It can be terrifying if a car dies while driving, especially when you don’t know why it happened. Many things can cause a car to suffer such a car died while driving, but you need to know the following factors to apply the proper treatment at the right time.
7 Causes of Car died while driving
# Fuel does not reach the engine
The fuel delivery system needs to be compatible with the engine’s needs, significantly when the vehicle is accelerating. Fuel injectors need to be constantly supplied with fuel to maintain good operation.
One of the first reasons is running out of fuel. If your vehicle’s fuel tank still has power, but it’s not reaching the engine, it’s either a fuel filter, a clogged fuel line, or a faulty fuel pump.
How do I know if the fuel filter or fuel line is clogged? Observe whether the vehicle’s engine power is lost, whether the engine is burned or stopped, it will be clear.
In addition, engine failure can also be caused by faulty fuel injectors, poor quality fuel pressure regulators, or contaminants in the fuel.
Finally, having water in the gas tank is akin to fuel injector problems. You need to check overall performance, motor jerking, and stalling.
# Broken or broken belt
Another principal reason is a broken timing belt. Maybe even before the engine stalled, this belt was broken or had some ominous warning signs in advance.
Many people think that the engine will not start at this point or work very poorly if it starts.
Sometimes the timing belt can become worn and loosen a little, affecting the engine timing and can even cause the timing belt to slip.
When the timing belt is stretched or stretched, it will not energize the vehicle as desired, especially when the load is heavy. It will make the fuel economy poor and easily cause the engine to explode regularly. It is also a possible cause of engine death while driving.
If the timing belt is completely broken, it will stop running and cannot be restarted. This will cause massive damage if the ‘jam engine’ motor breaks down while you are driving.
# Engine overheating
Engine overheating is another common reason why a car stalls while driving. It could be due to a lack of engine coolant or a problem with the coolant being pumped around.
It can also be due to a lack of coolant flow due to a damaged water pump, broken timing belt, or too low pressure in the cooling system.
The way to tell if the water pump in a car is broken is when the engine overheats, leaks coolant and observes steam coming out of the engine compartment.
A coolant leak will also cause engine temperature problems of the radiator, the coolant duct, or even the radiator cap.
For a radiator cap, poor quality can cause unexpected problems. So regularly observe whether the engine is too hot, the coolant level is not too low, the radiator hose is in good condition, the steam from the engine when driving, and the coolant is leaking or not.
# Can a car battery die while driving
Today’s modern convenience cars are fully equipped with electronic and utility systems to draw energy from the car’s battery continuously. The “life” of a car battery will be calculated by charging and discharging thousands of times before it starts to fail.
If there’s a problem with the battery, your car’s lights won’t come on. It should serve as a warning sign weeks or months ahead when it becomes more severe.
A battery that is supposed to work properly should have a voltage of about 12.6V when charged. And this number is about 14V when the engine is running. Below those standards will lead to engine performance problems and possible engine stalling, especially when idling or at low speeds.
# Generator is faulty or does not charge battery
Generators in cars are to “substations” that provide most of the electrical energy needed for the vehicle while driving and charge the battery.
So when you realize that the ECU has a problem with the amount of electricity coming from the generator with the sign of the car flashlight on the dashboard, you know your device is having trouble.
Several other factors include the car not starting, the headlights dimming, and the engine not working anymore.
A generator, in regular operation, will provide from 13 to 14.8v to the battery. Starting the engine in a car will drain the battery by about 3%. So the car needs a lot of extra energy if it wants to restart the machine.
That is why you need to charge enough electricity into the battery when the car is running so that it does not lose the remaining charge that directly affects the operating state of the engine and is easy to disconnect.
# Auxiliary belt is broken or badly worn
A zigzag, broken belt can also cause a car to die. The strap is responsible for rotating the generator while the engine is running. It connects the alternator to the rotating crankshaft and activates the alternator to charge the battery.
So, when the belt slips out of the alternator rotation or fails, the alternator won’t run to provide any power to the battery. It even makes car flashlights flicker.
Some cars will have a separate belt just for the generator, or others will have an auxiliary belt for the water pump. If any belt is damaged, the engine will also overheat and stop the engine.
#Engine sensor degradation
The engine in the car works thanks to a series of sensors that provide real-time information to the engine management unit.
Necessary sensors include mass airflow meter (MAF), crankshaft and camshaft sensors, manifold pressure sensor, and fuel pressure sensor.
If one or more sensors fail, the performance of the motor will be severely affected. Specifically, your car’s warning light will continuously flash on the dashboard before the engine stops running.
Conclusion
If you already know why the car died, please pay attention to the factors mentioned above in the article to not let your car die in this situation!
