Jeep Dies Or Shuts Off While Driving – How To Fix?
If your jeep dies or shuts off while driving, several reasons can be behind it. While this certainly is an uncertain event, the good thing is there is always a solution to such problems.
The problem of jeep dying can happen in two ways,
- The jeep shut off while driving and won’t start
- The jeep dies while driving but restarts
But the usual culprits behind such problems are faulty airflow, a damaged ignition coil, faulty wiring, a broken temperature sensor, and a broken fuel pump.
In this article, you will learn all about these problems and their solutions. If you read this whole instruction guide, you won’t have to struggle with jeeps dying while driving in the future.
What To Do If Jeep Shut Off While Driving And won’t Start (Reasons And Solutions)
Jeep shutting off while driving is one of the most irritating things that can happen to you. What’s worse is not knowing how to fix the deep that won’t start in the middle of the road. But you don’t have to worry if you are aware of the right steps.
Below the main reasons and their easy solutions are described in detail. Check it out and get your jeep back on the road.
Faulty Air Flow:
A bad mass airflow sensor, also known as MAF, is the most common cause of jeeps shutting off in the middle of the road. This sensor is supposed to identify the density of the air entering the manifold of the intake.
This information is passed on to the ECU of your jeep. Based on the information MAF provides, the ECU determines the amount of fuel your engine will receive. You can be certain that the MAF is the culprit if your car had erratic jerking while driving before shutting off.
Fixing this problem is easy. All you have to do is clean or replace the MAF sensor. Locate the sensor between the air filter and the throttle body. If it seems clogged, clean it. But if it is damaged, you have to pull it out of its place and replace the whole thing. It is a good idea to have a spare MAF in the car.
If you want to prevent this from happening, you should regularly clean the MAF sensor. It only takes 3 to 5 minutes with a clean piece of cloth.
Damaged Ignition Coil:
An ignition coil is the soul of the ignition system. It helps the engine to start. The ignition coil basically acts as a transformer. It turns the low voltage of the car’s battery into thousands of volts. This much power is needed to start the car.
If this ignition coil is damaged, there won’t be any power supply, and as a result, due to no combustion, the car will come to a halt and won’t move.
You can check if your ignition coil is really damaged with an OBD scanner. If the scanner shows the codes P0350 or P0362, it means the ignition coil is not in its perfect condition.
Visual observation is another way of ensuring whether the ignition coil is the problem. Check the ignition coil closely and see if you can locate any physical damage on it. In either case, you have to replace the ignition coil if you find any problem with it.
Try calling an expert for help if possible. Although you can do it by yourself, that may not be the safest option.
Faulty Wiring:
Electrical problems are common with every vehicle. There’s no saying what can damage the electrical connection in a car. Due to excessive electrical supplies, especially during long drives, the wires can get damaged.
Riding on bad roads can also be the cause here. But whatever the reason may be, faulty wiring will not only shut down a jeep in the middle of the road, it will turn off the AC, lights, radio, and windshield wipers.
To be sure whether the wiring is the cause, you can use an Ohm meter. Touch an open wire with an Ohm meter and see if there is any reading. If there is, then the reason may not be the wiring. However, if there isn’t any signal, then the wiring is indeed faulty.
In this case, you have to replace your car’s TIMP (or the Total Integrated Power Module). This can cost around $1500, but there’s nothing else you can do.
Broken Temperature Sensor:
Your jeep has a temperature sensor, also known as the coolant sensor. As the name suggests, it detects and monitors the temperature of the engine’s coolant.
One of the main functions of this sensor is to send a signal to your vehicle’s central system when the engine gets too hot. If the sensor is broken, it can identify the engine as too hot when in fact, it is in perfect condition. It will show the check engine light before turning the car off.
The immediate solution to this problem is to open the car’s hood and let the engine cool down a bit, even if it’s not overheating. After a while, start the car again. Repeat the process if the same problem occurs.
Your aim should be to take the car to a nearby repair shop. There, the experts will fix the temperature sensor or they will replace it if needed.
Faulty Fuel Pump:
A fuel pump basically pushes the fuel to the engine. Here, high pressure is needed to transfer fuel to the engine. If this pressure is not adequate, the fuel won’t reach the engine, and as a result, the engine will die out. This problem can occur due to the accumulation of dirt and gunk or broken fuel pumps.
This problem can be easily solved just by cleaning the dirt clogging the fuel pump. But, if there isn’t any clog, the chances are that the fuel pump is damaged. In that case, you have to get the fuel pump replaced by an expert.
These are the main issues that usually cause jeeps to shut off in the middle of the road. Apart from this, there can also be issues with the crank sensor or battery, causing the jeep to shut down. These problems can be taken care of quickly for cheap in any repair shop.
What To Do If Jeep Dies While Driving But Restarts?
If your jeep dies while driving but restarts, it’s not the end of the world. But it’s certainly quite irritating. However, you can easily get rid of this problem with a few simple tricks.
Try to perform the following fix and see if it gets your car back to running smoothly.
- Replace the CPS
- Clean the IAC thoroughly along with the throttle body
- Replace the O2 sensor
- Clean the contacts in the connectors
- Replace the ECM
The problem you are facing can occur for various reasons. But if you can maintain the above-mentioned solutions, there shouldn’t be any further difficulty for you.
Conclusion
Having your jeep die or shut off while driving is undoubtedly one of the most irritating things. No one wants to experience such an occurrence, but you can’t do anything about it most of the time.
But what you can do is solve the problem. And this article tried to show you how to do just that. If you follow the instructions mentioned here correctly, you won’t have to face such trouble again.
Similar Posts:
How to Turn off Daytime Running Lights
Most Common Problems Of Jeep Grand Cherokee
5 Most Common Problems Of Jeep Wranglers
Which Jeep Is Best for Family?
Jeep Radio Won’t Turn Off – What To Do?
How to Fix Jeep Grand Cherokee Transmission Over Temp Problems?