Q: Stalling way too much when driving
At just 38k miles my 2011 GMC Terrain has an almost fatal defect. The car has been stalling randomly for the last few months. Only happened like 3 times before this morning, when I stalled out in an intersection making a left turn and a truck had to slam their brakes to avoid hitting me! Not pleased, I need to get this fixed. What part is the problem? I never want that to happen again!
The engine stalling can be one of the most terrifying things a car can do. We are used to it accelerating when prompted, but when it fails to follow directions, your heart rate can double instantly. The intermittent nature of your stalling leads me to believe that it may be caused by Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) interference. If your vehicle is equipped with “passive entry/start” meaning your key talks to the car to give the OK to start, there may be another device nearby that is talking a different language or saying a different phrase via Radio Frequency. This device can be the key to another car, or a gate pass, even the entry card that beeps you into your building at work. If the signal is interrupted, it can cause a stall, or even prevent the car from starting. GMC bulletin PIC5650B helps outline this, as your dealer most likely will not be able to duplicate the stalling. Remove any devices that can interfere and see if the random stall goes away.
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