How to handle when the car stalls in the middle of the road?

The first thing to do when your car stalls in the middle of the road is to calmly pull the vehicle to the side of the road before the car comes to a complete stop. Never stop your car in the far left lane on the highway. Turn on your hazard lights and place a warning sign about 100m ahead or behind to attract the attention of other vehicles.

After that, you can check the basic components to determine where the cause comes from by opening the hood of the car (pay attention to the hot engine), checking fluids such as coolant, power steering fluid, dipstick to see how the engine oil level is, the battery terminals are loose, looking at the wires to see if they have been bitten by rats... The next step is to call for help from other cars or the nearest repair shop or call the rescue services.

However, you also need to know some of the main causes of sudden engine failure in the middle of the journey for reference and to be able to check on your own car when there is a problem.

Engine died due to lack of gas

It sounds funny, but there are cases where members of many Facebook groups post messages asking for help with fuel when their cars die in the middle of the road. Many people are so engrossed in driving that they forget to pay attention to the amount of fuel left in the tank and the distance they plan to travel, as well as forgetting to warn when they are running out of fuel. Letting the car run out of fuel and die is very dangerous, and can damage the fuel pump.

Due to lack of coolant

The problem of running out of coolant is also quite common, many drivers do not periodically check the coolant or subjectively do not pay attention because of leaks. This causes the cooling system to have problems, the cooling fan does not work, causing the engine to overheat and seize. As a result, you may have to spend money on overhaul at a cost of tens, even hundreds of millions of dong. Another cause may be due to the poor quality of the coolant you use, causing sediment, blockage or the cooling function to be disabled.

To prevent this cause, you just need to remember to check the coolant regularly and observe the coolant temperature gauge on the dashboard right in front of the steering wheel. When you see the warning light or the temperature spikes (or the needle goes to the H position), you need to stop the car immediately, open the hood to check. If you see that the coolant is still boiling, let the engine idle and turn off the air conditioner, at this time the circulating pump will cool down faster, but if you see that the water is low, turn off the engine.

Not checking oil regularly

Do not wait for the car to run 5,000-10,000km to change the oil because 5,000km on the highway is very different from 5,000km in crowded inner city streets. Many car owners use poor quality oil, which leads to oil burning or sludge in the engine. In many cases, oil leaks also cause the engine to run out of oil. When the car runs out of oil, it can also cause the engine to seize and the connecting rod to break, leading to very expensive repair costs.

When the engine oil pressure warning light flashes on the dashboard, if oil drips onto the floor while parking, you should check for oil loss.

Engine won't start due to power outage

Without electricity to the engine compartment, the engine will not start. Electrical problems can come from the spark plug system, high voltage wires, and power supply. A faulty ignition system can be caused by long-term use (spark plugs that have not been cleaned or replaced), waterlogged vehicles, or rats chewing on the wires.

Normally the check engine light will come on, but there are also cases where a power failure causes the fuel pump to stop working, causing the engine to suddenly die without any previous signs.

Injectors are not maintained and cleaned regularly.

The injector has the function of spraying fuel into the combustion chamber to cause explosion. If dirt sticks to the injection holes and the injection filter is not cleaned and maintained for a long time, it will also cause blockage. The consequence can cause sudden engine failure, not serious damage, so the injector needs to be maintained and cleaned periodically.

The signs are that the engine is weaker, may vibrate or stall when accelerating. You also need to pay attention to refueling at reputable gas stations.

Engine failure due to clogged fuel filter

The fact is that fuel contains a lot of dirt. After a long time without being replaced, the fuel filter can become clogged, preventing fuel from being pumped to the engine, causing the engine to stall. This blockage can also damage the fuel pump because the pump has to work too hard in conditions of low fuel and not being cooled enough. It needs to be replaced when the filter is dirty. Warning signs are that the engine is hotter than normal, not "boosting", or even very weak or stalling when accelerating.

Fuel pump/oil pump failure

Fuel pumps can suddenly “die” if users often run out of fuel. In most modern vehicles, the fuel pump is immersed in the fuel tank, lubricated and cooled by the fuel in the tank, so it can overheat and fail when the fuel is too low. A broken pump will cause the engine to suddenly die because fuel is not supplied to the combustion chamber. So make it a habit to check the fuel and do not drive long distances when the car is low on fuel.

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