This is a very common problem and it has nothing to do with the gas. As proof, "bad" gas would have to have enough water in it to contaminate all the "good" gas already in the tank, and it would begin running poorly within a minute or two. The symptom will be misfires and low power, not a complete failure to start. If there was excessive water in the tanks at that gas station, there would be stalled cars all around it.
You said the engine "refused to come on again" which I assume you mean it failed to start, but you didn't say how long it had been off. When a hot engine is stopped, the next approximately half hour to an hour is referred to as "hot soak". That means the heat from the engine that normally blows away while moving is allowed to build up and it migrates out to external sensors. Some sensors fail by becoming heat-sensitive. About half of the time they fail completely, and about half of the time they will work again after they cool down for more than an hour. Failure to restart for an hour after a hot engine has been stopped is real common on all car brands.
There are two sensors in particular this applies to. On older cars the engines typically failed to start or they stalled while driving if either one of those failed. On some cars the engine will continue running after one sensor fails, but it will not restart after it has been stopped. On some newer models the engine will continue running if one sensor fails AND it will restart, but it usually has reduced power.
The place to start is by having any diagnostic fault codes read. Only Chrysler makes it possible to do that yourself. For other brands you need a code reader or a scanner. Most auto parts stores will read codes for you for free if you can get the car there, but they can only read codes in the Engine Computer, not in the many other computers. Be aware too that only when a fault code refers to something that could adversely affect emissions is when the Check Engine light turns on. That only applies to about half of the more than 2000 potential fault codes. When a sensor fails that results in a no-start, it will usually set a code, but since the engine can't run, emissions can't increase, so the Check Engine light won't turn on.
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Friday, December 12th, 2014 AT 8:32 AM
