i have a '95 ford escort that goes dead when making really sharp turns. no one has ever heard of this before and neither have i. does anyone have an idea of what might cause this problem?
Electrical dead, or engine dies?
the whole engine dies. it also misses and all the spark plugs have been replaced!
Fuel pump maybe? Or, gas tank sediment?
ok. would sediment in the gas tank cause my car to go dead while making sharp turns? if not do you have any other idea’s?
do you think a burned valve could be causing the miss in the engine? this car wasn’t drove for about five years. since that time everything was replaced except the fuel pump,water pump,and the starter.
Right turns? Left turns? Both? I dont think it really matters but if it is only one way then im stumped. It could be a fuel pump wire. Underneath your backseat there is a little access panel for the fuel pump. The backseat is taken up easily by simply lifting the front of it until it snaps out of its position. Remove the rubber panel that covers the tank. Once you have done this you should be able to see the top of the gas tank. At the top of the tank you should see an electrical connector. Start the car and wiggle this wire back and forth to see if the pump stops. You should have no problem knowing if it has stopped or not. It is pretty loud. If the fuel pump stops then you know this connector is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. If not, then im stumped. That is the only thing I can think of besides a lot of crud at the bottom of the tank. This is easily checked also by removing the lock-ring at the top of the tank and looking in with a flashlight.
NOTE: If you plan on doing this yourself, OPEN ALL THE DOORS SO YOU WONT INHALE TOO MANY FUMES. AND DONT SMOKE!!!
the engine dies no matter which way i turn the wheel. this usually happens when i turn the wheel really hard,like backing out of a parking space. believe it or not, it happened at the dmv while trying to take my driver’s test.
ok, reaching really deep into the barrel here:
most cars have a electrical cut off switch which is triggered in an accident to kill the fuel pump.
i have had one go all by itself. it would kill the engine.
ok,i’ll have that checked. when yours went out did it go dead only while making sharp turns or did your car go dead for no apparent reason?
Ick. Thats not cool. I bet the instructor had some interesting comments on that. I dont think the problem could be the fuel shut off off switch. It cant turn itself back on unless you do it yourself. Once it shuts off, it won’t come back on. I would check the connector I told you about.
ok, i’ll have the connector checked. and i didn’t get to take my driver’s test. what about it missing. the car run’s fine at first but as soon as it gets warmed up it starts missing really bad.do you think the problem with it going dead on sharp turns could have anything to do with the steering wheel itself? sometimes when i put the key in the ignition,it wont unlock. is there maybe a problem with the steering colum? maybe that’s a dumb question but i’m completely stumped.
i am embarrased to say this but…
i had a ford ranger while not doing what was expected of my by my son, my then 6 yr old was throwing a temper tantrum, and kicking the dash board.
the truck died.
i coasted off the road. i called my neighborhood mech. he came in about two minutes, reached under the dash and reset the cut off switch!!!
it only happened once, but i was amazed.
i only mention this because i surmise it coudl become an intermittant thing.
if anyone else has any ideas…
this cut off switch is an inertia sensing switch.
not to put you on a wild goose chase, but it coudl be the problem. you are cornering, putting g forces on the car, it doesnt happen when you are going straight. thats what made me think of my past experience.
also does this happen on speed bumps?
no, it doesn’t happen on speed bumps