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??????????????????? TROUBLESHOOTING A STALLED ENGINE

Automobile engines have three requirements for operation: fuel, air and fire. When your car engine suddenly quits after running correctly for some time, one of these has most likely been compromised. The fuel has run out or has a stoppage, the air flow has been blocked or the plugs are not getting a spark.

The most common cause of sudden engine stoppage is ignition but it is the hardest system to troubleshoot and nigh impossible for us amateurs to fix on the road, however, a sudden loss of fuel as from a hose slipping off the carburetor inlet will result in a rapid loss of power, also.

A fuel filter that has seen it's day, or other partial blockage,?will usually result in the engine continuing to try to run, dying then picking up as the car slows, then dying, picking up again.

An air supply restriction or incorrect fuel mixture would have been noticable before you ever got on the road.

So, you were driving down the freeway at highway speed and suddenly the engine stopped running:

1. The engine picked up a couple of times and you were able to nurse it to the roadside. If you could restart and run slowly, but the engine quit on acceleration or at highway speed again, the odds are it is a fuel problem. Excessive fuel odor or spillage could mean a hose popped off or split. Splits are usually close to the carb inlet so it is sometimes possible to cut a small amount of the hose off and re-insert it. If it has popped off, put it back on. If you have fuel in the tank for sure and there is no excess fuel running out from under the hood or car, nurse it home and look for a plugged filter. It could be the carb filter or the main fuel filter. Clean it or replace it and you should be in business again. DON'T mess with the ignition or try to start the car until you are clear of the gas leak area. Another possibility is a non-functioning fuel pump, but you would have noticed that right away when you tried to restart, right?

2. The engine suddenly quits dead and you coast to the side of the road. The starter works but not the engine. The problem is most likely the ignition, but check for fuel delivery to the carb (as in #1 above) anyway as this is the easiest check. No problem found? Look for loose wires at the coil. Wiggle all wires attached to the coil and if you have tools,remove those wires and look for corrosion (not too likely under these conditions, but worth a look). Also, while you have the hot wire off and ignition on, strike it against a grounded surface, unless you have smelled gasoline. You should see a spark. No spark? Look more carefully for that broken wire! Can't get spark to the coil? Call that tow truck.

3. If your lights went dim before the engine stopped or if the starter won't turn the engine, you most likely have an alternator or generator that has gone teats up. Call for a tow.

These are a few of the simple things you can look for and hopefully fix when the engine quits on the road.?

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