When you start your car, truck, or SUV you expect it to keep running until you shut it off. Unfortunately, engines will stall if there is something wrong under the hood. There are three primary causes of engine stalls, and United Auto Care lists them below for your information. If you don’t believe any of the three common reasons listed are the culprit, we can run a diagnostic check to isolate the reason why the engine is stalling and then offer up an estimate to fix the problem.
Computer Chips and Sensors
Unless you’re driving a classic, and it’s totally awesome if you are, your vehicle has a network of computer sensors that answer to a primary computer chip. Here’s what happens when you first turn on your car, truck, or SUV. Each vehicle system has its own sensor and this sensor runs a quick test of the system; this is why you see all of your dashboard warning lights turn on at once. As each system passes the test, the lights turn off. If a system has an issue, it reports it to the computer chip and the light stays on or turns on while you’re driving. Now, what do you think happens if one of these sensors or the computer chip die? You guessed it. Your vehicle stalls and will not start again.
Loose or Leaky Vacuum Hoses
Let’s step away from technology and talk simple mechanics now. A combustion engine, which is what a gasoline engine is, uses vacuum pressure to help power systems and components. For example, your brake booster uses vacuum pressure to work. This pressure is generated in your automobile’s exhaust manifold. Hoses, pipes, or tubes – it doesn’t matter what you want to call them, it’s all the same part – draw the vacuum pressure from the manifold and send it to the components (such as your brake booster) for their use. If these hoses are loose or have a leak or hole in them, your engine components lose vacuum pressure and this could cause your engine to stall.
Fuel or Intake System Trouble
Finally, air and gas are mixed in the combustion chamber and ignited by spark plugs to get your engine started and to keep it running. A whole gaggle of things can go wrong if the air and fuel mixture isn’t right or the spark plugs are worn. Engine stalls are a common sign that your air/fuel mixture is off or your spark plugs need replacement. The stall can also be caused by faulty spark plug wires. Things that affect the air and fuel mixture include clogged or dirty filters – you have an air filter and a fuel filter in your vehicle – or gasoline with lower octane than what your vehicle needs.
Call United Auto Care in Flowery Branch, GA, if your engine keeps stalling. We’ll find the problem and fix it.
