Engine cuts out while driving? That could be the reason!

Recently updated on January 4, 2023 at 01:02 am

It's annoying and can be dangerous if the engine just turns off while driving goes out. If the engine is off, the support for the falls Brake and the steering out. The engine requires fuel, electricity and Airso that it can function optimally. When the engine is on duty adjusts, the problem often has to do with one of these three points. But one difference is important: Does the engine run every now and then (isolated/sporadic) and then jumps again the engine starts or stops and then jumps not back to? This already enables the cause to be narrowed down. Often it is because the required fuel is not flowing in sufficient quantities. So you should first check whether there is still fuel and think about whether it is is the right fuel, which was fueled. Is the Fuel pump heard when you turn on the ignition? It should come as a short buzz from the rear of the vehicle.

What causes could it have?

During the diagnosis, the fault memory is read out first. This may give the mechanic a tip about the cause.

Is everything correct with the fuel supply?

The too little fuel or when the wrong fuel was used, the motor cannot of course work optimally. Was he wrong fuel refueled, this can result in damage and high costs. This applies primarily when a diesel vehicle has been refueled with petrol. Another problem area is that Fuel pump. The pump itself can be defective, but it can also be caused by a defective one fuel pump relay or a defective one Fuse lie. If the fuel filter is clogged or there is a fault in the fuel lines, the fuel will not reach the engine in sufficient quantity either.

A defective alternator or charging system.

The vehicle has consumers, such as the control units, that require electricity while driving. Is the alternator defective, it can no longer supply the consumers with electricity. The vehicle battery then jumps in for a short time, but later the battery is empty and the consumers stop working. Another consequence of such a defect is that the battery is deeply discharged and is therefore probably defective for good.

A defect in the timing chain or timing belt.

A timing chain can lengths and skip. This is usually indicated by an illuminated check engine light. The fault memory then often speaks of an implausible camshaft position in relation to the crankshaft position. If the problem is not resolved, the elongation will continue and over time the engine will also stop. Other vehicles have a toothed belt instead of a timing chain. Here can be about one defective tension pulley cause a similar error message and also let the engine die.

If the diesel particulate filter is full or clogged, the engine stops.

The Diesel particulate filter (DPF) is located in the exhaust tract and filters out the environmentally harmful soot particles from the exhaust gases. The filter cleans itself regularly by burning itself free. Nevertheless, it can happen that after 120.000 to 180.000 kilometers the soot particle filter is full. If the filter can no longer clean itself, it must be removed, manually burned free or replaced with a new model.

A defective high-pressure pump.

When the vehicle is on direct injection is, it not only has the fuel pump in the tank, but also another one high pressure pump installed. In the event of a defect, the high-pressure pump can ensure that the engine simply stops while driving. There is a risk here that the pump itself seized up has. This can also create tiny metal shavings that are distributed with the fuel throughout the lines and engine. This can result in great damage. In many cases it even happens economic total loss from the vehicle. Replacing the high-pressure pump is usually expensive and ranges from 300 to 700 euros for petrol engines and 1.000 to 3.000 euros for diesel engines.

A defect in the injection nozzles/injectors.

Fuel injectors (also called fuel injectors) have both petrol and diesel engines when they have direct injection. They are called injectors in modern diesel engines with common rail technology. A defect in the injectors can have various consequences, such as an increased one fuel consumption, an out of round Run from the engine or the sudden stalling of the engine.

A defective ignition coil.

ignition coils can only be found in gasoline engines, i.e. in gasoline engines. If there is a problem in that area, the engine does not run smoothly and it occurs misfires. Depending on how the engine is controlled, such a failure can cause the engine to stall and then refuse to restart.

Sensor error or an electronic problem.

The more modern the car, the more sensors it has. A broken one Sensor can, for example, result in the engine control unit receiving incorrect instructions and as a result the fuel mixture no longer being correct. This, in turn, can cause the engine to simply stall. The error memory is important here, because it usually correctly localizes the defective sensor. It could possibly be due to a defective sensor for the coolant temperature, the camshafts or the crankshaft lie. Also the Air flow sensor may be held responsible if the engine stalls while driving.

A defective control unit.

The control unit is one of the components that rarely have a defect. An extremely precise diagnosis is required here and all other causes should be ruled out beforehand. If the first workshop suspects that the control unit is the cause, it can make sense to get a second opinion. Control units can be repaired comparatively cheaply and do not necessarily have to be exchanged for a new part.

Summarizing information "Engine cuts out when idling / when stationary?":

• Observe exactly when the problem occurs (only when cold, when switching on other consumers (e.g. air conditioning), while driving, clutching, idling, etc.)
• first Fault memory select
• rule out that the engine draws false air due to a leak in the intake area
  - a visual inspection in advance
  – Fill the intake tract with fog (fog machine) in the workshop and observe
• common problems
  – Leak in the intake system / secondary air / false air
  – age-related wear and tear
  – marten damage
  – Vacuum hose defective, corroded (secondary air / false air gets into the engine)
  – Crankcase ventilation (KGE) leaking
  – Seal defective
  – Throttle valve defective (gasoline)
• Defects in the ignition system on the petrol engine
  – Spark plug(s) defective
  – Ignition cable defective
  – Ignition coil(s) defective
  – Moisture in the ignition system
  - fuel pump malfunction
• sensor defect
  – Individual defective sensors often store a message in the error memory
• any prices
  

  Material / service	approx prices
  Removal & installation (at an hourly rate: €100)	€30 to €180
  throttle	€50 to €400
  total cost	approx. €80 to €580

• Other possible causes
  – EGR valve constantly open
  – Problems with the motor control
  – Coking
  – Idle controller defective
• Continue driving when the engine stalls while idling?
  – you should visit a workshop as soon as possible
• Main inspection with the problem?
  – if the engine stops idling, no general inspection can be carried out
  - Emissions-related error in the error memory is on considerable lack
  - thus the HU is not passed
  

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