Car stalled at 35 mph, check engine light on

ANSWER : Hello there, you have a long series of issues going on with your 2013 Hyundai Sonata. If you keep getting a repeating oil light on than there is likely a fault in that system.

Since this fault has lasted after the engine was replaced it could be a oil pressure sensor, wiring harness fault, ECU fault, oil pump, oil strainer clogged, or low oil pressure.

To diagnose this issue properly you need a complete vehicle inspection to start from square one and identify the root cause of all this.

ANSWER : Hello. Warning lights accompanied with stalling can be caused by many things. If the oil is low I would go ahead and top it off to prevent the possibility of engine damage, however, it is unlikely that low oil is what caused the stalling. Stalling is most commonly caused by issues with the ignition, engine management, or fuel systems. If one of the components, such as a major sensor, the fuel pump, or the ignition coil, go out or have an issue they can cause the engine to stall. If the vehicle is no longer starting then it may be possible that there is an issue with the electrical system as well, perhaps a faulty battery or alternator. If the alternator goes out it will eventually drain the battery, which could also cause stalling. Scanning the computer for trouble codes, once the vehicle is started, will likely reveal some insight into what the issue may be. As the possibilities could be many, I would recommend having a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location diagnose what may have caused your vehicle to stall.

ANSWER : Hi there. It is possible that the battery cable came loose or the wires to the oil pressure sensor has came loose or failed. Check the battery cables and make sure that the terminals are tight and clean. Check the wires to the oil pressure sensor and make sure that they are connected and not broken. If everything looks good, then the oil pressure sensor may have failed. Plus, check the computer for codes and see what is stored. This will lead you to the part that could have failed. I recommend replacing the oil pressure sensor then checking to see if the lights will go out. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your vehicle, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you with the warning lights that came on.

ANSWER : This may be a result of a dirty or failing idle air control valve. The idle air control valve reads the air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the engine at low speeds and at idle. Since this valve is controlled by the vehicle’s computer, it will adjust idle speed based upon other measurements such as engine temperature, intake air temperature and electrical system load or voltage. When you accelerate, the engine RPM increases, and as you let off the gas, the RPM slowly returns to the normal idling speed with the help of the idle air control valve making the transition from a higher RPM back down to idle speed. When the engine RPM drops below the normal range of about ~800 RPM, this often times will cause the engine to stall indicating a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and replace your idle air control valve.

ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If sometimes your vehicle will start with the new alternator and sometimes it won’t, then there is a loose connection in your charging system. Check all of the wires to the alternator and to the battery. Make sure that the battery cables are clean and tight. Make sure that the wires to the starter are clean and tight. A loose ground to the ignition system will cause the vehicle to not crank over. Check all of the ground wires from the battery to the starter. Make sure that they are clean and tight. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your no start situation, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you.

ANSWER : Hello. If the Check Engine Light has come on, then that means the computer has detected some sort of issue. I would rescan the computer to see if the same code has returned, even after cleaning the sensor. If cleaning the MAF did not clear the code, then it is likely that the MAF sensor needs to be replaced. When changing out the MAF be sure to replace it with a high quality unit (an original equipment piece if possible), as a low quality,or low budget MAF can sometimes cause issues. Usually a MAF sensor replacement is quick, and aside from clearing the code, it can help keep the vehicle running at maximum efficiency.

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Shaking and vibrating typically comes from a misfire, or poor engine performance. A lack of oil will absolutely contribute to these symptoms and amplify them, if not cause them to begin with. You want to turn your attention to the cause of the oil leak. If external (you can see the leaking oil), then you will want to trace the leak to the component which has failed. If the leak is internal (or the engine is consuming oil), the leak will be harder to find. It will also explain the poor engine performance due to excess oil in the combustion chamber. A head gasket is one of the main components that will fail and cause these issues. It is however not common for a vehicle this age to have these kinds of problems. You will also want to scan the computer, and see what codes are triggering your check engine light. These diagnostic tools will help you determine what system(s) is to blame for the malfunction. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : There are countless potential causes for your illuminated check engine light. The mechanic manually turned off the light, but it came back on because the problem has not been fixed. The first place to start is retrieval of the stored diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). These codes serve as a starting point for any further diagnostics a mechanic may perform. Codes will be stored anytime the check engine light is on. Since the first mechanic was unable to fix your concern, I recommend giving the professionals at YourMechanic a call. We offer expert check engine light diagnosis and repair.