Previous | Next

How to Fix a Car That Stalls

There are many things that could cause a car to stall. Fortunately, this usually does not signal a major repair to your vehicle, as well as it can generally be fixed through some relatively minor adjustments or repairs.

1. Consider the complexity of your car before beginning. Modern cars (mid-nineties or later) are extremely computer controlled, as well as it will be difficult for you to make any adjustments. You may want to take it into the shop to address this problem.
2. The stall is likely caused by either a problem in the electrical system or in the fuel system. Your engine stops running because it is not igniting gas in the cylinders, this occurs either because there isn't gas to ignite, or because it lacks the electrical charge to ignite it.
3. Drive the car up as well as down steep hills. Does this change the performance of the engine, or cause it to stall? This might indicate a clogged fuel filter. Replacing the fuel filter is relatively cheap as well as easy once you find out where it's located.
4. Does the car idle roughly as well as stall when at idle? If your car has a distributor, you may need to adjust the timing. With the right tools as well as know how, this is an easy as well as free task.
5. If your car has a distributor, you might consider changing the cap, rotor, wires as well as plugs. This is effectively a tune up. This can usually be done even by a relative novice to car repair, as well as take a couple of hours with the right tools. It seems counterintuitive, but even the wires as well as distributor decay over time, as well as transmit less electricity. This tune up may solve your stalling problem -- even if not, your car should run better as well as get better mileage.
6. If your car diesels when you turn off the ignition, it often signals the need to replace the spark plugs. Dieseling describes the situation where you turn off the key, yet the car continues to run for a few seconds or longer, eventually sputtering to a stop.

• If you can find a friend which knows how to work on cars, ask them to teach you how to do these things.

• Working on your car can be dangerous. Don't attempt any of these fixes while the car is running!

Submitted by: admin
Hits: 0
Added: Thu Feb 02 2006

Review It Rate It Bookmark It