Q: Problem starting car and dies while driving

asked by on August 18, 2016

Intermittent problem-my car either starts and runs well, or tries to start and doesn't and it backfires (lights on dash stay on). Gas smell. If I wait 5-10 minutes, it will start. While driving on highway (about 10 minutes), it just died. I pulled over, waited, then it started again. Two mechanics looked and cannot find problem.

My car has 240000 miles.

This sounds like it could be a faulty crankshaft sensor or a camshaft sensor. These engines had problems with both. The hard start and the backfire may be the camshaft sensor. The stall and no start condition may be from the crankshaft sensor. Have the computer scanned for codes and if none then may be the ECM loosing power at the connector to it. Have a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, help you with the diagnoses of your starting and stalling issue. Best of luck.

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