# Can that cause harm to piston and piston rings or the engine? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505 "2024-10-05T18:10:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mariah234765](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mariah234765](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mariah234765)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/1 "2024-10-05T18:10:50Z")
today i was driving my car at low speed maybe 20 to 25km/h and the engine suddenly shut down and the car stopped i tried to started but it was not starting due to failure on fuel line they fixed it to me and engine started again normally my question is what happened caused piston or piston rings damage ? the car is chevy cruze 2012 ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/2 "2024-10-05T18:13:50Z")
Not likely but you provide very little information for me to make this guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mariah234765](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mariah234765](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mariah234765)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/3 "2024-10-05T18:23:59Z")
The main fuel line was not tight enough and got lose while driving but i was driving at low speed how to check if no damage done to the engine ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/4 "2024-10-05T18:46:30Z")
No different than running out of gas. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/5 "2024-10-05T19:07:52Z")
Just lik3 shutting the car off. No damage except to pride and purse. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/6 "2024-10-05T19:20:24Z")
Start it up and see if a check engine light is on, or it makes noises it didn’t make before, or doesn’t idle as smooth as before. No change means no problems. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/7 "2024-10-05T21:21:31Z")
Gas is not a lubricant for the cylinder walls, piston or rings, too much fuel can wash the cylinder walls down washing the oil off the wall and prematurely damaging the rings, but you had to little fuel so if anything it may have helped just a very tiny little but… but no harm came to the cylinder walls, pistons or rings from what you described… No worries… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 12:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/8 "2024-10-06T12:32:20Z")
Did you have any backfiring when the engine had a lean fuel condition? if so, that might have damaged the cylinder walls. As @Mustangman said, drive it for a while and see if the check engine light comes on. If it does, get the codes read and let us know what they are. Maybe we can help you understand them. It’s too early for any of us to tell you whether your engine is damaged or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mariah234765](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mariah234765](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mariah234765)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/9 "2024-10-06T15:16:53Z")
The fuel line has a complete cut off and the fuel completely stopped so the engine stopped inediately how do you consider a complete cut off of fuel line a lean fuel i asked chatgpt and it said no way backfiring in thus situation ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/10 "2024-10-06T15:21:15Z")
As was already stated by others, what you experienced is essentially an engine stall. That situation does not harm the pistons or piston rings. I’m actually curious as to why you are worried about those parts, rather than–let’s say–the rod bearings and main bearings. Those parts aren’t harmed/damaged by an engine stall either, but I’m wondering why you are focusing on just the pistons and piston rings. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/11 "2024-10-06T15:45:37Z")
Let’s get this straight. Engine stalled due to fuel line disconnect. Had your vehicle towed back to the shop. Shop reconnected fuel line. Engine started. You drove home. > [@Mariah234765](#): > > they fixed it to me and engine started again normally Did your check engine light come on during the drive home? BTW, have you checked your oil recently? Do you have your oil&filter changed on time? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/12 "2024-10-06T21:04:45Z")
I’ve heard it said here IIRC that running out of gas can damage the catalytic converter. Not sure of the mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/13 "2024-10-06T23:45:42Z")
The fuel line was loose and eventually fell off if I read your post correctly. While it was coming loose it may have leaked fuel, not enough to stall, but enough to exceed the ability of the computer system to match lower fuel feed with lower air feed. If the air/fuel ration got too high that lean condition may have led to backfiring. I think you would have heard popping from the exhaust if backfiring occurred. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/14 "2024-10-07T19:17:54Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > lean condition may have led to backfiring. I wouldn’t have guessed that lean could cause exhaust backfires. But apparently if the mixture is too lean the air and fuel won’t ignite in the cylinder sometimes, and gets pushed into the exhaust where it does ignite there, causing a backfire. Not sure why it wouldn’t ignite in the cylinder but would in the exhaust sytem. The cylinder has a spark, exhaust system doesn’t. Is the exhaust hotter than the cylinder? Or is it b/c the exhaust gasses are not compressed like they are in the cylinder? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/15 "2024-10-07T20:57:45Z")
For heavens sake the car stalled. Happens all the time. Luckily easy fix. I drove my car into the garage and shut it off. Did I create damage? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-that-cause-harm-to-piston-and-piston-rings-or-the-engine/197505/16 "2024-10-07T23:26:10Z")
My theory–which could be wrong–is that somebody told the OP that cutting the fuel supply would–somehow–damage the pistons and rings. I think that most of us have heard equally bizarre “diagnoses” from clueless people. The OP’s mistake was believing that person.