Question

What causes my car to shut off while driving? 

Your car can shut off while driving due to various reasons, one of the common ones being a faulty ECU. Since there are various reasons for your car dying on you mid-driving, it’s not easy to diagnose it. For this, you need to know more about the common causes of your car shutting off: 

Faulty ECU 

A faulty Engine Control Module (ECU) can be a major reason that causes your car to shut off while driving. Since it is a crucial component of your car, defects in the ECU can affect the smooth functioning of your car engine. If you aren’t proficient in automotive knowledge, it’s best to seek the help of a professional to diagnose and fix the issue. 

Damaged crankshaft position sensor 

A faulty crankshaft position sensor is unable to monitor fuel injection and ignition timing. This can result in your engine not knowing when to deliver fuel or spark. Due to this, your car will have difficulty starting or, in a worst-case scenario, will not start at all.  

Damaged alternator 

An alternator sends power to a car’s essential components. However, when it is compromised, your car will face a shortage of power, causing the car to shut down. Even though initially your car’s battery will step in, when the battery gives out, so will your car. 

Bad spark plugs 

A defective spark plug can also cause your car to shut off while driving. This is because a damaged spark plug fails to properly ignite the air-fuel mixture, causing the engine to stall and eventually die. The best way to avoid this is to do a visual inspection of these components routinely. 

Faulty fuel pump 

The fuel pump supplies the correct amount of fuel to the engine at the right time of combustion to generate power. When it stops working, the right amount of fuel is not supplied to the engine, causing it to shut off.