I'm in pain; what could it be? Need a lot more information.
The lights is a good observation for a start, but are you referring to the headlights, dash lights, or dome lights? After it stalls, will the engine crank? If so, will it start right up again or do you have to wait a while? Does the engine quit instantly as though you turned off the ignition switch, or does it gradually lose power or sputter, similar to running out of gas? Was the radio display still lit up? Did any of the gauges show anything unusual? Was the "Check Engine" light on?
A mechanic who is standing right next to your car will ask you a bunch of questions to help guide and speed up his diagnosis which will save you money. We don't have that luxury so you have to provide as much detailed information as possible.
If the radio display quits at the same time, it's not an engine problem; it's a power feed problem related to the engine AND the radio, but not the lights. Information like this is what the mechanic uses to narrow down the cause of the problem. There are dozens of potential causes. Without more information we would be stabbing blindly at random possibilities. That's a very ineffective, costly, and time-consuming way to troubleshoot a car.
Nov 29, 2009 at 8:49 AM
