Any car experts on here?

[sophierosie]

My aged car keeps stalling for no apparent reason. At first it would stall when you were slowing down at a junction, but now it has taken to stalling when changing down the gears, ie from 3rd to 2nd when approaching a roundabout etc.

Its really scary as the powersteering goes just before it happens and earlier today it stalled and I ended up on the other side of the road as I just couldn't turn the steering wheel quick enough. V scary as had DD with me too.

So, any ideas what it could be before I think about taking it to the garage so I appear reasonable knowledgeable and they don't take me for a complete fool.

Thank you!

anyone?

Transmission problem by the sound of it, fuel supply or petrol/air ratio, does that sound technical enough? !

something could be blocked, is what I'm trying to say!

Carburettor might be playing up/want cleaning out, or there might be a leak in an air pipe, the thing is if it's stalling that means the fuel is either getting through and not mixing with the air intake correctly, so suffocating the engine, or the fuel isn't getting through quickly enough/at all.

HTH!

(I could be wrong, though...)

Thank you!

It a 12 yo vw polo so I guess its that time when things start needing a bit of work on them, but hopefully it shouldn't be too expensive to fix should it?

Its well overdue a service - if I put it in for a service would they look at it as part of that?

Hmm I think they will probably find everything they possibly can if you let them do a 'service'!!!!

Another thing occurred to me, which is probably more to do with starting it but if you check the battery terminals, make sure they are not corroded, as this can cause problems. We had a polo which was cheap as chips and it was just the terminals needed a clean up!

I would just go in and tell them it keeps dying. It might be cheapish, might be more complicated...but spout a few of the above words at them and they might think you are slightly more clued up than most women

I am of course judging them on the basis that they will take you for an idiot just for being female! They might not, you never know! Good luck

(Have you a DH/DP you could ask to drop it off - or a male friend? There is a chance that the garage will charge a bloke less, sadly)