Anyone know what would cause my van to die suddenly??

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
We won't have any input until Monday from the shop. So... I was driving home yesterday, van full of groceries and children, when the van (2004 Windstar with 72K miles) stopped accelerating, then stopped breaking, then shuddered to a stop and died. It would re-start but with the check engine, check oil and check battery lights on. And it sounded pretty rough. I didn't try to put it back into gear and we got it towed. Luckily, I was on the on ramp, and was able to just pull over and coast on the shoulder until it died. I was just starting to accelerate on the ramp when this happened. I had had my oil changed about 2 hours previous to this. FWIW, the oil change people said everything looked good but my coolant needed to be changed and flushed. My husband said the oil was still full and everything appeared OK to him, in the rain and the dark, under the hood. We have done routine oil changes and flushed the transmission system last year. We bought it used about 2 years ago, it was off a lease, and we have had absolutely no problems, until it shuddered and died on the highway!! Anyone know enough about car repair to hazard a guess??? Or at least a list of possible causes??
 
ADS

beeman

Active member
Sounds like it might be a tranny. If it was an oil problem it likely wouldn't be able to start up again. Check the tranny oil, and see if its pink (good) or brown (bad), and feel it for fine shards of metal, although they've likely settled by now if they are present.
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
It's at the shop, we had it towed, so I can't check but the tranny but the oil change place not two hours before had told me that the transmission fluid looked good. The transmission is what I am worried about, when we bought this van we read numerous reviews that there is a consistent problem with transmissions on the 04 Windstars. My hubsband said all the fluids looked fine.
 

Niea

New member
the oil change place not two hours before had told me that the transmission fluid looked good

So you're saying your vehicle was at an oil change place a few hours before your van "died"?

That sounds awfully suspicous to me! It certainly could be coincidental, but it's still worth of investigation.
 

Pixels

New member
If it was the tranny, it wouldn't be running rough while in park. Also the check oil and check battery lights wouldn't be on (not sure about check engine).

You said it stopped accelerating. When this happened to me it was a fuel filter that needed to be replaced. It could also cause the engine to run rough because it is starving for fuel. I had it towed about 30 miles to my shop of choice, and then after the vibration of towing plus it sitting overnight, it had no problem the next day because enough of the particles had shaken off the filter to partially unclog it. But the shop suggested changing it anyway and it's cheap so I agreed. Never had another problem.

The other guess I would hazard is something electrical. What exactly I couldn't say, but that's always what I think when the check oil light and check battery lights are on. The check oil light comes on when there is insufficient pressure to pump (usually caused by the engine not actually being on, sometimes by extremely low fluid levels). The check battery light comes on when the alternator is putting out less than 12V (again usually cuz the engine is not on, sometimes the alternator going out).

:twocents:
 

TXDani

Senior Community Member
It sounds like a fuel pump (or filter?) to me. But I don't know all that much other than when one of our cars needed a new fuel pump and died on me it was a lot like you described.
 

beeman

Active member
A clogged fuel filter shouldn't be throwing on any of the lights either though. Plus if it is a major tranny problem, it may not shift into N or P, even when the selector is there.
Where was the last place you filled with fuel, and how long before the issues? Unless they had major water in the fuel, you should have noticed it bucking or being thirsty for fuel before it died. If you've recently switched to ethanol blended gasoline, it will clean all the debris out of your tank, and clog the filters. If the fuel pump quit, it should have been just like running out of gas, and there shouldn't have been any shuddering. The shuddering is what makes it sound like a tranny to me :twocents: .
 

4boysmom

New member
So you're saying your vehicle was at an oil change place a few hours before your van "died"?

That sounds awfully suspicous to me! It certainly could be coincidental, but it's still worth of investigation.

