When your Jeep stalls and you have an important appointment or interview to go to, you know how frustrating and even scary it can be. In most cases, your Jeep may stall even while you’re driving. But don’t panic. In this post, we look at the reasons and causes why your Jeep stalls while driving.
What Does it Mean When a Car Stalls?
Whenever your car stalls, it puts you in a stressful situation. It’s even more distressing if the engine stalls and you have an important appointment or an emergency.
A stalled car is not only a safety hazard but it can leave you stranded by the side of the road for hours. If your engine stalled, you need to solve the problem immediately. To do that, you need to know the reasons why your car stalled.
One of the reasons why your car stalled is because the battery failed. If the battery is dead, worn out or the charge is low, the spark plugs will fail to fire. When this happens, the cylinders will fail to ignite and your engine will stall. Besides a failed battery, your car may stall because of dirty or corroded contacts.
The good news is it’s easy to diagnose a car battery. With a simple visual inspection, you can identify dirty or corroded contacts. To test the charge of your car battery, use a multimeter. When the car is off and the multimeter probes touch the terminals, the display should show a reading of 12.2 to 12.6 volts if the car battery is fully charged.
If your car has no fuel, the engine will stall. Besides lack of fuel, you might also get a similar phenomenon when there is not enough fuel getting on the cylinders. How does this happen?
Well, the fuel pump may fail. As you already know, the fuel pump is responsible for transporting fuel from the gas tank to the motor. If it fails, then no fuel will reach the motor when you press the gas pedal. So, if you’re driving and this happens, your car will stall.
Jeep Engine Stalls When Driving: 8 Major Causes
The following are major causes why your Jeep engine stalls when driving
1. Empty Fuel Tank
The Jeep Wrangler has a fuel tank size of 21.5 gallons and the rule of thumb is to refill the fuel tank once when it’s a quarter full. This allows you to leverage gas mileage as your Jeep will be lighter with a partially filled fuel tank. Not only that. Your fuel tank will also be pumping cleaner gas. So, if your Jeep’s engine stalls when driving, the first you need to check is the fuel gauge. If it’s past the empty mark and the indicator is on, the fuel tank is empty.
2. Bad Fuel Pump
Still on fuel, if your Jeep’s engine stalls while driving, then the cause could be a bad fuel pump. As aforementioned, a fuel pump continuously pumps fuel from the gas tank to the motor to ensure combustion. If the fuel pump is faulty, then no fuel will reach the motor. When this happens, your Jeep’s engine won’t run. Once it stalls, you won’t be able to restart your Jeep.
3. Dead Battery
If the Jeep’s battery is dead, then your car will stall immediately. Also, if your battery is faulty or worn out, you may experience stalling while driving. Why you may ask. Because the alternator will be overworking. To ensure your Jeep continues to run, buy a new battery.
4. Electrical Problems
Most older engines do not have too many electrical systems. However, modern vehicles rely on electrical systems to run. So when your Jeep stalls while driving, it could be an electrical problem. The first you need to check is the spark plug wires and distributor.
Corroded or damaged wiring can cause your Jeep to stall while driving. This is because modern vehicles rely on electrical components to run numerous motor functions. A good example is the Transmission Control Module.
5. Torque Converter Failed
Every automatic transmission vehicle comes with a torque converter. This component helps to manage the pressure and level of the transmission fluid when your car is idling. If this component fails even while driving, the engine will stall.
There are several reasons why your torque converter may fail. They include overheating, dirty automatic transmission fluid, or engaging the transmission at too high or too low an RPM level.
6. Failed Alternator
In your Jeep, the alternator plays the role of recharging your battery so that you can start and drive your Jeep. Besides recharging your battery, the alternator also runs the electrical components of your Jeep.
If the alternator fails, the spark plugs will stop sparking. This will cause weak and rough performance and when it fails completely, your spark plugs will stop creating any sparks. As such, your Jeep will stall.
7. Broken Timing Belt
Most vehicles use a timing belt to synchronize the operation of the motor. Like other vehicle components, a timing belt does wear out, and you need to replace it. If a worn-out timing belt breaks, it will cause your vehicle to stall. This is because the belt can skip one or more teeth during operation. When this happens, it will desynchronize different parts of the engine causing the vehicle to seize and stall.
8. Faulty Mass Airflow Sensor
The mass airflow sensor is a component that tells the ECU the mass of air coming into the engine. If the sensor is faulty, the ECU will get incorrect information. As such, the ECU will direct less fuel to the motor which will cause your Jeep’s engine to stall.
What Should You Do If Your Car Stalls While Driving?
If your Jeep stalls put it in neutral. This will enable you to have better control over your Jeep. Not only that. You’ll get to the coast with the remaining kinetic energy. Next, look for a safe parking spot to pull over. For example, if you were driving on the highway, make your way over to the shoulder.
When doing so, apply the foot brake and steer the Jeep gradually to the side of the road. Then engage the handbrake, put the hazard lights on, and try to restart your car.
Does Stalling a Manual Transmission Car Damage It?
Well, if it happens for the first time, no damage will occur to your car. However, if does so, 5 to 10 times a day, then you’ll damage your car. What you need to know is that the first and reverse car in a manual transmission car is the hardest gears to master. If you fail to master these gears, you will likely stall the engine.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the reasons why your Jeep may stall while driving, it’s essential to have the problem(s) diagnosed early. Failure to do so will leave you stranded on the side of the road and miss out on an important event, or interview. For your safety and sanity, have your car problems checked and repaired early.