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View Full Version : Car "stalls" during "hot and humid" temperatures!


russharv63
Jun 6, 2008, 08:14 PM
I have a 1993 ford taurus 3.8L V6 automatic GL. My problem is that when there are "hot and humid" temperatures outside my car will "stall" or "shut off" while I am driving. It will only do this when it is "hot and humid" outside. My car "shut off" today on me when I was driving it and the temperature was about 91 degrees outside. It will not do this when there are cooler temperatures. I never have a problem during the fall or winter. It seems to cut off more when I run the "air conditioning" in my car. I don't know if this is because the "air conditioning" makes the car run hotter or not. I don't know if there is some connection or not. I am afraid to drive my car when the temperatures get real hot. I thought the "ignition control module" might be the problem but have found that not to be the case. Can you tell me what could be causing this problem?

pheebs
Jun 6, 2008, 10:13 PM
The temperature, plus the year of the car, and running the AC can altogether be the problem. Not being a mechanic or anything, but having experienced LOTS of car problems in my lifetime and having a dad and a boyfriend who are both car people, I would suggest checking the coolant level and replacing it THEN taking it to a mechanic.

The worst thing you want to do is push the car to its limit and blow the head gasket aka kill the engine... Hope this helps!

TxGreaseMonkey
Jun 7, 2008, 08:02 AM
I would go over the complete ignition system and ensure it's in great shape. To ensure the reliability and performance on older cars, this is imperative. Therefore, I would replace the Ignition Control Module (ICM), coil, distributor cap (pay particular attention to any O-ring seal), rotor, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. It wouldn't surprise me if the ICM and/or coil are breaking down under load (heat). Because of the age of the car, I would replace the ICM and not rely on bench testing.

Reading the link below may help:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-46563-5.html#post520809

If the problem persists, see if there is a thermal overload switch that may be shutting the engine down to protect it from overheating. When I rented an Opel Capri, in Frankfurt, Germany, I ran into this problem while using the air conditioner in the heavy traffic in Genoa, Italy. The engine died in rush hour traffic and would not restart. As I backed up traffic, the Italians wanted to kill me. That night I suspected the car must be equipped with a thermal overload switch. In the morning, I figured it would start and be okay, which it was. I was just careful not to use the A/C in city traffic. I never had any more problems during the trip.

this8384
Jun 9, 2008, 11:54 AM
I would hook it up to a diagnostic scanner to determine if any codes have been recorded. If not, then check the ignition system like tx said.