# Pothole kills engine

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** pontiac\
**Created:** [August 31, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868 "2009-08-31T03:37:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dhdirect](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dhdirect/32/5887_2.png) [@dhdirect](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dhdirect)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/1 "2009-08-31T03:37:33Z")

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I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am that stalls out everytime I hit a pothole. I have had it to the shop and they can’t find anything wrong with it.

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**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/2 "2009-08-31T04:11:05Z")

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A loose electrical connection would be one possibility. Did the shop clean and tighten the battery cables?

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**Author:** ![DouglasM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@DouglasM](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DouglasM)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/3 "2009-08-31T09:52:55Z")

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So the car dies when it hits a pothole, does it restart immediatly?

- D

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**Author:** ![dhdirect](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dhdirect/32/5887_2.png) [@dhdirect](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dhdirect)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/4 "2009-08-31T16:41:48Z")

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I’m not sure, but one would think so. They connected it to the computer system.

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**Author:** ![dhdirect](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dhdirect/32/5887_2.png) [@dhdirect](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dhdirect)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/5 "2009-09-02T04:21:52Z")

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Yes, it starts immediately.

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**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/pothole-kills-engine/35868/6 "2009-09-02T04:49:44Z")

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It could be any number of things; maybe the fuel pump connection gets bumped and interrupted for a moment…perhaps the PCM doesn’t like the jolt and “blinks”, as it were…

What condition are your shock absorbers in? If they’re original, perhaps new ones will dampen the impact forces enough to make this go away.