Engine cut out. Advice please.

[Count Knobula]

The wife's driving it at the moment (short commute, coupla miles) and this morning everything decided to cut out. All that was still working was the stereo.

She steered it to the side (with no power steering of course), parked it and started up again. All fine and dandy and off she went.

No idea if this was a fluke (LOL yeah right) or is related to other issues.

Background: Car was bought with lots of electronic issues. Now there seems to be an inconsistent ground (some circuit somewhere sometimes completes and all the test lights come on, everything gets a bit more juice for a second then goes back to normal) somewhere and I'm thinking maybe this has now become a problem?

Only other thing I think it could be related to is that recently to get the AC to work the water temp sensor it "listens" to had to be disconnected because the sensor is bad and it stops the AC engaging.

Any ideas?

Sorry if my explanation is cruddy, am rather annoyed right now. I thought big problems were behind me and am scared this is an ultra disaster.

 

[foreverpsycotic]

happened to me once only everything shut off. turns out that the battery cable jumped off the terminal.

 

[Count Knobula]

You mean it started up again or did you reconnect?

 

[Count Knobula]

Actually, another thing that (may) be relevant:

My key isn't very good. Upon insertion into the err keyhole sometimes it needs a bit of persuasion, and it sometimes drops slightly in it's positioning. Hasn't been a problem before (apart from when starting up). Any chance of it being that?

 

[Kangae]

I had this problem once. I tried to start it and it sounded like it was starting then everything died, not sure if the stereo still worked since I didn't have one. Turns out there was some kind of build up on the battery terminals, had to replace one it was so bad, but it has worked fine ever since. Also had alot of electrical problems with mine at one point.

 

[Count Knobula]

Gave it a go. The battery is fairly new so there wasn't much to clean.

It might be related to the ignition circuit somehow. Has run fine every day since the incident though..........