Today I was on the road and I got my speed up to about 60 then I put the car into neutral and coasted until the next light. A few seconds before I reached the light, I realized my oil light came on, then my battery light turned on and finally my check engine light turned on. I'm like, okay, what the hell is going on? And I realized the car turned off on me. So I turned it back on with no problem and started driving back home; worried it's going to die on me again and I'd have to get it towed next time. On my way back, I got my speed up to 45, put it in neutral and again the same thing happened. This happened one more time which was at an even lower speed but luckily I reached my house in time.

This has never ever happened to me until today. I was doing some research and some people were saying some wires might be loose or a sensor might be bad. My best guess would be that the alternator needs replacing but if it was the alternator then I don't think it would turn back on after the first time it shut down.

Has anyone experienced this? You guys got any suggestions or anything to check first?

Thank you

 

Do you have an aftermarket intake installed?

 

Yes, I have a cold air intake by injen. I've had it ever since I purchased the car.

I actually just increased the RPM idle to 1k, test drove it, and it seems to be running great. Shifting smoothly as well because the RPM drops slower now but anyway, hopefully it's fixed.

 

Mine, turns me on when driving!

 

How did you inxrease your idle? If the car has had the intake for a long time it might be your mass air flow sensor starting to go. Ive heard of this when people install an intake and dont reset the ecu or disconnect the battery for a long time. If it was your alternator you would notice your battery light on and your voltage meter reading low. And like you said it wouldn't restart.

 

this... everything is controlled by the ecu. did you run a check for codes (probably not)

 

Same thing happened to my car a while ago when the ecu got fixed, if you are on neutral and rev it to upto like 3k and then release the pedal a couple of times it will probably turn off too. Seems that my car was relearning idle throttle position by itself, took like a week and stopped doing it. My suggestion for you would be to do an idle relearn procedure, good luck!

 

Could be stored or pending codes

 

you and i know that, but op prob doesn't

 

The lights came on because that's normal when the car is in the on position but it didn't have a code when I scanned it. I searched on how to increase idle and people were saying it's not possible and that it needs to be done by the dealer.

But to increase the idle, you have to take off the gas pedal. On it is a sensor with two screws that control the RPM idle. I messed with it for a bit and got it just right.

 

Did that just make it so your pedal seems like it's always being stepped on a little bit all the time? Its all electronic would be nice if you could just turn a flat head screw on the old 4 barrel double pumper.

 

Yes, I guess so. But it would be the same thing if it could be adjusted at the throttle body because then you'd have to step on it a little bit less to get the RPM you desire when you shift... which means I'm stepping on it a little less when I'm driving.. if that makes sense.

 

Patient: "When I do this my arm hurts."

Doctor: "Then don't do that."

There is no reason for the car to be in neutral. Where did you pick-up this childish habit?

 

Coasting with an aftermarket intake has caused a lot of stalls from my history on this forum. As David says, just quit doing it.

 

^Agreed- but there's more serious things to consider when the VQ shuts off at speed. The power assist is gone for steering and brakes. If you need to suddenly steer to avoid an obstacle or BRAKE HARD, the distance required will be much longer. This is a serious problem and needs to be fixed before a preventable accident occurs.

 

Same thing happened to me but with my spec going down a bridge one day. Going downhill I think I was goin maybe between 40 and 50 or something like that, put it in neutral and the whole thing shut down on me, except my phone was still playing music so I knew it was nothing electrical. I was able to turn it back on just as I hit the bottom of the hill. I pulled over, turned it off and then turned it back on, and it never did that again after that, but I never put the shift in neutral again going downhill on the Coronado Bay bridge. Too scared lol

 

I always coast in neutral down long stretches of highway.....especially in southern ohio.
I see no issue with this but if my car were stalling when I did it then you can guarantee I would stop.

Also, my spec never did that but I had no ups.