What happens if I turn my car off at high speed and turn it back on? Can I break something?
In: Other
I had this happen to Chrysler/Plymouth vehicle I owned! The car (less than a year old) would randomly stall at highway speeds. The issue was introduced by the dealership mechanic and the service manager doubled down that it was normal operation.
First, the car runs rough because the engine is being turned by inertia and not by its own power. Second, you lose steering assist if the power steering pump is belt driven; if you have electric steering, it may still work. Fortunately, you don’t really want a lot of power assist at high speed. As for braking, mine were vacuum assisted and still working, but when I shifted the automatic trans into neutral, the engine was no longer turning, so all vacuum was lost and I had to almost stand on the pedal to stop.
Note: the dealership did fix the car after I told customers on the sales floor that if you’re OK with a car stalling at highway speeds, they’re your dealer. They’re so good at this that they’ll try to tell you that’s how cars are supposed to work.
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