Mystery conditions

2 problems - My car will stall within the first 2 miles of driving but resume power in a second while still rolling. Problem is intermittent. The last time tho’, it didn’t restart. It was towed to the shop but won’t act up when the mechanic drives it so they can’t diagnose the problem.

Also intermittently I get a deep popping sound from the front end when slowing to a stop, particularly when turning L, like into a parking space. Mechanic never hears it when he’s driving.

Your stalling problem could be anything from clogged fuel filters to chafed wiring that’s shorting out. You’re really at the mercy of the problem. I had a truck that would do simular things, stall out on the highway then suddenly come to life within seconds. Chafed wires was the culprit. The hardest part is going to be trying to replicate the problem, especially if it that intermittent. Shaking around electrical connectors and looms of wiring and grounds while the engine was running was how I found it.

The popping could possibly be a CV joint on its way out.

Thanks. The mechanic replaced the distributor & plugs and said the plug wires looked to be original to the car, which they are, and it has 156K miles on it. Car runs better but I still don’t trust that it won’t stall out on me again. I’ll have my old mechanic check for chafed wires and also look at the CV joint (whatever that is!).

Thanks again for your reply.