JFSinIL Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 OK, it is cold here, but if it was the battery the van wouldn't START, right? We'd been driving about 30 minutes when the van just lost power (and power steering- lucky it was hubby behind the wheel to force that sucker to turn and coast us off the mail road!). After a try or two the van DID restart and we made it home. Now I am nervous about going anywhere in case it happens again and it won't restart! Is this just the cold weather (never got above 0 yesterday) bugging our 9-yr-old van or ???? We are a one-car family, too.....:eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NY Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 On a main road, too. It turned out to be something in the engine - not the timing belt - but the mechanic had to go through that area to fix it. Since I can't give you specifics, I am not much help, am I? My best suggestion is to take it into the mechanic. Hopefully it will happen for them and they can find the problem. Amy (one car family here too so I feel your pain!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Cars running involve spark, fuel and compression. How old is your fuel filter? It could be a fuel pump. It could be crud in the fuel line from the tank to the filter. It could be any part of the electronics providing the spark. This can go in and out, start fine, poop out later. After one episode, my mother got a new fuel filter for her birthday every year after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 that could be a few reasons. *if the battery isn't holding a charge it would die while driving. *fuel pump related thing I have driven two cars that stopped while driving(both while 17, scary!). one was OLD, one was new. Sorry, but you need to get the mechanic to troubleshoot. Glad you were able to get off the road safely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 When that happened to my DH's (my boyfriend at the time) car, it was the alternator. In the pouring rain. At 11:00 at night. Halfway between Hoboken and upper Manhattan. He still talks about that incident. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 When this happened to us with a vehicle some years ago, it was a problem with the electrical system. It sure is disconcerting! I hope you find out soon what's wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 We've had this happen to a car. In our case, it was the fuel pump, but it could be other things. (as you can see by the other ideas posted) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubilee Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Not auto savy at all but, we just had to replace the alternator and battery for our 10yr old car. I don't live in cold weather climate so I really am no help at all... Hope you get your car fixed soon and don't get stuck in the cold:O) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I'm sure you probably use the anti-freeze that's for extra cold places, right? What was the wind chill? My sister lives in Iowa and sometimes it's just so cold there with the wind chill included that cars just won't operate long out of doors..... Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryM Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 We just went through this too. Alternator was the problem. Turns out that if a car will start and run for awhile and then stops , it's the alternator. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIY-DY Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hmm. My first thought is that it vapor-locked. I'd do a little poking around to see if vapor lock is an issue w/ this particular vehicle. Second, I would suspect the fuel pump. Considering it started right up again, I wouldn't say the alternator until I'd checked those two things, first. The alternator going out can give you signs, such as your headlights will dim if you accelerate while they are on. Your battery gauge will also go down. For a quick and easy answer to that, you can pull up to an auto parts store and ask them to check your alternator and battery for you. (If there is suspicion that the alternator is wonky, but it tests fine in the vehicle, they can pull it off and do a longer test. Sometimes alternators can go out intermittently, which won't show up, necessarily, on a quick test.) Both of those services are generally free. I don't know what stores you have, but NAPA and Auto Zone are generally excellent for these things. (Plus, if you buy your replacement alternator there, you can get one w/ a lifetime warranty. We usually pay only for one alternator and one starter per vehicle. LOL.) I do hate the feeling that my transportation isn't reliable. I know, vehicles are non-sensient things... but it still feels like a betrayal. LOL! On the upside, they're fairly closed systems, so once you get a feel for it, problems are generally easy to track down. Good luck figuring it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GothicGyrl Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Like they all said, alternator or fuel pump... but also check the fuel filter. The filter is usually the first thing to go and if it gets clogged it will act just as you described. It's also cheaper to replace :) My guess is cold weather, it got clogged or water logged and stopped running. It started again after you pushed the water or the clog out. Try buying one of those fuel injection cleaners that you dump in the gas tank, take it on the highway or somewhere reliable, drive it for 5 miles at a constant hard speed, and then turn it off. You might just need a good clean out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 The alternator going out can give you signs, such as your headlights will dim if you accelerate while they are on. Your battery gauge will also go down. Oh, Dy is right. I do remember DH saying that the lights and radio were wonky before the car died that night. He did manage to get it started again on that trip home (then it died again and was really stuck--fortunately he was near home by that point), but it was after sitting awhile, not after another try or two on the ignition. Ick. I hope you figure it out. My van is nearing the end of its 5-year warranty period and I'm SO not looking to dealing with stuff like this again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 He says it could be any number of things, of course. But dirt in the fuel line and a clogged fuel filter come to mind. If it were the alternator, the car probably would not have started up again. He also said it could be electrical - with the cold weather a sensor could have gotten overloaded and caused the computer to shut down. Or the engine could have overheated. If your antifreeze was not adequate for the weather, your radiator could have frozen and caused the engine to overheat without showing up on the temperature gauge. Elizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in TX Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 We had this happen -- it was a computer problem that we couldn't get to happen for the mechanic. It would only happen for us while turning right. One time the mechanic leaned on part of the engine while looking at something else, and it jiggled just the right part of the computer. It cut out on him! Finally, after 4 or 5 trips to the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 My van petered out on me once and I barely made it into a parking lot. I let it sit awhile while waiting for a tow truck, tried it again and it started and drove around the parking lot, but died again. The alternator can evidentally recharge if it rests a bit, but not enough to hold the charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Sounds like the lovely alternator. I had this happening a few times when I still drove my Volvo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 OK, hubby found a place open on Sunday - they checked the van out, replaced air filter and fuel filter (which were overdue anyway). Alternator seems ok. I hope the van is all healthy now - we JUST made the LAST payment on it! This is the same van that have a nervous breakdown halfway between Kill Devil Hills NC and Norfolk VA during our big trip to DC, Wmburg, Kitty Hawk, Gettysburg etc. We got to spend an unplanned night in Norfolk, and drove all the heck and gone in a rental van to see Monticello on a Sunday while waiting for the Norfolk dealer to reopen and fix the van Monday. Once back home the van was still stopping, etc. Ended up needing a NEW BRAIN!!!! ok - whatever the master computer thingie is. Luckily still under warrenty. So the van has had it's nervous breakdown and is NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 This just happened to my brother last week. His truck lost power while he was driving. Later, when he tried to start it, it started. He took it to the shop and it was the alternator starting to go out. (The alternator charges the battery while the car is running.) For my brother's particular truck, my dh said a rebuilt alternator would cost about $200 including installation. (Was a little more than this, but this shop tends to charge top dollar for good work.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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