My car engine’s check engine light came on… My car engine’s check engine light came on… My car engine’s check engine light came on…
When I have been left high and dry, it was either a fuel pump or crank sensor. Fuel pumps will hum a little when you first turn the key. If you can determine spark or fuel, that will tell a lot. I did have one thought that I never could resolve a stalling issue and traded at 520,000. When push came to shove though it took me four days to find and buy a new car after thinking about it for years.
Check the codes 1st thing… possible pending codes or history codes
Also make sure battery cable terminals are tight, no movement when twisting them hard, since the battery has been out… Corrosion can eat through the lead free terminals and cause them to break, a lot of them are double wrapped and the bottom one breaks… Don’t think yours is battery related though… sounds more like a sensor, so check the codes…
And a $200 sensor (just as an example only) is a whole lot cheaper than a new car payment…
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Is the check engine light on?
It could be a fuel pump. It could be a crankshaft position sensor.
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Those and other dash lights normally come on when the engine is not running and the key is in the On/Run position (including when the engine stops as it did.)
Crank sensor and fuel pump were my first hunches, too. Ignition switch also comes to mind. Do you have a different key to try?
Is there Uber or Lyft or a cab available, or a car you could borrow? Someone you could call for help (let them know you might need them)?
If you need to ask, I would say no. It might require programming.
I mentioned that because I have a new crank sensor in the trunk of my Pontiac. Bolts right in but the book says it needs to be synced with the pcm using a tech 2 scan tool. So the shop will have to do it.
There is a number of things it could be, that is why I would check for pending codes since no light on… Yes as mentioned by others fuel pump or related or crank sensor… Fuel pump strainer sucking trash up against the sock, once dies the trash floats away, then able to start right back up (possible but not probable) …
You would be surprised what is at the bottom of the inground tanks at the gas station… removed the fuel filter on a 30K Ford truck with a plastic tank and dumped sediment out of the filter, customer changed gas stations after that…
As far as can a DIYer repair a vehicle, well looks like we have a new member that is 20 years old tackling a transmission rebuild… So that is up to your comfort level and mechanical aptitude and tools… My daughter could do it with supervision from my son or myself, but then again I know grown ass men that can’t check there own engine oil level or air in their tires…
Cost all depends on what the problem is and if you do it or pay to have it done…
It mostly has to do with the diagnostic cost. It might be as easy as reading the codes that takes 10 minutes. It might be possible to reproduce the problem easily. It might be difficult. It might be a loose electrical connection that someone has to jiggle connectors to find. Someone who knows cars might have to drive it until the problem happens again.
The actual repair would be something like $50 for a sensor to a few hundred for a fuel pump or ECM.
What’s the big deal with cars stalling? It’s not an airplane. If you pull over with hazards and get out then it gets hit then their insurance should pay you for a new car. If it is in one lane in a construction zone then it’s their fault for having no break down lane. Stay off the controlled access highways if the problem gets worse. You might have to drive it to the point where it won’t restart for the problem to be found.
You can restart it while shifting in to neutral while driving.
Well I understand costs but you likely have a lot of miles left yet if you have maintained it. Fuel pumps have cost me anywhere from $300 to $1000. My last crank sensor set me back about 800 but that was because I also needed a $500 wobbly balancer. So you just get the diagnosis and go from there but putting even $1000 into a car the will run another 50 plus thousand still makes sense on a cost per mile basis.
This might be as simple as cleaning the throttle body. I’d suggest starting there.
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Crank angle sensor?
Years ago I was transporting blood platelets requested lightsiren by a trauma hospital.
As the 1994? Jeep Cherokee entered a major intersection against a red signal, the engine stalled.
Thought it would stop right in the intersection but I immediately placed in Neutral and coasted through. While still moving tried starting it neutral. It started and I continued to the hospital.
Was a failing crank angle sensor.
May have to wait until the engine attains operating temperature.
FYI… A failing crank angle sensor will generally not throw a code nor will a dirty throttle body.
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If the stall was at low engine speed or coasting, I would suspect a bad idle air control valve.
They usually can be cleaned rather than replaced. Probably plenty of videos on YouTube.
Clean throttle body and pull fuses for ECU for 15 minutes and see if that helps . Never knew they made Camry’s with a manual transmission in them .
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Looks like the OP deleted every post except the 1sr one and then edited it…
Check the codes and maybe use something better then a $20.00 code reader… Sometimes there will be a pending code before it becomes a hard code…
Did you do something to it like mess with the throttle body (or anything else) and then the CEL came on, or did it just finally come on while driving???
Will the vehicle start and drive now that the CEL came on??