car trouble!?

varunkapahi · #1 12-07-2009, 09:45 AM

my car suddenly losses all power while am driving and then gets back ok soon. it has happened more than a couple of times, no matter what speed am going at it will suddenly become power less the RPM would drop totally and the speed will start dropping too as expected and then usually a few seconds after while its still rolling it comes back and i hit the gas and it picks up again!???

this started happening yesterday and since then i have been kinda low on fuel, dunno how low but i have'nt re fuled since then (because i have no more money left

)
so could it the lack of fuel? but i have been able to get home each time hence its not finished for sure although the indicator is at empty so i guess it running on the reserve

edit: its a Maruti suzuki WagonR, if that helps. mpfi engine

varunkapahi · #2 12-07-2009, 10:44 AM

Selta · #3 12-07-2009, 10:51 AM

Uh... could be a few things. I'm not familiar with that make/model at all, and don't have time to look it up now.
It could be lack of fuel to the fuel pump if you're (very) low on fuel. Does it seem at all dependent on whether or not you're going up a hill or anything?
Could also be dirty injectors... failing fuel pump... uh... I'm certain I'm forgetting other ideas, but, I'm at work and not really even trying to think about this right now hehe.

UncleFluffy · #4 12-07-2009, 10:52 AM

I'd suspect the low fuel level first - if the level drops too low it can mean an intermittent flow, especially if you're driving on bumpy or hilly roads. If that's not it, the next thing I'd look at is the fuel filter, see if that's clogged up.

Difficult to diagnose this sort of thing from 8 time zones away, though

varunkapahi · #5 12-07-2009, 11:03 AM

thanks guys. its my dad's car but he's kinda given it to me so i dont want to bring it up if its just the low fuel you know :P

Selta · #6 12-07-2009, 11:05 AM

First thing to do would be to get fuel in it just to make sure it's not that. Checking the filter isn't a bad idea either... so long as you don't break the fuel line taking it off (had a friend do that one time. Felt bad as I was the one who told him to check it in the first place!).

bui · #7 12-07-2009, 11:08 AM

When you say the rpm and speed drop, do you mean the gauges go to 0, even when your foot is on the gas and you can hear the engine reving? How are your electronics running? My alternator recently died (again), and those were signs I noticed...driving along, the gauges would drop to 0 even though my foot was on the gas and I could hear the engine rev.

MatticusMania · #8 12-07-2009, 11:11 AM

Sounds similar to when my old Maxima had valve problems. I thought it may have been dirty fuel injectors at first, until I took it in for diagnostics. Apparently the fuel inector valves were not opening/closing properly.

varunkapahi · #9 12-07-2009, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bui

When you say the rpm and speed drop, do you mean the gauges go to 0, even when your foot is on the gas and you can hear the engine reving? How are your electronics running? My alternator recently died (again), and those were signs I noticed...driving along, the gauges would drop to 0 even though my foot was on the gas and I could hear the engine rev.

the engine wont rev. the electronics and the display are fine

playinpearls · #10 12-08-2009, 06:40 AM

mine was doing this and it was the fuel filter and the oxygen sensor. 96 honda odyssey.

varunkapahi · #11 12-12-2009, 01:15 PM

looks like it was just the empty fuel tank! but i do feel a tiny little loss of power for no reason occasionally maybe i am just imagining stuff going wrong with my car :O. but its been cool after re-fueling

5string5fingers · #12 12-12-2009, 03:24 PM

I've had simliar problems,and would go with the most simple solution and replace the fuel filter.