Owning your own car carries with it many responsibilities. One of them is having a basic knowledge of how your car works. Here’s a hand for you!
Imagine the following scene…
They walk quietly down the street and stop at the red light, waiting for the light to change when suddenly the car goes out for no reason.
After a brief period of confusion, the first thing that comes to mind is why did my car turn off? A difficult question that becomes even more complicated if our knowledge of mechanics is really scarce.
So, so that we know how to act – or at least where to start checking – we leave you with some reasons why a car can be turned off.
But first we want to tell you one thing…
Every motor vehicle needs six basic things to work:
Fuel system.
Air intake system.
Exhaust system.
Cooling system.
Lubrication system (oil).
Electrical system
If one of these systems fails, the engine fails too. Don’t forget this and keep it in mind if you get thrown out on the street.
Now if we go with the reasons…
Electrical system
Today’s cars have a large number of electronic systems and if they fail it will be more than enough to keep your car from starting. Therefore, the first thing you should do is check the fuse box and inspect if one of them is blown.
There have been many cases of cars that have stopped in the middle of the road, they have not wanted to start and the problem was a blown fuse. So if you are not an expert in mechanics this simple check can help you a lot.
Fuel
If the fuses are OK, then another reason why a car goes out unexpectedly is the fuel. Yes, there are times when we can get stuck in the middle of the road simply because of a lack of fuel. But that can be solved by being more careful about that.
Joking aside, there are three mechanical failures, linked to the fuel system, which can lead to the engine shutting down.
A dirty or clogged filter, does not let the fuel pass to the engine.
A faulty fuel pump, the fuel does not reach the engine with enough pressure.
Dirty or damaged injectors, the fuel is not atomized correctly for combustion.
How do you know if the reason your car constantly shuts down has to do with the fuel? Usually, the car is turned off and then started immediately, it can also pitch and lose power.
Air intake
Although in theory a car can be turned off by a failure in the air intake, in practice it is very difficult to happen.
But if it does happen, the solution is as simple as changing the air filter. Remember that generally when the failure is related to the air intake it usually manifests itself with high fuel consumption or engine heating.
Exhaust System
If our car starts, after a few minutes it shuts down and we can’t start it again, then it’s possible that the catalytic converter is broken. If this part of the car is damaged, it’s likely that the spark plugs are dirty or the exhaust valves are damaged as well.
If it is not the catalytic converter, the exhaust circuit can become the main reservoir of our suspicions. Whether it is clogged or damaged a pressure is generated in the pipe that opposes the flow of gases resulting in the engine being shut down.
Whatever the cause of our car stalling out of nowhere, we should not ignore this warning and go to the workshop as soon as possible.
