# Sudden Engine Stall

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** matrix, toyota\
**Created:** [November 13, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469 "2011-11-13T13:57:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cicozzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Cicozzi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cicozzi)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469/1 "2011-11-13T13:57:48Z")

</div>

Bought this car new and really haven’t had any major issues until the last month. It’s a 2003, six-speed, inline 4, 1.8L engine.

When I came to a stop, the engine just died and would not restart until I let it “rest” for a couple of minutes. It restarted and ran fine.

This same thing happened again a week or so later.

Then, just yesterday, I was doing about 65 on the interstate and the engine died, tach dropped to 0, but I didn’t lose power steering or brakes. I was coasting for a few seconds and the engine came back. When I slowed down to pull into a parking garage, it died but I was coasting enough to pop the clutch and it restarted for a moment allowing me to almost get into a parking stall. As I slowed to get into the stall it died completely and had to be pushed into the stall.

I left it there for a few hours. When I got back, it started and ran fine.

I feel this is just the beginning of some problem with the electronic control module/unit.

Anyone else have this experience?

Thanks in advance

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469/2 "2011-11-13T14:09:08Z")

</div>

**_Toyota Matrix, 1.8L 4 - Cylinder, 6 -Speed, “Bought New”_**

Model - Year ?

CSA

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mleich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mleich](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mleich)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469/3 "2011-11-13T14:15:18Z")

</div>

Stalled in gear at 65 mph? Did not lose power steering or brakes? Not possible. However, I think you may have 2 problems:

1. Your tachometer is malfunctioning and you thought your engine stalled at speed.
2. Your engine (when the car was stopped) is not idling properly.

Check engine light on? Codes? Mileage?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cicozzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Cicozzi](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cicozzi)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/sudden-engine-stall/69469/4 "2011-11-13T15:18:50Z")

</div>

Oh, on the Matrix … I should have mentioned that it has an “immobilizer” installed. In the past, when the battery got weak on the keychain unit, I would experience a similar situation. All was fine once a new battery was installed.

So, I found my backup keychain unit, that has never been used, put a new battery in it and am now waiting to see if that might have been the problem.