I have a 1994 Nissan Sentra and the engine dies occasionally while running. This only happens after i get my oil change done. After the engine cools down, i can jump start the battery and it runs fine.
The alternator is recently replaced, the battery does not get charged properly though. Anyone know what might be causing it?
It’s caused by too many engine starts, and too little time to recharge, and a weak battery and (possibly) poor battery cable and wiring connections (corrosion).
Disconnect and file, scrape, or sand the battery cables and posts. Let an auto parts store check the battery and alternator performance (at curbside), for free.
Thanks for your reply.
But I think I was not clear enough and should explain again.
The strange part with my problem is that it only occurs after an oil change.
I have noticed this four times now, so I doubt it is a fluke. The oil changes were done at different places, so I cannot blame something the shop may have done either.
The first time this happened, the car refused to start. It started after a jump start but then stopped while still in motion, having moved a few hundred yards.
The other three times also the engine has stopped while the car was still running. The car is usually doing less than 20 mph when this happens.
Twice, I have observed that the speedometer falls to zero just before the car stalled.
I now have a new battery and a new alternator. There is no rust on the battey terminals.
Here is the vexing part. Clearly just before the stalls, my battery is not able to charge well and slowly discharges until the car stalls. However, after each incident, the car shows no symptoms for many months, till the next oil change. The third and the fourth instances were 8 months apart. The last oil change was a couple of weeks before the last incident.
Maybe they rubed or moved a neg battery wire a by motor or fender while changing filter.
Its about only way I can think of.
The only explanation I have for the coincidence with the oil changes is that oil is dripping onto something when the filter is removed or that a wire has to be moved when the filter is changed and that wire is either getting shorted out or is partially pulled form its connector.
For starters check the ground straps between the engine and the body. Most cars today will have several of these, but check them anyway. Then look for wires around the oil filter that might be affected.