# The car just shuts down while driving
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993
**Category:** SON240sx Automotive
**Created:** [October 20, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993 "2006-10-20T00:17:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/1 "2006-10-20T00:17:24Z")
Need help on what might be the cause of my 91 240SX stock engine to shut off while driving, it is sporadically re-occuring and every time I had it towed to the mechanics place it would start, but I have constantly tried to start it up while it stalls in the middle of the road. My mechanic had change some part that he think might be the cause, he did the tune up, put on new cables and spark plugs, new fule filters etc. and he also changed the fuel pump, but still the problem keeps poping up after a couple of weeks. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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### Author:  [@3ni2nr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/3ni2nr)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/2 "2006-10-20T02:37:17Z")
How long has this been going on?
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### Author:  [@logik23](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/logik23)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/3 "2006-10-20T05:29:20Z")
What happens when it shuts off? Do the RPM go up and down randomly and then the car shuts off? Does it stumble? or does it just shut off like a light switch? My dad’s Altima (same engine) would have eratic idle for like 15 seconds then turn off once in a while, turned out to be the distributor.
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### Author:  [@KoukiS14](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/KoukiS14)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/4 "2006-10-20T06:51:47Z")
> [@butramp1](#):
>
> Need help on what might be the cause of my 91 240SX stock engine to shut off while driving, it is sporadically re-occuring and every time I had it towed to the mechanics place it would start, but I have constantly tried to start it up while it stalls in the middle of the road. My mechanic had change some part that he think might be the cause, he did the tune up, put on new cables and spark plugs, new fule filters etc. and he also changed the fuel pump, but still the problem keeps poping up after a couple of weeks. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Check your ECU, random sporadic stalling usually points to there.
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### Author:  [@shortfilipino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/shortfilipino)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2006, 8:25am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/5 "2006-10-20T08:25:52Z")
On my previous car (not a 240sx), this exact same thing happened and it ended up being the ignition switch.
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### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/6 "2006-10-23T03:03:04Z")
> [@3ni2nr](#):
>
> How long has this been going on?
For like 6 to 10 months its like off and on, one time the fuel injector went bad so car was like shaking and I had that one bad injector replace, so I thought that was the problem, my mechanic suggested me to check if there is current coming from the distributor so he gave me an extra spark plug to pull out one cable and start the car to see if there is a spark, but right now the car would start so I can’t check it.
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### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/7 "2006-10-23T03:09:29Z")
> [@logik23](#):
>
> What happens when it shuts off? Do the RPM go up and down randomly and then the car shuts off? Does it stumble? or does it just shut off like a light switch? My dad’s Altima (same engine) would have eratic idle for like 15 seconds then turn off once in a while, turned out to be the distributor.
At the early stage of it a couple of months ago, it just shuts down like a light switch, and then when I try to start it, it doesn’t turn, so I waited for like 10-15 minutes then it start right away with no problem not even struggling, but lately after I replace the fuel pumps and injectors it wouldn’t start even like an hour, but once it got towed it start instantly.
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### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/8 "2006-10-23T03:12:19Z")
> [@KoukiS14](#):
>
> Check your ECU, random sporadic stalling usually points to there.
Thanks that might be it, anybody got an ECU? How much does it cost?
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### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/9 "2006-10-23T03:15:33Z")
> [@shortfilipino](#):
>
> On my previous car (not a 240sx), this exact same thing happened and it ended up being the ignition switch.
Isn’t the ignition switch a problem if the car hasn’t even started yet? Not when its running? Just wanna know I might be wrong.
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### Author:  [@absolum](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/absolum)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/10 "2006-10-23T14:07:19Z")
Cam angle sensor AKA replace the distrubutor
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### Author:  [@flyingchicken](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/flyingchicken)
#### Post date: [October 23, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/11 "2006-10-23T14:25:10Z")
my 92 maxima use to do that too, and all i did was open the distributor cap and sprayed WD40 and it stopped…but yeah…replace it.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/12 "2006-10-26T18:40:55Z")
jey, i had a similar problem and it turned out to be a loose connection on the battery terminal.
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### Author:  [@butramp1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/butramp1)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-car-just-shuts-down-while-driving/100993/13 "2006-10-28T06:40:03Z")
> [@firefoxsx](#):
>
> jey, i had a similar problem and it turned out to be a loose connection on the battery terminal.
I just changed to a new battery so I don’t think its the connection, coz it is tight.