There’s nothing quite as heart pounding as when your car starts giving you trouble while you’re driving in traffic. Why does such a thing happen? And what steps can you take if your car dies while you’re driving it?
5 Reasons Why Your Car Dies While Driving
- Being out of fuel. It happens to the best of us. If this keeps happening to you, though, you may want to have someone take a look at your fuel gauge as it could be giving you a false reading.
- Alternator issues. When there is something wrong with the alternator, the car runs off of the battery. The battery can only run for so long before it’s completely drained.
- Malfunctioning ignition switch. When the ignition switch is worn down, there can be a loss of power to the engine because of vibration like hitting a rough patch of road. This loss of power causes the engine of the car to die while driving.
- Something is wrong with the fuel pump. If there is something clogging the fuel pump or a filter on the car, the car can die while driving.
- Malfunctioning sensors. Modern cars have computers, and its sensors can transmit incorrect information.
4 Steps To Take When Your Car Dies While Driving It
Your top priority should be the safety of both yourself and other drivers. Here’s what to do if your car dies while driving it:
- Guide the car to the side of the road. Try not to panic. Despite the loss of power steering and brakes, it is still possible to pull over and get the coast the vehicle into a stop. It will just be more difficult. If you find it too difficult to slow down, move toward a safe area and use the emergency brake. Try to park out of the way of other drivers to give you some room if you’re unable to restart the car right away.
- Try to restart the car. If you can get it restarted, great, but the original issue is nonetheless a clear indicator that you still need to head for a repair shop to get the problem evaluated.
- Turn on your emergency flashers. Again, safety is priority is the most important thing in this scenario. If the car was unable to be restarted, let other drivers know you’re having trouble and to give you and your vehicle some space by putting on your flashers.
- Call for help. Call for someone to tow your car to a repair shop. This is a problem you want taken care of ASAP.
Reduce the Risk of Your Car Dying While Driving
As there are multiple factors that could cause your car to die while driving, it’s important to be aware of your car’s maintenance health at all times. Avoid heavy key rings as they are easier to accidentally shift into the ACC position, and keep good track of where your gas levels are at all times.
Whatever the reason you car puttered out on you, it’s important to get it checked out by a quality repair shop like Desert Oasis. They can help determine whether the cause is something minor, or if something needs to be fixed to prevent further damage or accidents in the future. Call Desert Oasis for all your car repair and maintenance needs.
