My 2004 kia optima was skipping last night then

fuel filter in fuel line under car i belive, also chek for spark at the plugs,while doing filter see if you have fuel preasure,may need a gauge.good luck

OK, the gas cap and fuel filter things are fair W-A-Guesstimates...but you need to supply more info for any of us to help you accurately.

How were you driving when it "cut off"? Were you driving along smoothly at a fixed speed over 35mph or on the freeway at cruise? OR, were you accelerating from a stop, or pressing hard on the gas to accel hard or to go up a hill, were you turning...had the engine been running awhile(Was it fully warmed) or was this immediately after startup?

Fuel filters dont come and go. If its plugged causing loss of power, waiting 1/2 an hour or overnight wont unplug it and make it run better. The Catalytic converter could plug up and the symptoms are nearly IDENTICAL to a plugegd fuel filter in most cases. If the car cut off only under heavy load (acceleration or up a hill) then it still may be the fuel filter restricting flow. However if it cut off at idle or when coming to a stop, the odds say it isnt as they rarely plug instantly (Only if some kid dumped sugar or **** in your tank). They plug up slowly and regularly so you will 1st noticet he problem usually for days or weeks as only under acceleration, but it will usually idle FINE till it plugs completely. If it even IS a fuel problem. You REALLY REALLY need to get the trouble code that turned on the Check Engine lamp pulled for you with a scan tool. Any repair shop should be able to do that for a diagnsotic fee, or some auto parts stores still will do it for free or a fixed rental charge (like 10 dollars plus security). It may not even BE a fuel problem. It could be a crank sensor, sticking EGR, an electronic throttle problem, spark leakage...or 1000 other problems that can make it misfire, stall the engine, and cause general unhappiness and sore feet. We need to gather evidence and data to accurately direct you.

Greetings Redfoster1:
Check and see if your gas cap is on tight. If you just put gas in your car and the cap is loose, the check engine light will come on. On some cars it will cause a loss of compression to the fuel system and cause your car to cut off.