If you have an old car lying in your garage, you may have faced this issue where your car turns off while driving but turns back on. We got your back. This is not the same as when your car shuts down after you stop. This occurs when the engine is overly sensitive at idle and can be caused by a variety of factors.
The most common cause of a car shutting down while driving is a faulty crankshaft position sensor or fuel system problems. It can also happen as a result of a faulty alternator, ignition switch, empty fuel tank, or car engine sensors.
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Car Turns off While Driving But Turns Back On. Why?
There are numerous reasons why your car may stall while driving. It could be a faulty alternator, a faulty coolant sensor, or a lack of fuel, to name a few possibilities. Is your car stalling when you accelerate? If this is the case, it could be due to a major vacuum leak, a clogged fuel filter, or a faulty fuel pump.
If your car having hiccups, or issue while driving. These may be the reasons why your car turns off while driving but turns back on
1. Fuel pump failure
A faulty fuel pump is a common cause of your car turning off while driving and then turning back on. The fuel pump delivers the required amount of fuel to the engine at the precise time required for combustion and power generation.
When the fuel pump fails, the engine no longer receives the correct amount of fuel when it is required. As a result, the motor shuts down.
2. The Engine Isn’t Getting Fuel
The fuel delivery system must be able to keep up with the engine’s demands. There are numerous reasons why fuel cannot reach the engine. The most obvious reason is that you have depleted your fuel supply. .
If your fuel tank is full but no fuel is reaching the engine, it could be due to a clogged fuel filter, clogged fuel line, or a faulty fuel pump. Lack of engine power, misfires, and stalling and car turns off while driving but turns back on
3. The Alternator Failed
The alternator provides the majority of the electrical power required by your vehicle while driving, as well as charging the battery. The ECU detects a problem with the amount of power coming from the alternator before the engine dies, which is the first sign of a failing alternator.
4. Ignitor plugs
With the help of spark plugs, your car can generate power. Spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture in the engine combustion chamber, causing combustions to occur. And each cylinder has its own spark plug.
A failing spark plug may still allow the car to start. Multiple faulty spark plugs, on the other hand, will not be powerful enough to start the car.
If you notice symptoms such as decreased engine performance, lack of acceleration, engine misfires, or engine knocking, it’s fairly simple to determine if you have a bad spark plug: simply locate and inspect them.
5. Engine Management System
A failing ECU (engine control unit) can cause your car to turn off and on repeatedly while driving.
The ECU in a car is a computer that collects data from various components of an internal combustion engine. It also ensures that the system is operational in order to maximize efficiency.
6. Ignition
The ignition relay can fail, and the mechanism that controls the amount of electricity flowing through them will stop working. These will cause the engine to abruptly shut down while driving.
Fortunately, it’s fairly simple to determine whether a faulty ignition switch is the cause of your car shutting down while driving. Check your dashboard for any remaining lights after the car has shut down. A faulty ignition switch is most likely if the dashboard instrument is dead. After the car has shut down, put your keys back in the ignition and try turning them. If this does not start the engine, the problem is most likely an ignition failure.
7. Overheating
Your car most likely has a liquid-cooled system, which relies on air flowing through your car’s radiator to cool the water in the radiator. As the combustion process produces extremely high temperatures in and around your car’s engine, cool water is circulated around it to keep it cool.
When there is a leak in this system, the thermostat or water pump fails, and the engine is no longer properly cooled. In this case, your engine’s digital engine management system should shut it down to prevent permanent damage to the pistons, which could be the cause of your car dying unexpectedly.
Fixing The Issues Which Caused The Car To Turn off
To fix out the issue that occurred on the car, please inspect the car once with the help of an OBD scanner or your local mechanic. Let’s dive into the fix
1. Fuel Pump and fuel system
Your fuel pump may be housed in the fuel tank. Kick the fuel tank with your foot to see if it’s the fuel pump. Your fuel pump is faulty if the car starts almost immediately.
The fuel filter may be clogged, and a clogged fuel pump will cause the car to start and drive for a short period of time, then turn off and restart.
This prevents the fuel pump from pumping enough fuel through it, causing the engine to produce less power. As a result, the car typically shuts down for a short period of time before restarting. The simple solution to this problem is to clean the fuel filter so that fuel can enter the engine.
2. Alternator fix
Together with the alternator, you can test the battery with a multimeter or voltmeter. Allow the engine to run while testing the alternator and turn off all electrical components, including lights, stereo, and air conditioning.
Using a multimeter to test the battery, you should get between 13.1V and 14.6V at regular idle speed in the alternator.
3. Spark Plugs
When spark plugs fail, you will typically notice decreased engine performance, knocking, engine misfires, and low or no acceleration.
You can resolve this issue by locating and inspecting the spark plugs. If a spark plug is blistered from running too hot, it could be faulty. A spark plug covered in substances such as carbon, fuel, or oil indicates that it needs to be replaced.
Conclusion
There may be several reasons which may cause the car turns off while driving but turns back on If the problem is minor, you may be able to resolve it on your own. Check the following items first to see what may be causing the problem, assuming your car has fuel in the tank: such as the battery, fuses, and oil levels