[rockbottom]

Please help !!!! Car turns off when it comes to a stop

So my 08 versa has a problem . I hope someone can help me . It lacks power and when i come to a stop it turns off. It doesnt struggle to turn on and when it shuts off it doesnt jerk or any thing just cuts off. Could it be the fuel pump ? at one time the check engine light was on and autozone said it was the catalytic converter . Any info will help . Thx!!!

 

[Cobb]

Whats the engine code? Could be injectors or o2 sensor.

 

[Alan_nc]

How many miles do you have on the car? What transmission does the car have? If you keep the rpms up (press on the gas pedal) at a stop light does it still shut off? How long has the problem been going on? Did you do anything before this started to happen (change oil, coolant, new battery)?

Sounds like one of the sensors is shutting the engine off when the idle gets below a certain point. I would start by taking to Auto Zone (or any parts store) and getting them to read the engine codes.

 

[rockbottom]

@ Cobb error code p0420. which might be the following

Possible causes:
Three way catalyst converter Bank 1
Exhaust tube Intake air leaks
Fuel injectors may be faulty
Fuel injector leaks
Spark plugs may be faulty
Improper ignition timing
Engine Control Module (ECM)

 

[rockbottom]

@ Alan_nc it has 173,000 happen once a few weeks ago and now today and yesterday . I drove it for maybe 30 mins . I went forom the roads to the freeway . Than came to a stop and the car cut off . I had to put it in park and turn it back on . Than it turned off again right after and i did the same After the second time it was fine . I have been reading and they say the fuel pump but that around $300 . I hope it something much less.It has a CVT auto tranny. I havent done anything new to it . I have changed the O2 2 years a go but it was the upstream one . Also i do feel it struggle when i give it gas even .

 

[Cobb]

o2 sensors are good for 100k miles.

Do you smell gas around your car when you turn it off? Does it take more cranking to start than before? Thats a sign of a leaking injector.

More on the code you gave me although it seems straight forward it can be the sign of multiple issues. https://www.obd-codes.com/p0420

Has the car been cared for, tuned up, filters changed, etc? Could be a vacuum leak, plugged exhaust too adding to the mix. I had parked a car for a few years and its air box and muffler was full of acorns. :grin

 

[Alan_nc]

The fuel pump may have a tear in the diaphragm. If it does it will get much worse very quickly. I'd lean more toward a vacuum leak. If you have a local mech that you trust and isn't to expensive you could have him check the sensors. Just randomly changing the sensors out is a lot of work, expensive and may not fix the problem.

Vacuum hose tends to crack with age and heat of the engine. You can buy it by the foot at any auto parts store. Look carefully at the hose near the intake manifold.

hth

 

[pimperell]

So my 08 versa has a problem . I hope someone can help me . It lacks power and when i come to a stop it turns off. It doesnt struggle to turn on and when it shuts off it doesnt jerk or any thing just cuts off. Could it be the fuel pump ? at one time the check engine light was on and autozone said it was the catalytic converter . Any info will help . Thx!!!

You might want to start with:


What are the symptoms of a bad catalytic converter?
Here are five signs that something may be wrong with your catalytic converter:

Your vehicle's fuel efficiency suddenly drops.
Your vehicle doesn't accelerate when you step on the gas pedal.
Your vehicle may refuse to start.
Your vehicle fails an emissions test.
The MIL or Check Engine light comes on.

 

[Keith Wagner]

P0420 and the engine quitting is a plugged catalytic converter. Need a new one.

Then you have to look at why the cat got plugged in the first place.

 

[Cobb]

Can you rev the engine? Many cases a plugged cat causes the donut gasket up stream to leak or blow out causing your eco car to sound like a riced out honda with little to no exhaust. Generic cats are 100 bucks or so. If you live in NY, CA or a few other states you need a certified cat which can run 300 bucks or more. Elsewhere if you have no tailpipe emission testing you could get away with using a test pipe, gutting it, etc.

I have a 95 suzuki sidekick that you could see through the cat. I replaced it with a generic 100 dollar one to help the environment. :surprise