What do you need to know about intermittent stalling?
And if there are no pending codes, hard codes or history codes in the vehicle’s computer to give you some direction, you may find yourself guessing at a diagnosis. Every engine needs three things to run and idle smoothly without stalling: a correct air/fuel ratio, sufficient idle speed for the idle load, and a good spark.
Is there check engine light for intermittent stalling?
Many times, there will be no check engine light and no fault codes to give you a clue as to what might be causing the engine to stall. So the trick to diagnosing an intermittent stalling problem is to catch the vehicle when it’s acting up — and that rarely happens when you have the vehicle in your shop.
Can a stalling engine be intermittent driveability?
Intermittent driveability problems of any kind are always a challenge to diagnose. When a customer brings you a vehicle and complains of a stalling problem, you may not have much to go on other than their description of what’s happening and when it happens.
Why does my car stall after a few miles?
When a bad module is responsible for an intermittent stalling problem, the engine will usually cold start just fine and run OK for short distances, but stalls after driving more than a few miles or when driving at highway speeds (especially during hot weather). It’s as if somebody suddenly turned off the ignition.
And if there are no pending codes, hard codes or history codes in the vehicle’s computer to give you some direction, you may find yourself guessing at a diagnosis. Every engine needs three things to run and idle smoothly without stalling: a correct air/fuel ratio, sufficient idle speed for the idle load, and a good spark.
Many times, there will be no check engine light and no fault codes to give you a clue as to what might be causing the engine to stall. So the trick to diagnosing an intermittent stalling problem is to catch the vehicle when it’s acting up — and that rarely happens when you have the vehicle in your shop.
Intermittent driveability problems of any kind are always a challenge to diagnose. When a customer brings you a vehicle and complains of a stalling problem, you may not have much to go on other than their description of what’s happening and when it happens.
When a bad module is responsible for an intermittent stalling problem, the engine will usually cold start just fine and run OK for short distances, but stalls after driving more than a few miles or when driving at highway speeds (especially during hot weather). It’s as if somebody suddenly turned off the ignition.
When to use a scan tool for intermittent stalling?
When attempting to diagnose an intermittent stalling problem, therefore, it is important to always use a scan tool to first check for any codes that might shed light on the condition, and secondly to look at all the essential sensor inputs to see if they are within range and are supplying accurate information to the PCM.
Why does my car stall at highway speeds?
The engine may start and idle fine, but run out of power or even stall at highway speeds. If the engine starts right back up after stalling, the likely cause is low fuel volume delivery because of a weak pump. If the engine is running normally one minute, but suddenly quits, loss of ignition may be the problem.
Why does intermittent stalling occur in a car?
One of the more unusual causes of intermittent stalling we’ve heard about is a defective vehicle speed sensor. When the vehicle stops moving, the PCM may not engage the idle speed motor (carbureted engines) or idle air bypass motor (fuel injected engines) so the engine will idle normally.
Is there a way to diagnose intermittent stalling?
Diagnosing an intermittent stalling problem can be a challenge, especially if the engine only stalls occasionally (and at the least opportune time). And if there are no pending codes, hard codes or history codes in the vehicle’s computer to give you some direction, you may find yourself guessing at a diagnosis.
What causes intermittent stalling on a Ford Escape?
Ford has also issued a recall (04S13) for 2001-2003 Ford Escape sport utility vehicles with 3.0L V6 engines for an intermittent stalling problem. The stalling typically occurs while decelerating at speeds below 40 miles per hour. The problem is caused by the calibration of the idle air control valve and evaporative emissions system.