sensor unless the sensor suddenly breaks. This is because the symptoms of a bad crankshaft position sensor are usually most noticeable when you start the car or are about to drive. A defective crankshaft position sensor must be replaced. This means you shouldn’t be trying to go anywhere with a bad crankshaft position sensor.
Whatever the reason for stopping the engine while driving, knowing how to react is critical to protecting you and others on the road. The car will behave differently when the engine stalls since there is no power steering, and it will be more challenging to break. The most important thing is to stay calm. It’s easy to tell when you’re not in a situation, but remaining calm will help you through decision making and execution. Try to steer the car to the side of the road if it’s safe to do so.
If the electronics are still working, turn on the alarm. The steering should still work, but there will be more resistance, which also applies to the brakes. If you find it difficult to stop, you may need an emergency brake.
However, be very careful if you do this. Careless application of the emergency brake can completely lose control, leading to an accident. Instead, you should slowly and steadily apply the emergency brake until the vehicle comes to a halt. Once you have stopped, you must leave the car safely and wait for help to arrive at a safer location.
A car without a running engine will not have power steering, making it harder to turn the steering wheel. This also applies to car brakes. Fortunately, turning off the engine while driving is rare, but it happens.
There will be various signs and symptoms indicating a problem with a particular vehicle component in most cases. If you haven’t run out of fuel, you will need to replace the failed part that caused the engine to stall. As with almost all vehicle-related problems, many of these problems can be avoided with proper vehicle maintenance by following the manufacturer’s recommendations.