There’s nothing more stressful when you’re driving than a sudden stall. Not only can it leave you stranded and facing pricey repairs, but stalling is an annoyance on the road, especially if you’re on the highway. If you’ve been stuck in traffic and you’re trying to get moving but your car just won’t budget, then you’re going to need to get it repaired or looked at as quickly as you can.
The one thing to understand about stalling is that it can happen when you’re starting, stopping, idling, or if you’re at speed. There is no single culprit behind any case of stalling, which means that you need to understand why your car keeps stalling and how you can avoid it. You may not always be aware of what the p0171 code means when it flashes up on your car, but you can get it fixed by a professional quickly and stop the car from stalling! Let’s take a look at the most common reasons that your car is stolen and what you should do if it happens.
- Fuel system issues. Any issue with the vehicle’s fuel system can lead to an immediate stalling. These types of issues almost always include a loss in fuel pressure. This condition can be caused by a failing fuel pump or a severe fuel leak. It can even be caused by an obstruction within the system itself, but this can be avoided with a fuel system checkup by your mechanic.
- There are issues with the charging system. Once the vehicle starts, engine and component operation has to be sustained throughout the engine’s charging system voltage. The most critical component is the alternator. A faulty alternator can provide significantly less voltage than usual, which leads to a rapid battery discharge. If you don’t want your vehicle stalling in short order then you need to get this replaced.
- There are issues with the sparks. Gasoline engines rely upon spark delivery to ignite that air fuel mixture within every cylinder. If this spark stops working suddenly, engine stalling will occur. Deteriorated distributor caps, faulty ignition coils, and damaged rotor buttons are all very common sources of spark loss. This can all start that stalling condition you’ve been trying to avoid.
- Issues with sensors. There are some sensors that can induce engine stalling if there are issues involved. This occurs when irrational, incomplete or even incorrect data is provided to the management software of your engine. Some of the most common sensors include the engine coolant temperature sensor and the mass air flow sensor. Getting these checked out with a local mechanic can help you to determine whether or not your sensors are the problem.
- A loose vacuum hose. If there’s a vacuum leak, this is accurately described as the introduction of air into the engine that should not be there. Nobody wants to deal with this because it could be a pricey fix, but it also could be the reason your car is stalling.
