SL/R230: Car has been stalling while driving??
10-29-2007, 01:37 AM
#1
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Car has been stalling while driving??
I was on empty the other night.....meaning like 1-2 miles left on range, if that. I filled the tank and went to start the car. It would not start. It turned over fine....it just wasn't starting. I was hitting the gas pedal while trying to start it and it didn't help.
I did this a few times to no avail. I waited 10-15 minutes and tried again. It took a second longer than normal but it did start (again pressing the gas pedal while starting). I thought about it and figured maybe I was so low on gas when I drove in to the gas station that there wasn't enough gas in the lines to restart the engine, even after I filled the tank. The check engine light was on after (not unusual I don't think, I ran out of gas in May and the CE light was on the whole next day but turned off).
However, Friday, WHILE DRIVING.....the car just stalled. Luckily I was able to pull over fine. I tried starting the car and same thing...it would not start. I tried many times. I left it for an hour, came back and it started with a sputter again. It now was done this to me 3 or 4 times in the last 2 days.
Besides those 4 times this has happened from Thursday to now.....the car has started perfectly in between, right away and on the first start. I have probably started it 10 times since Thursday perfectly. When I am driving, the car seems fine power-wise.
Any ideas? I had the car in at the dealer 4-5 mos. ago and they had stated the fuel filter was a little clogged.....but I put off doing anything about it at the time.
It seems odd that at times it starts fine.....while the other times it won't or it will stall while driving.....but that during those times, the car always is impossible to start right after I stall......but will start up if I leave it for awhile after it stalls.
I did this a few times to no avail. I waited 10-15 minutes and tried again. It took a second longer than normal but it did start (again pressing the gas pedal while starting). I thought about it and figured maybe I was so low on gas when I drove in to the gas station that there wasn't enough gas in the lines to restart the engine, even after I filled the tank. The check engine light was on after (not unusual I don't think, I ran out of gas in May and the CE light was on the whole next day but turned off).
However, Friday, WHILE DRIVING.....the car just stalled. Luckily I was able to pull over fine. I tried starting the car and same thing...it would not start. I tried many times. I left it for an hour, came back and it started with a sputter again. It now was done this to me 3 or 4 times in the last 2 days.
Besides those 4 times this has happened from Thursday to now.....the car has started perfectly in between, right away and on the first start. I have probably started it 10 times since Thursday perfectly. When I am driving, the car seems fine power-wise.
Any ideas? I had the car in at the dealer 4-5 mos. ago and they had stated the fuel filter was a little clogged.....but I put off doing anything about it at the time.
It seems odd that at times it starts fine.....while the other times it won't or it will stall while driving.....but that during those times, the car always is impossible to start right after I stall......but will start up if I leave it for awhile after it stalls.
10-29-2007, 08:40 AM
#2
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2004 SL500, 2007 R350 Sport
Do cars nowadays have much silt at the bottom of the fuel tanks? Sounds as if you've stirred it and it blocks the filter then partially settles down?
11-01-2007, 04:40 AM
#3
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I think Scotsman is on the right track.
If you have high mileage, my first guess is that the gas tank had lots of dirty sludge on the bottom, only detectable when you drove it (to empty) until you had to get gas from the bottom of the "barrel".... it could be the old clogged gas filter, or perhaps the gas pump (fuel pressure) got affected... (may even be the idle speed control). It could be a whole range of things (but don't let them fix a whole laundry list of things in the car for no reason) luckily there's a computer in the car and they can check any fault codes.
But even if no fault code appears, just remember that if you have not changed the fuel filter, your fuel pump is probably failing due to the excess pressure of a plugged filter.
They say you should never let the fuel tank go below a quarter (25%) filled in the winter... I think that's a good insurance policy for all year. Also buy the (cleanest) name brand premium gas you can find (they have detergents in them)... though you may have saved money on the first repair (not replacing the clogged filter) and though people save money on cheap gasoline.. it still costs more in the long run. Good Luck
If you have high mileage, my first guess is that the gas tank had lots of dirty sludge on the bottom, only detectable when you drove it (to empty) until you had to get gas from the bottom of the "barrel".... it could be the old clogged gas filter, or perhaps the gas pump (fuel pressure) got affected... (may even be the idle speed control). It could be a whole range of things (but don't let them fix a whole laundry list of things in the car for no reason) luckily there's a computer in the car and they can check any fault codes.
But even if no fault code appears, just remember that if you have not changed the fuel filter, your fuel pump is probably failing due to the excess pressure of a plugged filter.They say you should never let the fuel tank go below a quarter (25%) filled in the winter... I think that's a good insurance policy for all year. Also buy the (cleanest) name brand premium gas you can find (they have detergents in them)... though you may have saved money on the first repair (not replacing the clogged filter) and though people save money on cheap gasoline.. it still costs more in the long run. Good Luck
Last edited by Dans_SL; 11-01-2007 at 04:44 AM.
