YACT: Car stalled(?) on highway *UPDATE*

[hx009]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
0 dollars for just a code scan.

Sweet! That fits my budget.

 

[Zenmervolt]

The power brakes rely upon a vacuum accumulator that "traps" a vacuum from the engine's manifold. This is typically good for one or two applications of the brakes (depending upon the system's design) even after the engine stops running. Even without the vacuum boost, the brakes will still function at 100% capacity (i.e. the system does not become overall less effective) however they will require _MUCH_ more pedal pressure to get the same stopping power.

So basically, the fact that the brakes still worked tells you nothing.

The radio would still work because the ignition switch was still activated. All that tells you is that you were still getting electrical power from the battery.

If the car shut off smoothly, like shutting it off with the key, then it's possible that one of the relays for the fuel injection system or the ignition system is faulty and not working all the time.

ZV

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
If the car shut off smoothly, like shutting it off with the key, then it's possible that one of the relays for the fuel injection system or the ignition system is faulty and not working all the time.

Is that something that will be picked up by the OBD tester?

 

[beyonddc]

I've the same situation you had couple years ago except that everything stop working including the radio.
It happened to me twice in 3 years, and both them is that my radiator is not working.

Radiator is the part in the car that recharge your battery while your car is running.

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: beyonddc
I've the same situation you had couple years ago except that everything stop working including the radio.
It happened to me twice in 3 years, and both them is that my radiator is not working.

Radiator is the part in the car that recharge your battery while your car is running.

I'm no mechanical prodigy, but I'm pretty sure that the alternator does that.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
If the car shut off smoothly, like shutting it off with the key, then it's possible that one of the relays for the fuel injection system or the ignition system is faulty and not working all the time.

Is that something that will be picked up by the OBD tester?

Doubtful.
Intermittent problems are a PITA to track down.

 

[ThePresence]

Get your throttle plates cleaned.

 

[zixxer]

/me pets his 98 nissan with NO problems

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

 

[beyonddc]

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: beyonddc
I've the same situation you had couple years ago except that everything stop working including the radio.
It happened to me twice in 3 years, and both them is that my radiator is not working.

Radiator is the part in the car that recharge your battery while your car is running.

I'm no mechanical prodigy, but I'm pretty sure that the alternator does that.

Me neither, sorry, now this sounds much more familiar...
It should be alternator.

Thanks for correcting me, I'll keep that in mind from now on.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

This is the first time anything major has gone wrong with this car in five years, but I'll pay attention for that going forward.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

This is the first time anything major has gone wrong with this car in five years, but I'll pay attention for that going forward.

Try this: After driving your car, when the engine is warm, let it run for a while in park. Watch the RPM's. If you see them slowly dropping off and the car starts shaking a bit, then it stalls, you need to get your throttle plates cleaned. It may stall more often over the next few weeks, especially when you stop at a red light or park.

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

This is the first time anything major has gone wrong with this car in five years, but I'll pay attention for that going forward.

Try this: After driving your car, when the engine is warm, let it run for a while in park. Watch the RPM's. If you see them slowly dropping off and the car starts shaking a bit, then it stalls, you need to get your throttle plates cleaned. It may stall more often over the next few weeks, especially when you stop at a red light or park.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give this a shot tommorrow.

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

This is the first time anything major has gone wrong with this car in five years, but I'll pay attention for that going forward.

Try this: After driving your car, when the engine is warm, let it run for a while in park. Watch the RPM's. If you see them slowly dropping off and the car starts shaking a bit, then it stalls, you need to get your throttle plates cleaned. It may stall more often over the next few weeks, especially when you stop at a red light or park.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give this a shot tommorrow.

It may not stall at all when you try it because the problem may not be that bad yet. Or it may be a different problem altogether.

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
It may not stall at all when you try it because the problem may not be that bad yet. Or it may be a different problem altogether.

Well, tommorrow I'll:

1) Get in the car and see if it starts, if it starts, go to #2, else I'll just take it straight to a garage
2) Take it to Auto Zone and get an OBD test
3) Give your "idle it warm, watch RPMs" advice a shot

 

[morkinva]

here's my guess(es):

ignition module
ignition switch
fuel filter

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: morkinva
here's my guess(es):

ignition module
ignition switch
fuel filter

A few people have mentioned ignition related issues. I can pull the key out of the ignition while the car is running. Could the key have "jiggled" loose just barely enough? The key sits firmly in the ignition, but whatever normally firmly locks the key in is no longer doing its job.

