Can A Bad Speed Sensor Cause Stalling?

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Can a bad speed sensor cause stalling? It is widely believed that a bad speed sensor can cause a lot of issues, including having a direct effect on your transmissions.

But, can it actually cause your engine to stall? Well, a failing speed sensor can contribute to the reasons(s) why your engine just stopped cranking.

Engine stalling is not something you should wish to experience. It is risky and leaves you frustrated for the while – when it happened.

Hence, it is important that you know the possible reasons why your engine may stall, and watch for them. Stalling can mean that your engine is dead, and that’s something you just don’t want to hear.

Can A Bad Speed Sensor Cause Stalling?

When a car stalls, the possible cause can be traced to the following: An empty gas tank, a bad/faulty fuel pump, dead battery, clogged or damaged filter, low fuel pressure, a failing sensor, or water in the fuel.

Looking at these common causes of stalling, you’d spot “a failing sensor.”

However, there are many sensors installed in a car and they are assigned different tasks.

Your vehicle speed sensor does not directly affect your car engine when it gets bad. But it can, over time, cause many issues to occur.

That said, when you experience a stalling, the foremost things to check are your gas tank, battery, the fuel systems (filters, pump, valve, etc.), and try to see if you actually put the right “fuel” into your car.

If after checking for all these and you can figure out the culprit, then you can check your wheel speed sensors.

So, yes, a failing or bad speed sensor can cause stalling; however, it happens in rare scenarios since speed sensors are not directly connected to the engine in most cars.

Cases, where speed sensors are the main culprit of a stalling engine, are mostly traced to automatics.

Cars with manual transmissions are unlikely to experience stalling due to bad speed sensors.

Regardless, you should be watchful and keep an eye on your car components, ensure that you fix detected issues as soon as you can before they escalate to costlier repairs.

What To Do When Your Car Stalls

First things first, manage the car to a safe place and park it there. You may need to set the caution signs to notify other road users that something is wrong with your vehicle.

After you have done that, start the troubleshooting – check out for the possible cause of the stalling.

If you cannot detect the problem by yourself, call on a mechanic to help you with that. In worst scenarios, it may be your engine that died.

So, you may need an engine replacement. However, it could be other minor issues such as a faulty air filter or fuel pump – these ones don’t cost much.

Conclusion

So, can a bad speed sensor cause stalling? The simple answer is YES, but not in all cases.

Speed sensors don’t actually affect your car’s engine when they go bad, but if you don’t fix them sooner, you’re likely to experience stalling.