Hey, the other day I was driving and my car died after being stopped at a redlight. The car was idling fine until I hit the gas; then it stalled. I had to push it out of the intersection and a cop helped me. It wasn't the car's proudest moment, needless to say. The Max wouldn't start at all -- it wouldn't even crank. After about ten minutes, I tried again and it started and ran fine.

Anyway, I wonder if it might have been gas vapors that caused it to stall. Before it got stuck, I was on E (my gas light came on a few times too). I filled the tank up to just over 3/4. I drove it about 3 miles before it stalled at the light. I didn't think fuel injected cars were susceptible to vapor lock. I haven't had any problems since, it's running fine. Any ideas?

 

I'm not too sure... it all goes together with the stalling, but the thing that throws me off is you said "it won't even crank".... that almost sounds like a charging problem? when my alternator died it did essentially the same thing, it ran really poor, then at the light it just died cos the last of the battery's power went to the brake lights when I stopped. after we got it started it ran for a while, and idled really bad and died again when the battery rand down. it could also be something causing a hot-start problem. try letting it sit overnight to cool down, then fire it up and see what happens.

Dan
------------------------

 

But to answer you r question, in theory, electronically fule injected cars should be immune to vapr lock, due to the fuel system remaining pressurized...this helps to eliminate vapor build-up in the lines.

 

Well like i said, it's running fine now, and started like normal after just sitting for ten minutes, so i don't think it was the battery or alternator. i almost thought it was the T-belt cuz nothing would happen. The voltmeter did read pretty low when i tried to start it initially, right after it stopped...like around 4 or so. Since it is running well now, i'm more curious than concerned.

Anyway, thanx for the advice. if you have any ideas on what i can check to see if it is something more serious, i'd appreciate it.
And while i have your attention, i just wanna say that i've been browsing these forums a lot since i joined, and learned alot about these cars. the members here are really cool (with of course the exeption of the late Mr. Frost). some of the other forums i read are full of a bunch of a**holes trying make themselve to be the hot shiznit.

 

Aside from the "wouldn't even crank" statement, kinda sounds like what
my car does from time to time after a hot start.

Scott

 

Go ahead and clean all your ground wires. Sounds like something electrical is intermittently shorting. ie.. if your ign wires in the key assembly are loose, the car might be losing it's electrical signal to turn on/keep on all the current. Next time it happens, see if the lights/radio etc.. function also.

 

Ok thanks for the advice..hopefully it doesn't happen again. my lights did stay on and i put my flashers on and they worked fine too. i don't remember if my radio stayed on. I'll check around and see if there's anything obvious, but i'm not exactly a master mechanic.

 

Hmm okay. Still might be an ign switch problem(or a host of other things). It's odd that the car doesn't even turn over for 10 min. That seems to point to an electrical thing.

 

hehe you need to check your alternator wiring. Mayve you have a short somewhere in that harness thats next the the passanger headlight. Mi car has stalled on me a few times, i just shook thhat harness and it starteds again. Check your wiring for shorts. Im pretty sure its some soret of short somewhere in the harness. Or ex time it stals, move the harnesses around.