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Fixing Engine Stalling/Starting Problems | EASY

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Are you fed up of going from pillar to post trying to solve a seemingly unsolvable issue with your car? Or do you just want to be armed with the right knowledge to address any potential issue with your car? Either way- I have got you covered!

This is probably something anyone would experience after your car has exceeded the 80000km or 50000 mile mark on the odometer, unless you have taken preventive measures to address potential issues. In my case, I am talking about a 3.5 liter V6 (Petrol) Automatic Mitsubishi Verada from the year 2000 (shout out to those of you who have a soft spot for modern classics ;) ).

I bought this well-maintained car off a friend from work (about a year ago) and was having a blast unleashing the beast of an engine it's got, until..

Cold Start

Six months later, the engine was cranking up but not firing. For my luck, after a few tries it fired up! This is what we usually refer to as a, "Cold Start". However, I knew there was something up as this tended to happen over the weeks that followed (very occasionally). So I decided to have it checked. 

No Faults on the Computer!

The scanner at the garage showed no signs of an issue! This was frustrating, but I was told that it can be due the fuel pump and petrol filter clogged up. I gave the go ahead for this repair and there seemed to be an issue with the petrol filter so we thought we fixed the problem. But NO!

Stalling in the middle of the Road

Like things couldn't get any worse (on top of COVID-19), my car decided to stall in the middle of the road on a Monday morning. Not to mention this is the peak of Rush Hour. The car was unresponsive for a few minutes. I let it rest for 5 minutes (Despite blocking most of the road, other drivers were very understanding and courteous. I was glad that I did not get yelled at and respect to the Traffic Police officers on duty that day who came to help me out and push my car to a side)

One last try

After 5 minutes, I cranked up the engine and it actually fired - Yay! but, there was big vibration and the rev meter seemed to want to drop really fast. so I made sure the car was on PARK with the HAND BRAKE on and floored the accelerator pedal until revs hit the 4000 rpm mark. I kept it this way for 15-25 secs. Let it off and then everything seemed fine. Managed to drive it back to the workshop.

Permanent Fix to the issue

YouTube is a great source of knowledge if you use it right. I kept on researching as to why this issue could happen and I came across multiple videos explaining the possible fixes to it. In addition, you should access online forums dedicated for the type and model of your vehicle and then search for the problem that you are experiencing. You will be astonished as to how many people have experienced the same issue and it will describe how they went about fixing the issue.

Preventive Maintenance

It all boils down to this. I had overlooked one very important factor. An engine tune up is a must every 45000-48000km. This is where carbon deposits get cleaned (the culprit and root cause of all my issues!) inside the heart of your vehicle. it's a must that spark plugs are replaced (Petrol engine), fuel injectors, throttle body, air filter, air flow system etc. are cleaned. Essentially a clean up of your car's heart to function as it should!

Thanks to friends and mostly YouTube, I was able to diagnose and address the issue. So what ever the issue you're facing, remember, YouTube and Vehicle Forums are your friends!

Plus, don't hesitate to contact me if you face similar issues. :)

Do share this article with anyone who can benefit from it.

Stay Safe, Drive Safe.


Mahen Makalande

+94774707784

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