What Causes Normal Restart After Engine Stalls While Driving?
3 Answers
Normal restart after engine stalls while driving can be caused by the following reasons: 1. Vacuum leak in the intake manifold; unstable idle due to improper idle adjustment, dirty throttle body, or malfunctioning idle control system. 2. Unstable fuel pressure: such as excessive wear or poor contact of the electric fuel pump brush, clogged fuel pump filter, blocked or leaking EGR valve; malfunctioning fuel pump relay, EFI relay, or ignition relay; poor contact in the fuel pump drive circuit or fuel injector drive circuit. 3. Poor ignition system performance: such as weak high-voltage spark, excessively worn spark plugs, incorrect ignition timing, poor contact in the ignition coil or inter-turn short circuit when hot leading to no or weak high-voltage spark, poor contact in low-voltage circuits, damaged insulation causing intermittent grounding, or poor grounding.
After driving for so many years, I've encountered situations where the car suddenly stalls while driving but can start normally again. This is often due to intermittent issues, such as a problematic fuel pump where sometimes the fuel pressure is insufficient, leading to a fuel supply interruption, especially under high load conditions. Or in terms of the electrical system, severe carbon buildup on the spark plugs might cause a momentary misfire, and the system resets after stalling and restarting. Loose battery terminals could also cause a brief power loss due to vibration. Such faults are very dangerous; if they occur on the highway, it could be troublesome. I recommend going to a 4S shop for a comprehensive check-up as soon as possible to avoid recurrence. Also, pay attention to using high-quality gasoline and regularly replacing the fuel filter as preventive measures.
As someone who enjoys DIY car repairs, I believe the key to stalling while driving and restarting normally lies in electrical or sensor failures, such as a dirty or damaged mass airflow sensor misleading the computer into sending incorrect signals. Or an aging ignition coil causing intermittent spark plug failure. Fuel line blockages can also briefly interrupt fuel supply. These components are quite sensitive and prone to issues if not well maintained. I've tested similar situations with a multimeter and found it was just a minor fault. I recommend having a technician scan for trouble codes with a diagnostic tool during your next service for peace of mind.
