Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 .....and dies, what does that indicate? Can it be fixed right there on the spot? Any idea how? FYI, this is for my novel and has nothing to do with real life :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You are asking a board full of 95% women? :lol: No seriously...I'm just kidding. Well, my dh's car will often stall right away as you start it up unles you press the gas pedal down first. Could be the fuel injector? Car not getting enough fuel during the idle so it stalls? I'm grasping...I'm so "car illiterate". Good luck your novel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thanks, I'm car illiterate too:tongue_smilie: But my heroine is not. I just didn't want to stop the flow of the story to research. Especially now that she's standing on the bumper and needs to fix it before the wind kicks up. If I can get a general idea then I'll work out the details in Draft #2. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You are asking a board full of 95% women? :lol: And don't even look at me :D I dunno :lol: Out of gas??? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Happened to me! The motor. Gone. Kapput. Oh how I miss my Honda Odyssey!!! :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hmmm....then what's she doing on the bumper:lol: OK. I'm making a list: fuel injector gas Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Happened to me! The motor. Gone. Kapput. Oh how I miss my Honda Odyssey!!! :crying: Aww! Car probs really are awful. BTDT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam101 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I don't know about engines either. How about a flat tire instead? But then you're back to the question of why she is on the bumper! Maybe the car has over-heated and she needs to add water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam101 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Car-That-Stalls How about #3...but then she would have an extra fuel filter in the trunk.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Definitely fuel injector would fit that scenario. Or maybe an alternator. With an alternator you will probably have some warning though. For a couple weeks, my headlights and dash would dim every time I tried to roll down a window. :lol: Eventually it just gave out, the car died, and I coasted to a stop. Luckily not in the middle of rush hour LA area traffic. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Fuel pump. Don't ask me how I know. Dh says for your scenario maybe alternator. You can hit it and sometimes the brushes will touch (?) and it will run again for a little while. Broken fan belt might work, too. Overheating - let it cool off and drive some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Car-That-Stalls How about #3...but then she would have an extra fuel filter in the trunk.:lol: That's a great list. Thanks! OK, lots to pick from now. I knew y'all would have great suggestions!!! I'd better go get her off the bumper now, it's freezing ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 We had that happen in the middle of an intersection. The car suddenly just stopped dead in the middle of the intersection. We put it into neutral so the guy behind us could push us through with his truck. In our case, the fuse for the fuel injector had blown. Since no fuel got to the engine, the car couldn't go. It took them longer to hook the car up to the diagnostic machines than it did to fix the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Fuel pump. Don't ask me how I know. Fuel Pump is what I meant, not fuel injector! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Oh, oh *waving hand*! This happened to us while traveling 75 mph down the interstate. The timing belt snapped! I had the accelerator to the floor and the car just coasted to the shoulder. You can google it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I had my just stop and die once . it was an electrical fire which shorted out all the electrics in the car. I saw no fire and smelt no smoke. a friendly person helped me push the car off the road, and I rang my dh from a nearby house. it happened 2km away from my home. my husband re-wired the car and everything was back to normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 .....and dies, what does that indicate? Can it be fixed right there on the spot? Any idea how? FYI, this is for my novel and has nothing to do with real life :D What kind of car is it? Year? The answer would be totally different if it were a classic car v. modern car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 From my son: If she is driving a car from the the mid 80's or older, the problems on them would be easier to fix than on a newer car. For example, if the casing on the coil wire got worn and the wire shorted out, that would cause the engine to die and she could isolate the wire or wrap something around it to keep it from shorting. Another possibility: the choke on the carburator could flip closed and stall the car. She would just have to jimmy around the choke linkage to free it up. A split vacuum line would cause the engine to die and she could fix it by cutting it back or taping it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 (edited) For example, you wouldn't want to make the problem be a carburator and then pair it with a car that was fuel injected. I did have a problem similar to what you described. It ended up that the battery was almost dead. I think that the battery was so unable to hold a charge that it was causing the car to stall out when I tried to start up at an intersection. Happened to me once in downtown DC, very embarassing. Having read your other posts, for a while, I was able to get the car started by push starting it and/or by getting a jump from someone else. But eventually (within a day or two actually) the problem was bad enough that I had to get a new battery. This was for a 1986 Isuzu Trooper. Edited November 13, 2009 by Sebastian (a lady) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You are asking a board full of 95% women? ! Well, I did 9 months of automechanics in my younger days (with welding at night) and you could swing either way: a plugged fuel line can be disconnected and pumped clear with a few cranks, a broken timing chain will need to go to the shop, a faulty connection (e.g. loose battery cable) can easily be fixed on the spot (and can be frustratingly off and on, too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You could have it overheat due to a broken fanbelt, which she fixes temporarily with her pantyhose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 This has happened to us and it is very easy to fix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 You could have it overheat due to a broken fanbelt, which she fixes temporarily with her pantyhose. LOL, I love it! She would do this, too. Would it hold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 To answer previous questions, I can make it whatever kind of large truck that will work for the