Car issue question

[Tom]

fuel pump or fuel injection controller. Get an OBDII reader and check out the codes. They are cheap at the auto parts store and some stores may come out and read the codes for you

[6.5 shooter]

Lose connection at cam or crank sensor maybe. Be sure to check at the rear of the engine for wiring harness touching exhaust areas. I’ve seen this many times after major work.

[Rick]

You may think this is a dumb question. But, (BTW multiple line Master Cert Tech and ASE master) how does it die? Stumble shutter off. Off like you hit the key? Off like slowly reduces speed then off?

It just dies, like u turn off the key, no beeps or dings or flashing lights, and after pulling over it starts right back up...we picked it up yesterday, they changed the oil since it was low, so far so good

[Rick]

I would like to know for sure, that the engine was really 2 quarts low on oil, if I were you. Then how long, since the oil was last changed and last checked. Any engine with 200,000 miles is going to be prone to using oil. Yes, the dealer should have checked and really should have changed the oil, when they replaced the lifter. I hear Dodge has all types of lifter problems.

Something I keep running into with the newer engines, with the fly by wire throttle bodies. The computers don't know when the throttlebody is getting gummed up. It will do so after time, more so when the engine gets past 100,000 miles, 200,000 mile it will happen even more often. The more oil the engine consumes, the more gunk you will have in the throttle body. The computer closes off the throttle blade to a point, where it thinks it is just open enough to have enough air flow to idle at whatever load is on the engine. But when the throttle body is gunked up, it will restrict air flow, when the throttle body is closed to the point, where it should be idling. I have seen many either die or not start at all because of gunked up throttle bodies. Dealers, typically want to replace the throttle body, once they realize the problem is related to the throttle body, the fly by wire throttle bodies are expensive or much more so than a older EFI throttle body. Cleaning the throttle body out should be done at least every 20,000 miles, once it get over 100,000 miles, if not sooner, really depends on how much oil the engine is consuming, so how fast the throttle body gets gunked up. Remove the air hose to the throttle body, open the blade with your fingers, and spray some carb or throttle body cleaner in the throttle body. Also wipe the throttle bade down with a towel or rag, soaked with carb cleaner and wipe the bore down, till you get all of the gunk on both sides of the throttle blade and the whole throttle bore. Taking the throttle body off, will allow you to clean it better.

This is something cheap and easy to do, that should be done on any EFI engine, but is very important on the fly by wire engines, once the mileage gets up there. It's not a bad idea to do so, at 50,000 miles and then at 100,000 miles.

I am not saying this is definitely your problem, but it could be going by the symptoms. I see many that don't set off a code and or set a incorrect code, that will send those code loving guys down the wrong road.

Going by the symptoms, it does not sound like a old fuel pump, when a fuel pump starts dying, causing the engine to die. It will usually start loosing power, if you give it more throttle to get back up to speed, it may pop in the intake. That indicates the engine is very lean. Then if the pump does completely stop pumping or the volume is very low, so the fuel pressure is way below where it should be, the engine will typically die. Once the engine has died, it usually takes a while before it will start back up. The pump will usually have to cool off, which can take any where from 30 minutes to a few hours, before it will start working good enough for the engine to make normal power. That's if the pump comes back to life, often they are done once the pump shuts off. If you have a fuel problem where it looses pressure to the engine causing it to die, then you are able to restart it within a minute a few minutes. You probably have something more like a plugged fuel filter and or something like a over heating fuel pump relay, or a wiring issue.

If the engine dies and restarts quickly, if the engine rpm was near idle or at idle, when it died and the engine is a fly by wire engine. I would say gummed throttle body. If the engine rpm was up to 1500 rpm or greater when it died, it's not a gunked up throttle body. The throttle body would be too far open for a gunked up throttle body to cause the engine to die at those rpms, more so with a smaller engine. If it died at 1500 rpm or above and then quickly restarted. I would expect something ignition related, bad connection in wiring harness, or shorted wire. Or some sensor such as a cam or crank sensor dying, which would be back to ignition related problem.

thnaks for the detailed explanation. i will try cleaning the TB, but i may wait and see if it does it again

[Goldeneagle]

The way they build them nowdays, first thing I would do is check the air pressure in the spare tire.

[longstride]

cam or crank sensor

[Rick]

The way they build them nowdays, first thing I would do is check the air pressure in the spare tire.

lol.....actually i think they have come a long ways, used to driving one 100K was sort of the life of a vehicle, now they can go way longer than that easily. I mean now you see people wanting 30K for a truck that has 200K on it....lol

[KDinTX]

We had a durango that would do this, run fine then just shut off. Start right back up and be fine for a while then just turn off, usually while slowing down or foot off the gas. It ended up being the EGR valve was stuck. Swapped it out and was fine for years, then started the same thing again and again the EGR valve was stuck.

Battery cables being corroded is another thing to look into.

[switchbackxt]

I will leave this here.

Battery/cables. Check for corrosion.

[tdwinklr]

Sounds like trial and error to me, definitely check the codes first. Then I would check ALL electrical connections on the engine and if nothing, then change out the fuel pump and the battery cables and see what happens. Would probably help the older car anyway.

[Txnative78]

I would check all the grounds on the engine. they have to basically take the top of the engine and everything attached to it off to replace a lifter. If there is one ground loose or not hooked up it will do crazy things.

[Texar]

Lose connection at cam or crank sensor maybe. Be sure to check at the rear of the engine for wiring harness touching exhaust areas. I’ve seen this many times after major work.

I had a Dodge Stratus that would do the same thing and it was the cam sensor.

[Goldeneagle]

lol.....actually i think they have come a long ways, used to driving one 100K was sort of the life of a vehicle, now they can go way longer than that easily. I mean now you see people wanting 30K for a truck that has 200K on it....lol

Yeah, but back then, all we had were 3 speed trans and were running more RPM all the time. Plus some of us couldn't leave the motors alone.

[Barndt1]

get a second opinion. take it to another shop