A common complaint we hear at Virginia Auto Service is that a customer’s car starts fine but then the engine dies immediately.
Of course, most people will simply restart the engine in the hopes that the car will start. However, this may not happen in most cases. If the problem lies with either the electrical system or the fuel injector system, the engine may start but it will stop immediately.
We don’t advise continuing to restart your car since this will only worsen the situation. The best option is to have your car checked out by a professional car technician. The earlier you can identify the cause of the problem, the better.
5 reasons why your car can start and die immediately:
If your car starts but dies immediately, it could be due to these five issues.
1. Problems with the Fuel Injection System
One of the most common reasons for a car dying immediately after starting is when the fuel injection system is damaged, the internal combustion process will not run its course. Here’s what you need to know:
- The air and fuel mix or ratio need to be in a specific proportion for the engine to start. So, if there is a leak in the fuel injection system, it will impact the air-fuel ratio thus creating a disruption in the internal combustion chamber.
- Now, the engine might start even if the supply of fuel is not adequate – however, even if the engine does start it won’t be able to continue running since the fuel supply is disrupted.
2. Faulty Injector Control Pressure Sensor
The fuel injector can continue supplying the required amount of fuel to the internal combustion chamber only if the necessary pressure is maintained – a job that is carried out by the car’s engine control unit.
However, in order to maintain the pressure, the engine control unit depends on information from the fuel injection sensor.
- The fuel injection sensor keeps track of the pressure in the fuel injector and this information is relayed to the car’s engine control unit which then ensures that the necessary pressure adjustments are made to the system.
- Obviously, if fuel injection sensor is damaged and is unable to pass on critical information about the required pressure in the fuel injector, the engine control unit won’t be able to make the necessary pressure adjustments to the system.
3. Damaged or Faulty Carburetor
The carburetor helps in ensuring that the air-fuel ratio is maintained for successful combustion. So, if your car’s carburetor develops a fault or it is damaged, then it impacts the air-fuel balance.
The result is again the same – your car will start, however, without the correct air-fuel ratio needed to ignite the fuel, the engines dies immediately which is not something you want to happen in a Phoenix summer. That will be a terrible day for sure.
4. A Problem with the Ignition System
If there is a problem with the ignition system the engine will start, but it will die down just as quickly.
The fault could be anywhere in the ignition system – a problem with the spark plugs or the battery could be the cause. Either way, have it checked out immediately.
5. Engine Control Unit Issues
If there is a fault with the fuel injection sensor, it affects the performance of the engine control unit.
However, if there is a problem with the engine control unit itself, again the necessary pressure adjustments to the fuel injection system will not be maintained since the control unit is unable to read or process the information from the fuel injector sensors. When this happens, the car dies as soon as you start it.
Wrapping this Up
If your car starts and dies down immediately, then the best thing is to have it checked by a professional car technician.
As a professional car service with years of experience, our best advice to all our customers is this – if you notice a fault or a problem with your car’s engine, have it checked up as soon as possible.
It could be a small fault or a major fault. The main thing is to limit damage to the car and carry out the needed repairs or replacements to prevent further damage.
Reliable Car Maintenance with Professional Auto Experts!
Does your car start and die immediately? Or are you facing any other kind of car trouble? If yes, you can visit us at Virginia Auto Service for a speedy resolution to all your car troubles.
You can also reach us at 602-266-0200 or schedule a visit with us online as per your convenience.