i was driving and my car just started slowing down and then came to a complete stop! Help!!?

Question

I have a 1999 Ford Escort XR2. I was going about 30mph and then all of a sudden it just started slowing down on me and came to a complete stop! It felt like I had run out of gas but I have more than half a tank. One person told me it might be a fuel pump? Any help would be great so I am not screwed when I get to the mechanic.

It is not the battery because when I tried to turn it on it was turning over and the radio and everything was on. It just wont catch.

Answer 1

Could be any number of things, But the fuel pump would be the place to start. If you take it to a mechanic get more than one estimate. Shop around.

Answer 2

I guess you are already at home and not on the road.

Could be a number of things wich we can group in 2 categories : Electrical of Fuel.

Fuel : Your fuel is not being delivered to the injectors.
Electrical : There is no spark to fire up the air/fuel mixture at the right time.

My recommendation if to get a mechanic take a look at your car, or someone with experience with gas engines.

If you feel you have the necesary to test it yourself here are 2 basic tests, but won't attempt if you never had changed your spark plugs or never had work with gas engines, you can broke a NAIL or get severe injuries.

FUEL TEST

Your car has a fuel valve near where the injectors are on top of the engine.

This is like a 'peak' on the fuel line ( like clear metal tubes running accross the injectors ) . It looks like the air valve on your tires, but this one in on the metal tubes, covered with a rubber cap, just like the tire's valve.

ALWAYS COVER YOUR EYES WHEN ATTEMPTING THIS CHECK.

So, to test if your fuel is being delivered to your injectors you turn the key to the ON position, just before cranking the engine ( Key On Engine off) now open this fuel valve, remove the rubber cap, and you will see a needle on the center. If the line has fuel and it is presurised you must get A SKIRT OF GAS pouring out of this valve when you press the center needle so BE VERY CAREFULL and don't allow the fuel to run out too long. This test last just A SECOND OR TWO !!! Keep in mind you will end with fuel all over the top of the engine what is a fire risk.


If you don't get a skirt fuel pouring out of the valve chaces are your fuel pump is damaged, your fuel intertia cut off switch was triggered ( you hit a big bump or almost crashed ), you got a clogged fuel line/filter, yo don't have gas on your tank, your tank has a hole and you lost all your precious not cheap fuel or something is wrong with with the fuel pump electrical circuit.

ELECTRICAL TEST

You need an assitant at the wheel who can follow instructions to crank/stop the engine.

First thing a mechanic will do is to test for the electrical arch on the high voltage side of the spark coil. What I do is that I grab an old spark plug, I took one spark wire out of the the engine's spark plug at any cilinder and attach my old spark plug to the wire, and with and isolated plyers I found a good ground for the spark plug to make contact. So let the threads on the spark plug make good contact to the chassis metal or engine metal, and cranck the engine. You shold see a blue spark blinking on the spark plug electrodes.

WARNING : If you fail to provide a good ground contact to your plug chances are YOU will receive an ELECTRICAL SHOCK that could be deadly if you have a peacemaker of other electrical device on your body.

If you don't see the blue spark then your electrical ignition is not working and there are a big number of couses for this. From an open wire to a defective CAM sensor.

Answer 3

I had this happen to me all the time on my Toyota van (1985). One time it died in the middle of an intersection!
It turned out the be the alternator. The battery was fine...for a while. The radio and lights worked. What an alternator does it act like a translator between your battery and your car. It helps your car to start and helps your battery to charge while the car is running. Get to a mechanic or someone with experience with this. It can get really pricy if you get a "band aide" fix. Borrow $$ if you have to to get it fixed.

Answer 4

Could very well be fuel pump, might also be a plugged up
catalytic converter which happens frequently with fords when
they over 70,000 miles on them. If your not familiar with it,
part of your exhaust system.

Answer 5

Uh-oh, sounds like your alternator. I had a Saturn once that did the exact same thing, and it was the alternator. Don't take it to the dealership if you can help it, because they'll screw you over. I had to pay like $400 for my car when that happened, just because I didn't know any better and I took it back to the dealership.