It is your duty to make care of your car if you own one. It seems that many auto owners think that magic dust powers automobiles. To keep your car in good condition for a long time, you should regularly check the oil, gas, coolant, etc. there are numerous sensors and features in modern cars to keep them running smoothly.
Having a basic understanding of your car can help you prevent mechanical issues like your car cutting out white while you are driving. In this article we will go over six reasons why your car might shut off while you are driving and talk about how to diagnose and fix this issue.
6 Causes When your Car Shuts Off While Driving
- Faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor
- Faulty Fuel Supply System
- Empty Fuel Tank
- Alternator Problems
- Faulty Ignition Switch
- Malfunctioning Sensor
1) Faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor
A damaged crankshaft position sensor is the most frequent cause of a car to fail while in motion. On the majority of car models, the crankshaft sensor is required for the engine to function. On some car models, you also have a camshaft sensor is broken.
However, a malfunctioning crankshaft position sensor may not result in a complete stop the vehicle. In contrast, if your vehicle only has a crankshaft position sensor and no camshaft sensor and you receive a trouble code you must replace the sensor.
2) Faulty Fuel Supply System
An engine’s fuel injectors receive the proper amount of fuel from a fuel pump, you must either fix it or purchase a new one. Another possibility is that the fuel pump is unable to pump fuel through the fuel filter because it became clogged. Fortunately, changing a fuel filter is simple for you.
Most fuel pumps are mounted in the fuel tank. When the car shuts off, a little mechanic’s trick is to give the fuel tank a kick with your foot or something comparable. If the car starts at that point, your fuel pump most likely has a problem, when your car suddenly stops while you’re driving but restarts right away, a bad fuel pump is frequently to blame.
3) Empty Fuel Tank
The majority of car owners are likely aware of the importance of periodically checking your fuel level while driving. It’s great if you have enough fuel for your trip, but if your fuel gauge or fuel level sender is broken and does not accurately reflect the amount of fuel in your car, you could be in serious trouble.
Fill your vehicle with 1 gallon (4liters) of fuel and check to see if it starts. This is an easy way to determine if your fuel gauge or fuel level sensor is malfunctioning.
4) Alternator Problems
Your car’s alternator controls the flow of electricity. The alternator may have failed if your car stops running all of sudden. Vital auto parts won’t receive power from a malfunctioning alternator, and you will notice the dash lights going out or the engine suddenly losing power.
The red battery light on your dashboard intermittently turning on is one of the main symptoms of a failing alternator. There may be another issue if your car still has electrical power and the starter motor functions after it shuts off while you’re driving. The alternator is not at fault in this instance.
5) Faulty Ignition Switch
Your car may occasionally shut off while you’re driving as a result of a broken ignition switch. When you turn the key to start the car, the ignition switch, which is situated behind the ignition lock. Is also turned.
Tiny metal plats within this switch are susceptible to corrosion and rush buildup. If this takes place and one of these plats separates, the entire ignition will be turned off.
Additionally, the entire engine will abruptly shut of as a result of this. Fortunately, this is simple to verify. Check to see if there are any lights or ignition lights on your dashboard when the car shuts off. There is a good chance that the ignition switch is broken if the dashboard instrument is dead.
6) Malfunctioning Sensors
Numerous sensors are used by modern vehicles to optimize the air-fuel ratio for reduced fuel consumption. Your car’s engine could completely shut off if one sensor malfunctions and turned off. If you notice that your car stops while you’re driving but then restarts, or if it stops at idle or when you are slowing down, it might be due to a faulty engine sensor, which could result in an incorrect air-fuel ratio or idle RPM.
Fortunately, most of these sensors are unable to completely turn off the engine. The air-fuel mixture could be so severely messed up by sensors like the MAF sensor, coolant temperature sensor, and oxygen sensor that the engine would stall.
How has the Diagnosing and Fixing Your Shuts Off While Driving?
Here are a few suggestions about Diagnosing and Fixing this problem.
- Check Trouble Codes
- Check The Alternator Voltage
- Check Fuel Pressure
- Fill the Fuel Tank
- Inspect The Tachometer
- Talk To A Professional
Check Trouble Codes
Older car models required you to use a multimeter or your common Sens to diagnose the vehicle’s issue. Thankfully, newer vehicles come equipped with diagnostic software that can identify when one of the engine sensors is malfunctioning and record a fault code, which illuminates the check engine light.
Checking the trouble codes in the engine control module to see if there is any stored issue is the best way figure out why your car shuts off while you are driving. But you need an OBD2 scanner to read the fault codes. You have two options, either you purchase one on your own, or you visit a repair shop, where they read the codes for you. Using the information from the diagnostic scanner, continue troubleshooting.
Check the Alternator Voltage
The next thing you should do is check the alternator voltage while the engine is running if you do not have an OBD2 scanner or are unable to locate any stored error codes.
In essence, you have to engage the emergency brakes, turn on the engine, and use a multimeter to check the voltage of the car battery. If the reading is less than 12.5 volts, your alternator or charging system may be malfunctioning.
Check Fuel Pressure
You should check the fuel pressure in your car because low fuel pressure is another common problem that can cause your car to shut off while you’re driving. Connecting a manual pressure gauge to the fuel rail or line is the ideal way to check the fuel pressure.
If the vehicle has a pressure sensor, you can also use a diagnostic scanner to measure the pressure from it, but there is always a chance that the sensor will not work properly. Examine the fuel filter, fuel pump, and fuel pressure regulator if you notice that the fuel pressure is low. If it is, check the fuel pressure specifications for your car.
Fill the Fuel Tank
Even thought it might seem obvious that you need to fill up the fuel tank, you might not even be aware that you need fuel. Because the fuel pump will start sucking air instead of fuel, low fuel can cause the engine to stall when cornering at higher speeds.
Additionally, there is a chance that your tank’s fuel gauge sensor is malfunctioning, causing your fuel level to be low even though your fuel gauge indicates it is full. Therefore, you should definitely check this by opening the fuel cap and adding a little fuel.
Inspect the Tachometer
In most car models, the crankshaft position sensor provides the data to the RAM meter or so-called tachometer on your dashboard. When tachometer shuts off while you are driving or does not move when the engine is started, it may indicate that there is a problem with the crankshaft position sensor or camshaft position sensor.
Talk To a Professional
If you have tried the suggestions above and your call still shuts off while you’re driving, it might be a good idea to get professional assistance. Although it might be expensive, it might be a good idea seek assistance from someone you have dealt with this problem numerous times before.
Additionally, hiring a mechanic may not necessary cost more if he can quickly and accurately identify the issue without replacing the wrong components.