That is what I was thinking too when I read this. whether it was intentional or not it seems far too coincedental that it died so shortly after being serviced. Maybe the nicked something or took something out to get to something else when they were looking around and didn't get it tight enough back in or didn't put oil back into the car after changing it... I have no idea anything about cars but the coincendence seems too coincedental to me.
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
See, I'm with you all on thinking that the oil change place had to play a role in this. We have had NO problems with this vehicle in the nearly two years we have owned it. Not one, kept up on routine maintance, no issues at all. I hadn't gotten gas in a while, had just under a quarter tank when it died. It didn't really shutter so much as it just stopped. It wouldn't accelerate, then wouldn't break, then just stopped, but I was only going a few miles an hour at that point. It all happened so quickly! My DH thinks it might be the fuel pump or filter, I SO hope so! I'm just worried that with all the warnings thrown (engine, battery and oil) it is something more serious! I keep trying just to be grateful that we are all safe, but this has got to be the worst week ever for this! I am doing my instructor candidacy NEXT WEEK! I have no time for not having a car... Plus, right before Christmas... I will definitly be telling the shop that I had had an oil change just hours before this happened, hopefully they can tell if something went wrong with the oil change that caused these problems!! Grr... I've got see if I can fit three across in the back of our Vibe now for car-pooling on Monday!
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Doesn't sound like the tranny to me either. Tranny problems *shouldn't* affect breaking ability prior to the engine dying. Fuel filter or pump shouldn't light up the battery light either once you got it started again. To me, this sounds more like an alternator issue. It could also be a bad distributor cap, a corroded battery lead or cable, a loose belt, or a whole bunch of other little things that are not very expensive.

Was that optimistic enough for you?
 

beeman

Active member
Well if it didn't shudder, and just died, it is likely fuel delivery. When the engine dies surprisingly like that it may throw codes that don't immediately get erased from the vehicle, causing the lights to go on. If the engine was running slow from a fuel shortage when you turned it on again, it likely would not have built up enough oil pressure to turn the light off.
 

azgirl71

CPST Instructor
My guess is the place who changed the oil did not put enough oil in, replace the cap tightly, or the filter was not tight. This could cause you to suck air in through the loose oil cap. If the filter was not tight or they did not add the right amount of oil your vehicle could act this way to from the loss of oil.

This is just my instinct as I have heard of it happening to people here before. Unfotunately they blew thier motors.
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
Thank you all for your input :) I am REALLY hoping it's just something simple like the fuel filter. But, as Lisa pointed out, problems related to the oil change are my big concern... That and the transmission, but the more I read online about tranny failures, it doesn't really sound like that. The fact that the battery, oil and check engine lights came on confuses me too! I've spent too much time searching online! I've got to quit and just wait until Monday comes.... And I have to make my free Snapfish album by tonight :)
 

gbpmama

New member
It stopped breaking as well? If it were just shuddering to a stop, I'd say fuel filter MAYBE. It really doesn't sound like the tranny (and I hope I am right, since no one wants to replace THAT).

The fact that you had it at the oil change place just hours before has me suspicious. Definitely have a good mechanic check it out and tell them about it just having had the oil changed.

I'd ask DH but it's Monday, you'll find out soon and DH is in the other room (lol).
 

azgirl71

CPST Instructor
Like I said in a PP I think they skipped on the oil. DH said the same thing. As for the brakes I know at least in some of my cars that if the engine stalls it does become harder to use the brakes. You have to push really hard.

Let us know what you find out.
 

Avery'sMama

CPST Instructor
Well, it turns out it was a sensor of some sort to do with the fuel system. DH didn't ask! But the repair is a tremendous amount less than a new tranny :) And it'll be done tomorrow morning, just in time for my Instructor Candidacy course that starts tomorrow!!!! Thanks for all your input this weekend, you made me feel better that it wasn't the tranny!
 

Tyler'sMom1117

New member
I see you found your answer. There are tons of problems with the Windstar/Freestar vans.

I have a 2006 Freestar. Mine died last month while driving 45 mph on a busy street. Luckily, nobody was in front of me because I lost all power, steering, brakes, etc. I was able to pull over with a lot of effort pulling the steering wheel. It was towed but them it started right up at the dealership and they never were able to find out what was wrong. I have had my van in about 20 times for warranty work since I bought it. All fluid changes have been done as recommended so it isn't a neglect issue. It's a major lemon!
 
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