situation. The important thing is that I need her standing on the bumper. A loose battery cable sounds like a good quick fix that requires no tools and just a bit of jiggling. Does that sound accurate? I could work that in without making it complicated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hmmm....then what's she doing on the bumper:lol: OK. I'm making a list: fuel injector gas Anyone else? I had a car with a bad battery connection one time and sometimes it would come off, making the car stop. I'd have to get out and put it back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 We had a car that would occasionally die after pulling off the freeway. I'm pretty sure it ended up being the fuel pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 Yikes! That's scary to be stuck. I've had my fair share (probably more than) of car troubles. But I never had one like the one I described. Thankfully my low rider has been holding its own the last few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 A loose battery cable sounds like a good quick fix that requires no tools and just a bit of jiggling. Does that sound accurate? I could work that in without making it complicated. I like building on this idea: Dh says for your scenario maybe alternator. You can hit it and sometimes the brushes will touch (?) and it will run again for a little while. If memory serves, "Click and Clack" of the NPR car show were talking with a caller about hitting the alternator with a baseball bat the other day as a way to get those brushes to make contact. Double-check me, but a girl standing on a bumper wielding a baseball bat sounds like a great scenario to me :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 :lol::lol::lol: That's great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 We had that happen in the middle of an intersection. The car suddenly just stopped dead in the middle of the intersection. We put it into neutral so the guy behind us could push us through with his truck. In our case, the fuse for the fuel injector had blown. Since no fuel got to the engine, the car couldn't go. It took them longer to hook the car up to the diagnostic machines than it did to fix the problem. This just about makes me cry. Tow bill, bill for the diagnostic machine, for a fuse? What are they, like $1? Oh, that's just... :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 (edited) True story - My ds had a '98 monte carlo that I now drive. On the night of the previous presidential election, he called me at around 11pm and said that he and some co-workers were going to a party after they finished work. At 11:30, he called said, "The car just quit working. Is it okay if I leave it here or should I move it to someplace safer off the road?" :001_huh: Apparently he had loaded up the car with friends, driven a couple of blocks then the car stopped "In a bad neighborhood" at a stop sign. The alternator was bad. They go bad slowly, and the car had been running purely off the battery for a while. It took a jump to come home the next day, but won't take a jump to get into the service station so I had to take the battery out, take it to the mechanic to get a full charge on it - oh and I replaced the alternator too while I was at it. What is an alternator? And here is what I apparently looked like whist replacing that alternator. Edited November 14, 2009 by Karen in CO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Well, I did 9 months of automechanics in my younger days (with welding at night) and you could swing either way: a plugged fuel line can be disconnected and pumped clear with a few cranks, a broken timing chain will need to go to the shop, a faulty connection (e.g. loose battery cable) can easily be fixed on the spot (and can be frustratingly off and on, too). I'm with you. There are plenty of even easier things with an older car. My first car was a '67 Mustang that I worked on every weekend, believe me, I know. On that sort of car loose cables on the alternator could stop the engine and a little wiggling would fix it. I once had the pin fall out of my carburetor and I fixed it with a paper clip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted November 14, 2009 Author Share Posted November 14, 2009 True story - My ds had a '98 monte carlo that I now drive. On the night of the previous presidential election, he called me at around 11pm and said that he and some co-workers were going to a party after they finished work. At 11:30, he called said, "The car just quit working. Is it okay if I leave it here or should I move it to someplace safer off the road?":001_huh: Apparently he had loaded up the car with friends, driven a couple of blocks then the car stopped "In a bad neighborhood" at a stop sign. The alternator was bad. They go bad slowly, and the car had been running purely off the battery for a while. It took a jump to come home the next day, but won't take a jump to get into the service station so I had to take the battery out, take it to the mechanic to get a full charge on it - oh and I replaced the alternator too while I was at it. What is an alternator? And here is what I apparently looked like whist replacing that alternator. Love it! I do so wish I was handy like you and Mrs. Mungo! Actually, this is helpful so I know the positioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Cool. I'm glad it was helpful. You always see pictures of guys leaning over cars and looking cool, but this is one area where body shape makes a huge difference on how you do something. A guy can get to most parts of a car by leaning over, but us ladies have shorter torsos so we have to do things differently. My hubby and brother both thought I was hilarious for the way I had to get into the car, but it worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Oh - you are cool. Where is that green with envy smiley? Was your '67 mustang a fastback? The first mustang I ever dated was a fastback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Oh - you are cool. Where is that green with envy smiley? Was your '67 mustang a fastback? The first mustang I ever dated was a fastback. It was a notchback. I think I still prefer the look of the notchbacks as a result. :) My favorite thing was when guys would try to "help" with my car. For example, one time a guy pulled up to me and said "it sounds like you need some muffler work," I think he was sad when I replied "this is a '67 Mustang, 289 V8 with dual exhaust, it's supposed to sound that way," and drove off. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 It was a notchback. I think I still prefer the look of the notchbacks as a result. :) My favorite thing was when guys would try to "help" with my car. For example, one time a guy pulled up to me and said "it sounds like you need some muffler work," I think he was sad when I replied "this is a '67 Mustang, 289 V8 with dual exhaust, it's supposed to sound that way," and drove off. :lol: Oh - I bet you hurt his little feelings. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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