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Q: Car surges when stopped & suddenly dies while driving

asked by on August 12, 2016

My odometer shows around 157,000 miles. I have two problems with my vehicle:

  1. There is an intermittent problem with my car suddenly dying while I’m driving. Very frightening!

  2. The engine will suddenly surge when the car is stopped and I have my foot on the brake and not touching the accelerator pedal. The idle is from 1,000 to 2,000 RPM and then it independently settles back to normal idle after a few seconds. This also is an intermittent occurrence, but could be extremely dangerous if I’m not holding down the brakes. Can you tell me what the causes are and the solutions?

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Hey there, thanks for writing in about your 2001 Chrysler LHS. Both of these problems can be dangerous and can only be diagnosed by verifying the problems first by a mechanic to diagnose them. A scan for codes may show an ignition failure or a sensor failure. The fuel pump can also cause the issues. Have the vehicle tested for proper fuel pressures and the ignition system checked for any sensor or ignition faults. I would recommend having a certified technician from YourMechanic diagnose the stalling and surging issue in order to determine what needs repair.

Chrysler
Idling
engines
2001
brake system
LHS
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