# car shut off while driving and wont start
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471
**Category:** Shift518 Automotive
**Created:** [January 26, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471 "2012-01-26T18:31:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/1 "2012-01-26T18:31:39Z")
Tonight my dad was driving home from work on i90 doing 55 mph and his car just shut off and he heard a pop/bang of some sort. He got it over to the shoulder and the car wont restart. The lights, power windows, radio, etc all work but nothing happens when the key is turned. No clicks or anything like that.
He said the odometer got all screwy when it shut off but now its fine. No smoke or fluid loss when it happened. The car was running and driving fine until it shut off.
The serpentine belt is intact.
The car is a 2005 Ford Focus with a 2.0 I4 and automatic transmission. Its only got 67k.
He ended up getting it towed to Metro Ford. Im just curious as to what it might be.
Im thinking timing belt or alternator. No battery light on prior to shutting off though.
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### Author:  [@xreaction](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/xreaction)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/2 "2012-01-26T18:56:47Z")
Timing belt probably snapped and bent a few valves
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/3 "2012-01-26T18:59:00Z")
That was my initial guess too, especially with the noise he heard. The 2.0 is an interference motor then?
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### Author:  [@88slowmarro](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/88slowmarro)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/4 "2012-01-26T19:08:09Z")
The motor would still turn over if the timing belt tossed itself ,
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### Author:  [@adamea1635](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/adamea1635)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/5 "2012-01-26T19:22:50Z")
I assume he does not have CAI and went through a deepish puddle at 55??
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/6 "2012-01-26T19:37:02Z")
The car is 100% stock and my dad drives like an old lady.
Nothing happens when trying to start it.
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### Author:  [@offroadzj](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/offroadzj)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/7 "2012-01-26T19:47:53Z")
Did he check through the fuses? I doubt thats the case b/c of the noise, but its odd that the starter doesn’t even at least click. Could he have possibly hit something in the road?
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/8 "2012-01-26T20:01:59Z")
The guy from AAA checked the relays/fuses under the hood. I dont think anybody tried jumpstarting it but there wasnt room to do that safely where the car was anyway.
My dad said he didnt hit anything.
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### Author:  [@4ADAM12](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/4ADAM12)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/9 "2012-01-27T02:15:26Z")
I would have to say something electrical. Doesn’t sound mechanical that the speedometer would go wonky then be fine again. I say recheck fuses and relays, and if you have a code scanner check for codes. I know you said its at the dealer, but that’s what I would do.
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/10 "2012-01-27T04:09:46Z")
I dont have a scanner. He just figured the dealer would be able to look at it and possibly fix it quicker than a smaller shop because he needs it back asap.
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### Author:  [@ninety1two40](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninety1two40)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/11 "2012-01-27T04:40:23Z")
Depending on the sound it could of been a diode blowing up in the cabin.
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/12 "2012-01-27T17:34:29Z")
It was the positive cable from the battery to the alternator. It corroded and split.
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### Author:  [@88slowmarro](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/88slowmarro)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/13 "2012-01-27T17:45:11Z")
Lol what ? Prolly more like the alt spiked and popped the Inline fuse
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/14 "2012-01-27T17:49:17Z")
They told him the cable snapped off because it was all corroded.
Theres also another short somewhere in the car that theyre gonna fix next week that causes the idiot lights to flicker on and off. Its actually been doing that for quite a while.
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### Author:  [@offroadzj](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/offroadzj)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/15 "2012-01-27T19:09:31Z")
I actually had that happen on my jeep. So that loud noise he hear was probably the wire arcing like hell against the block. Lucky he didn’t fry any sensitive electronics.
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/16 "2012-01-27T19:14:03Z")
They said the computer got shorted out for a second and that was most likely what the noise was from.
Weird that it was all corroded because the car is in good condition with fairly low miles and was running fine.
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### Author:  [@slow4show](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/slow4show)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/17 "2012-01-27T19:22:44Z")
you pjb’s and youre fords…
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### Author:  [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/18 "2012-01-27T19:23:50Z")
im pretty sure his dad’s car is a Hyundai…
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/19 "2012-01-27T19:24:24Z")
My dad never owned a Ford until he got this Focus a few years ago. Ive had 3 myself but also had 3 Chevy’s, a Plymouth, an Oldsmobile and a Hyundai.
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### Author:  [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-shut-off-while-driving-and-wont-start/262471/20 "2012-01-27T19:25:14Z")
> [@By far the coolest thing I've hauled around so far](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/by-far-the-coolest-thing-ive-hauled-around-so-far/48091/33):
>
> im pretty sure his dad’s car is a Hyundai…
Ford Focus- the one this thread is about.
My mom has a Hyundai Santa Fe.
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