Why is my car stalling at the Check Engine light?

Why is my car stalling at the Check Engine light?

A clogged catalytic converter can put too much backpressure on the engine, causing it to stall. There are many other components that can have the same effect. Fortunately, the car’s computer monitors emissions system operation. If it detects a problem with one or more components, it will turn on the check engine light and store a trouble code.

When does a shorted sensor cause an engine to stall?

A shorted sensor doesn’t always set a check engine light or MIL (malfunction indicator light). The computer is programmed to trigger a “service engine soon light” when the sensor has failed for a predetermined amount of time, say one minute, it only takes an intermittent shorting sensor one second to stop the computer system (stall engine).

What causes an engine to stall while driving?

Engine Stalling While Driving 1 It could be that your fuel pump has too much resistance and is shutting down. 2 It’s possible the ignition coil is losing an electrical signal and doesn’t know when to fire the spark plugs. 3 A faulty mass air flow sensor might detect too much or not enough air entering the engine. …

What to do if your car stalls at a red light?

Fuel pump. If you haven’t replaced the fuel pump in the last ten years, the pump may be worn and unable to deliver the correct amount of fuel the engine needs above idle speeds. Check the fuel pump if your vehicle stalls when stopping at a red light and then starts right back up.

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.

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.

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.

What are the symptoms of an engine stall?

Here are some of the most common symptoms of, a faulty mass airflow (MAF) sensor; The engine is very hard to start or turn over. Engine stalling shortly after starting. The engine hesitates or drags while under load or idle. Hesitation and jerking during acceleration.