It happened last Friday but it started up again after 20 tries. This time it shut off right in a busy 4 way intersection and I had to push it myself and then jump in and steer it into the gas station. Now I'm just waiting for the tow truck.

It's a 2003 Ford Taurus. It cranks and cranks with plenty of juice, it just won't turn over. It likes to shut off when coasting to a stop. Just randomly stalls.

Any ideas what to look for? Distributed cap? Starter? Grounds?

Looks like I'll be DD'ing the miata again. Which overheats every time I drive it. Lol

 

People are dicks in CT if they did not help push your car.

Back last December I was going to a job interview in my Integra. I was making a left hand turn and the car just died. The igniter died on me. I immediately put on my hazards and jumped out to start pushing my car. The 2 cars behind me instantly also threw on their hazards and got out to help me push my car to the side. Sitting on the side of the road waiting for a ride to come pick me up so that I could get home and get in my Miata, 2 more cars stopped and asked if I needed any help. People in the south to seem to be much more helpful in times of need like that.

 

Vaccum leak, dirty TB, Bad ground, who ******* knows.

What does "it cranks but doesn't turn over" mean...

My exgf had a mercury Sable that would stall all the time. Scary as ****.

 

PUT THAT BEAST ON C.L. and dump the money into your MIATAAAAHHH hells yeah dawg!!!

 

faulty fuel kill switch in trunk?

 

I couldn't tell if he was a troll, or just from Florida....

 

I was thinking of this. There is a Focus at my school that will stop running if you slam the door too hard.


Check for spark?

 

My Jeep did this, stalling while going 65 on the expressway. Turns out it was clogged cats causing backpressure and misfires, and a bad crank angle sensor not letting it recover from the misfires.

Chrysler picked up the cost of the cats (over $1800) and I bought and installed the sensor. I put in a cam angle sensor as well, just in case.

Check the sensors, including the o2 ones.

 

There was a big thread on m.net about the CAS causing this exact problem on later miatas. Not sure how it translates to other cars.

 

my rotor fell off my distributor once...but car would never start again.

 

I think the real question is why are you driving a Ford Taurus?

 

Thanks for the ideas guys.

The exhaust is pretty fucked, so I'm wondering if clogged cats is a possibility.

I'm driving the taurus cause I got it for $1700 last year around this time. I'm seriously thinking about trading it in for whatever they'll give me and getting a Subaru Legacy GT. I've been wanting one, but I dont want the payment.

In the meantime I'll drive the miata and pray it doesn't overheat until I can figure out what to do about the taurus. Which BTW, has started up 20 times since the tow truck dropped me off. Starts up no problem now.

 

order generic cat from performance peddler, and then have it welded on. If you can confirm it's the cat. You replace fuel filter?

 

Had a subie that would do that **** and it ended up being the fuel filter. Once all the **** settled in filter it would start up, then as fuel sloshed it around it would clog filter again and car would die.

 

The only things I've done to the car have been unrelated to the drivetrain (suspension, replaced bent wheel, etc), besides changing the oil.

Its just weird how it randomly stalls out on me like that. Its always when stopped though. It hasn't turned off on me while driving. Only when at a red light or backing out of the driveway and going to put it in drive.

When it first started happening it would turn back on usually the 1st or 2nd try.

 

Hmmmm. I'm going to order one as we speak.

I think this car did a lot of sitting before I bought it, so it could very well end up being as simple as the fuel filter.

Thanks for the idea.

 

Just ordered a fuel filter and a CAS for the taurus. They should be here later tonight but I wont have a chance to work on it until tomorrow.

I also had him send me a new radiator cap to see if that solves the miata's overheating problems. Wishful thinking I know.

 

Check fuel pressure on the Ford.

Throwing an SES light?

Pressure test the Miata's cooling system.

 

we should have kept this guy around

 

I have a friend with a Taurus wagon (don't recall the year but it's a second gen) and her fuel pump went out. Car would crank but not fire. I did some checking and figured out it was the pump, unfortunately Ford has to be different and not provide an opening inside the car to use to change it, you have to drop the gas tank.