Drove through the drive thru and my car shut off?

Tiny
MOMMAIRENE1
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 SATURN L100
  • 2.2L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 2,500,000 MILES
I have been talking to a mechanic through you guys for a few weeks now and I am a person who prefers to speak to one who is aware of the problems I am having with my car. But as I was asked to do, I will do it for this problem. The other day I started my car and went to the laundry mat, which was there for a couple of hours. Started it again and drove it home and about 2 blocks and it was idling at the light for a couple of minutes then took off went through the drive thru at McDonald's and went to leave and my car shut off. I have to start my car by taking off the positive cable for 2 minutes to override the anti-thief system. Well sometimes it takes a few minutes, but I have to just let it set. But what my question is, why would my car die when the fan stopped running. When this happened, I had to move my car off the street at my apartment complex into the parking lot. My car had been sitting for a few hours by the time I moved, but I noticed it was idling rough and as soon as I put it in park the fan was running from the start and when it turned off the car died. What could be the cause? The fan was a bit loud plus it wasn't coming on every time the car ran and it has not overheated, not once.
Sunday, October 8th, 2023 AT 2:51 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,389 POSTS
When the engine stalled could you hear the fuel pump running in the tank, or when the engine stalls can you turn the key off, then turn the key on without cranking the engine over you should hear the pump run, if not it sounds like the fuel pump has gone bad. You can confirm the issue if the engine will run on starting fluid. If not, we need to check for spark, this guide and video should help point us in the right direction to help you fix the car:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-not-running-advanced

and

https://youtu.be/baq_aEWNQ0Y?si=MaWkjAyUMEdMAKBq

Please go over these guides and get back to us.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, October 9th, 2023 AT 9:37 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,389 POSTS
We have SL1 btw.

https://www.2carpros.com/saturn/sl1

Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, October 9th, 2023 AT 11:28 AM
Tiny
MOMMAIRENE1
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
Ken L. I watched the videos you attached to your email and sir my car doesn't have a problem starting. My car starts and it drives, but the other day it shut off on me after I sat in the drive thru at McDonald's and again after I got home and started it because I had to move it. But when I pulled it in my parking spot, I noticed it shut off when the fan shut off. It's never done that. But I did tell you that my fan hadn't really been coming a lot, but the day it did all this I noticed it was louder than usual.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 AT 4:37 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,389 POSTS
When the engine stalls can you turn the key off and then on again without cranking the engine over and listen for the fuel pump running in the fuel tank for about 5 seconds?
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 AT 10:43 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Engine Stall While Driving Content

Sponsored links