21
votes
Accepted
Why do cars die after removing jumper cables?
It's because of a couple things: The battery is very dead and the alternator cannot put out enough power at idle RPMs to run the whole system and charge a battery. This leads to a lack of power which ...
- 2,859
17
votes
WHY does an engine stall? (manual transmission)
What it comes down to is there are trade offs. In the case of the engine, it's torque output and rotating mass versus engine speed ... read on.
First, it isn't power which is needed, but torque to ...
- 140k
17
votes
Accepted
Harley Davidson clattering noise from engine, backfire and failure to start
With a no-run scenario, think FASTEC:
Fuel
Air
Spark
Timing
Exhaust
Compression
As there's smoke on one side only, I'd be focusing on testing for spark, timing and compression.
If I had to hazard a ...
- 39k
12
votes
Harley Davidson clattering noise from engine, backfire and failure to start
FASTEC is exactly the right process to analyse this, as @Zaid said. It turns out it was contaminated fuel! That doesn't really explain why smoke just from the aft cylinder, and why there was smoke ...
- 18.5k
9
votes
Accepted
Does stalling damage my car?
No.
Stalling the car will not damage your car , your car is designed to absorb the impact at least a hundred times.(Most of my family members learnt driving in my car and it has stalled half of its ...
- 8,926
9
votes
Accepted
Non-functional gas pedal, engine stalling, dead battery: broken alternator?
An insufficiently-charged battery would explain what you're seeing:
the unresponsive throttle is because the throttle is electronically-actuated (at least that's what eBay reckons)
Not sure about the ...
- 39k
9
votes
My brand new bike stopped while running - why?
The Royal Enfeild is a very old design. The motorcycle is based upon an old British design from World War II and has changed very little over the years. I do not know what type of quality control ...
- 32.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Ford Focus engine cuts out at 3000+ RPM
In this case replacing the fuel filter for new seems to have done the trick. I was able to find one for roughly £27 on eBay and fitted it myself in under 45 minutes. Thought I'd leave the information ...
- 371
7
votes
Non-functional gas pedal, engine stalling, dead battery: broken alternator?
To add to Zaids answer.
A cheap meter from RadioShack will tell you if something is wrong with your power system. A normal car battery will be at 14.4 volts (+-.75v) when on.
7.10V is not normal and ...
- 181
6
votes
Idling issues on 1995 Kawasaki ZZR600
Possible Answers
We were hoping for a little feedback regarding this issue prior to attempting an answer. A few things come to mind regarding the problem description and we'll run through a few of ...
- 32.8k
5
votes
Car stalls when braking (VW Mk1 Golf)
Problems like this are addressed in Charles Probst's excellent reference, Bosch Fuel Injection & Engine Management.
From what I can gather, the Mk1 Golf utilizes a basic K-Jetronic system ...
- 39k
5
votes
Accepted
08 Silverado 5.3 cold start exhaust smoke and engine stall
Oil consumption in the LM7 engines is pretty common. The L33 in my '06 Silverado is around the same amount, maybe a little less. What you are talking about sounds more like a stuck/leaky injector. Oil ...
- 140k
5
votes
How does this ignition coil work? Why are there two wires, and where should they be connected?
The usual idea is that with 2 wires; one is ignition controlled 12v and goes to the resistor (block on the side with two terminals) so that the coil receives about 9v during normal running.
The other ...
- 34.4k
4
votes
WHY does an engine stall? (manual transmission)
The engine is optimized to be efficient at high rpm or at low rpm (racing engine or cement mixer design respectively) but it can't be efficient at every possible speed so it is up to the driver to ...
- 250
4
votes
Why does my car die completely (after a battery recharge)?
I took the care to the a mechanic and they said it was or could be two things:
When the battery dies sometimes the internal computer\memory needs to be reset.
The car's throttle body needed cleaning.
...
- 441
4
votes
Accepted
98 olds intrigue stalls while driving
Fuel, Air, Spark... those three things in the right amount are what makes the engine go. The good news is your car's fuel system is controlled by a computer which gives feedback on possible issues in ...
- 6,479
4
votes
No Acceleration, loss of power, backfiring, CEL, stalling
There are scanners that will talk to OBD1 computers, but most shops (I would guess) don't have the equipment anymore. I got rid of my OBD1 equipment last year. I've seen ≤ 2 cars that required me to ...
- 10.7k
4
votes
Accepted
94 Z28 LT1 Camaro. Intermittent stalling/starting problem. Been haunting me forever
There are two places this could be: ICM or Optispark. The intermittent nature of it leads me to believe it is ignition related. On your year of LT1, ignition issues can pretty much be boiled down to ...
- 140k
4
votes
engine stalling when coming to a stop
I suspect your Idle Air Control (IAC) Valve. It's job is to feed enough air to the engine when you take your foot of the throttle. This is a 15 year old engine we are talking about, the valve may be ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
Why do cars die after removing jumper cables?
The majority of cars built in the last 10 years have what is known as a smart charge system, i.e. the alternator only puts out what the consumers demand. With a totally flat vehicle and a donor car ...
4
votes
Why do cars die after removing jumper cables?
Vehicle behavior depends on the two types of alternators:
A vehicle with a self-exciting alternator (aka one-wire alternator) will run without battery power. This describes my Honda and most Chevys. ...
- 2,139
4
votes
Vespa idles fine, stalls with throttle
It sounds to me as though your carburettor has a blocked main jet. I'd remove it and clean it out with compressed air or carburettor cleaner. The idle circuit uses a different jet which is probably ...
- 23.3k
3
votes
2005 Suzuki Katana stalls when put in gear
There is a sidestand switch that kills the motor if you attempt to put it into gear with the sidestand down, it's a safety measure. Check that switch at the top of your sidestand to see if the a ...
- 32.8k
3
votes
Accepted
How to access the Idle Air Control Valve, Renault Clio mk2
The idle air control valve is integrated into the throttle body unit as shown here:
It may not look exactly like that, there was an update some time around then but the parts are very similar and the ...
- 1,658
3
votes
Why does my car die completely (after a battery recharge)?
Your Problem
There are a few reasons that you might have your engine cut out.
If you have any error codes (found by plugging in a scan tool to the OBDII port on your car), they would help ...
- 7,917
3
votes
No fluid under thermal sensor | '89 Jeep Cherokee reserve cooling system won't drain? | Car dies while running? & Car dies without running?
This may assist in diagnosis
May not be an answer for you but you mentioned;
The spark plugs are burned at the tip.
The definition of burned is important to your diagnosis. If burned means the ...
- 32.8k
3
votes
Car stalls and won't restart, but disconnecting the battery fixes it?
It sounds like you have an intermitant failing sensor. On most of the systems I have worked with the crank sensor isn't required and wouldn't inhibit the engine from starting. The cam sensor or ...
- 163
3
votes
89 Pontiac Trans Am GTA Stalls No Start
My guess is fuel pressure, a bad pump or clogged fuel filter.
I would put a fuel pressure gauge on it and see what the pressure is next time it stalls and you try to restart.
- 7,940
3
votes
Engine stalls when RPMs reach 4500 under load, but not when vehicle stationary
Sounds like fuel pressure drops off, fuel pump is weak, you would need a fuel pressure gauge connected when it stalls to check this
- 7,940
3
votes
Car lost power. New alternator, new battery, and just had an oil change
"I am hoping I just mistreated my car, and put it from reverse to drive too soon."
More than likely. Modern transmissions have safety features that don't allow you to actually engage into reverse ...
- 1,948
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible