Hi--I'm not too knowledgable about cars etc, so someone please help! I have a 99 Cobra convertible, and I have a problem which no mechanic has figured out. While driving more than an hour or two a day, normally highway driving, the car will suddenly conch-out while I'm driving. This is frightening on many levels. I had it towed to a mechanic friend of mine--but by the time it got there, it turned back on like nothing happened, and they said it's fine don't worry (in a condescending, masculine tone of voice). However, it has happened multiple times since then. The heat gauge is always fine when it happens--I really don't think it's overheating. I think (in my humble feminine opinion) that it's a computer chip that's acting out. No smoke or anything comes out. If you leave it for an hour, it will restart like nothing ever happened. When driving, all of the electricity in the car turns off--the radio, lights, etc, and the car just coasts to a stop. Even the brakes change and powersteering. Please help--I love my car to death (it's stick) and I like to drive it on the highway without getting nervous about this problem. I repeat--NO mechanic has any idea about this, and they basically think I'm over exaggerating which is very annoying. Please help--I would be eternally grateful. (hcato@learnlink.emory.edu)

 

i have an 02 V6 so my experience may or may not be applicable. i was having problems from time to time where my car would essentially shut down when i was driving, and it never threw any codes or anything. after taking it to Ford like 8 times they finally found that the cable to the negative battery terminal had a short and would just cut out from time to time. if i waited the car would start fine as if nothing was wrong. as i said it may not be applicable but maybe one of your battery cables is bad. after they fixed that i haven't had a single problem.

 

thanks

 

It would have to be electrical if you lose all electrical components at the same time. I would check both battery connections at the posts, and the connections at the block. If they are corroded, you can replace them or clean them. However you decide to do this, use an inhibitor that will slow corrrosion. As said above, it would be a good place to start. Good luck. Let us know if that does not help.

 

Is your problem when you are diving down the Highway with the Cruise onor with your foot on the accelerator it will die. Or is it more when you push in the clutch it will die?

 

any luck? keep us posted i'm curious what it turns out to be

 

Check for sensors such as the crankshaft position sensor. You may have a bad contact between the sensor and what it plugs into. If it becomes unplugged (due to a bad connection or not plugged in all the way), the computer thinks the engine isn't spinning and cuts spark.