Edit: I should also mention that I have pulled the key out while the car was running (completely by accident.. which is how I found out) and the car kept running without issue.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: hx009

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Get your throttle plates cleaned.

Thats a new one on me. If I even ask a mechanic to do that, what ballpark would they charge for it?

About $100 give or take.
If you notice it stalling when you let up on the gas, when you hit the brake or when you shift into park, that's the first thing I would have done.

This is the first time anything major has gone wrong with this car in five years, but I'll pay attention for that going forward.

Try this: After driving your car, when the engine is warm, let it run for a while in park. Watch the RPM's. If you see them slowly dropping off and the car starts shaking a bit, then it stalls, you need to get your throttle plates cleaned. It may stall more often over the next few weeks, especially when you stop at a red light or park.

I have the same engine, but WTF is a throttle plate?

To the OP:

I might have missed what you wrote here but how did you get started again? Just waited and then cranked it again? If so did it crank easily or was it 'tired' and slow? In that case you might have a dead alternator and the battery recoved a bit while you were stranded and you got going again.
I suggest you measure voltage when the car is running and see if the battery get any charge.
BTW, that engine does not have a timinmg belt, it has a chain and willmost likely not have to be changed for another 100k or even longer.

 

[hx009]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
I might have missed what you wrote here but how did you get started again? Just waited and then cranked it again? If so did it crank easily or was it 'tired' and slow? In that case you might have a dead alternator and the battery recoved a bit while you were stranded and you got going again.
I suggest you measure voltage when the car is running and see if the battery get any charge.
BTW, that engine does not have a timinmg belt, it has a chain and willmost likely not have to be changed for another 100k or even longer.

I pulled over to the side of the road, waited a few minutes, then started it back up normally. The startup was normal and acted as if the stall never happened. And to clarify my earlier stupidity... I didn't get a timing anything replaced. I was thinking of the serpentine (sp?) belt that I had replaced a few months back. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Quixfire]

NM

 

[hx009]

To all those who said "go get an OBD test at Auto Zone":

The guy at Auto Zone said he can't do a test unless the Check Engine light is on. He said if the light IS NOT on, then the tester will just say "PASSED". He hooked it up to my car and showed it saying "PASSED". Was he lying, lazy, or didn't know what he was doing? I don't know. It wasn't my place to call him a liar. My Check Engine light is NOT on, and I'm no further ahead than I was yesterday. I took it to another place that wanted *$90* just to hook up their OBD tester. I had to get to work after that, so I pretty much called it a day at that point.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: Wduaqnug
get ready for timing belt and water pump

you idiot, get out of YACTs

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: hx009
To all those who said "go get an OBD test at Auto Zone":

The guy at Auto Zone said he can't do a test unless the Check Engine light is on. He said if the light IS NOT on, then the tester will just say "PASSED". He hooked it up to my car and showed it saying "PASSED". Was he lying, lazy, or didn't know what he was doing? I don't know. It wasn't my place to call him a liar. My Check Engine light is NOT on, and I'm no further ahead than I was yesterday. I took it to another place that wanted *$90* just to hook up their OBD tester. I had to get to work after that, so I pretty much called it a day at that point.

when the engine stalled did the instrument cluster light up all the idiot lights briefly?

 

[TechnoKid]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: hx009
To all those who said "go get an OBD test at Auto Zone":

The guy at Auto Zone said he can't do a test unless the Check Engine light is on. He said if the light IS NOT on, then the tester will just say "PASSED". He hooked it up to my car and showed it saying "PASSED". Was he lying, lazy, or didn't know what he was doing? I don't know. It wasn't my place to call him a liar. My Check Engine light is NOT on, and I'm no further ahead than I was yesterday. I took it to another place that wanted *$90* just to hook up their OBD tester. I had to get to work after that, so I pretty much called it a day at that point.

when the engine stalled did the instrument cluster light up all the idiot lights briefly?

i thought most obd II cars stored codes? Im not sure if obd I cars do the same.