Why is your car’s engine stalling?
When your car stalls, it means that the engine has unexpectedly stopped. This can be frustrating, scary and can even affect the safety of your vehicle. Since there are so many things that can cause your car to stall, it can often be difficult to diagnose. For this reason, we recommend that you bring it in for an inspection. This will allow us to quickly determine what is wrong.
There are several different things that can cause your car to stall. These include:
- Car low on fuel – When your car’s fuel levels reach an extremely low level, fuel may not be able to reach your engine at all times. This can lead to your vehicle stalling. Driving on low fuel can also damage the fuel injectors by pulling in contaminants which block the flow of fuel.
- Dirty or damaged fuel injectors – Your car’s fuel injectors are partially responsible for delivering the right amount of fuel to your engine. Over time, they can become clogged, dirty or damaged. This can lead to a lack of fuel reaching the engine, causing stalling and other engine performance issues.
- Fuel mixture too lean – In order to operate optimally, your car must have the correct ratio of air and fuel in its engine. A “lean” fuel mixture occurs when there is too much air and not enough fuel in your car’s engine. This can happen for many reasons such as low fuel levels, airflow sensor malfunctions or a clogged air filter. Other symptoms of a lean fuel mixture include a check engine light on your dashboard, reduced engine power and increased backfires.
Learn more about how air/fuel ratio affects your car - Spark plugs need replacing – The spark plugs and ignition system provide a spark to your engine’s air/fuel mixture. The begins the engine combustion process and allows your car’s engine to operate smoothly. Problems with the spark plugs can lead to a lack of ignition, resulting in your engine not being able to burn fuel. The result is increased stalling, as well as other engine-related issues.
- Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) faulty – if your Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) is faulty then your engine may stall when slowing down at intersections, roundabouts, and traffic lights. The Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) normally controls how much air is bypassed around the throttle plate.
- Vacuum leak – if your engine has a vacuum leak, then this can cause engine stalling. At Grimmer Motors we have developed unique and specialised engine vacuum testing tools, that allow us to identify the size and type of vacuum leak.
Repairs & Diagnostics for a Stalling Engine in Hamilton
Have you experienced an increased amount of stalling while driving? If so, we can help you diagnose the cause of the problem. At Grimmer Motors, we specialise in vehicle diagnostics. Our advanced vehicle scanning software allows us to monitor engine performance and quickly identify issues. After diagnosing the source of the problem, we can offer you quality advice and repairs for the problem,
For stalling car inspections and repairs in Hamilton, contact Grimmer Motors today!