Engine shuts off while driving

MIRAGE HAMADI

MEMBER
2002 MAZDA MILLENIA
V6
2WD
AUTOMATIC
160,200 MILES

Just last week I was driving to school with my car and something strange happened. While going down a small hill with the gear on neutral the car just went off and my steering wheel got jammed up. That happened twice! The third time happened at the traffic lights when I was speeding and suddenly applied the brakes and the car just went off. The car is in good condition with 160,000 Km. Can someone please help me identify the faults? The car starts just fine, but I am having second thought of speeding.

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,740 POSTS

Hi,

Has is the check engine light staying on when the engine is running? If it is, then you should have the computer scanned for diagnostic trouble codes.

Here is a quick video showing how it is done:

https://youtu.be/YV3TRZwer8k

I realize most people don't own a scanner, but often times a parts store will do it free of charge, or rent / lend you a scanner.

If the light doesn't say on, then we need to examine other things. Engine stalling can be the result of a few different things. First, take a look through this link. It discusses the most common causes and how to repair them. I added a link for two different cases. First is a link related to a stall when driving. The second is a link about a stall at idle.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-stalls

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/stall-at-idle

_______________________

The next thing is a possible engine vacuum leak. Here is a link that shows how to locate and repair one:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

Let me know if any of that helps If it doesn't, we'll move on to other possible issues.

Take care,
Joe