Car is shaking when in idle and shudders as you go through the gears seems better in higher gears?!
It started this morning as I went to pull away In first gear ,thought it was clutch to start with but certainly not it's a shudder ,loss of power but my car is shaking whilst idle?
My car has 41000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
A rough idle may be caused by many different things such as low fuel pressure, low voltage to the fuel injectors, dirty fuel injectors, a vacuum leak, a faulty Oxygen sensor or a dirty or failing idle air control valve. Any of these possibilities relate to fuel delivery issues that will disrupt the normally balanced air/fuel mixture that would otherwise allow the motor to run smoothly. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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The most common cause of the shaking most often happens near your tires and rims. The tires and wheels connect your vehicle to the road, and if anything is a bit wonky, will notice. It may be something like a broken transmission or a broken control arm.
Motor Mounts. Motor mounts keep your engine attached to the car. Weak or broken mounts can`t hold the engine tight in the engine compartment and creates a vibration at idle. If the shaking subsides when the car is in Neutral, this could indicate the motor mounts are responsible for the vibrations.
The most prevalent cause of vibration is problems with your wheels or tires. The potential problems include improper wheel and tire balance, uneven tire wear, separated tire tread, out of round tires, damaged wheels and even loose lug nuts.
Automatic transmissions that shift hard, jerk or shake during a shift change may mean your transmission fluid needs changed or fluid level is low. In manual transmission vehicles, abnormal gear shifts could indicate damaged gear synchros, worn clutches or other, more severe issues.
If you begin to feel persistent shaking in your car, it`s best that you get to the problem right away before continuing to drive. Continuing to drive with the shaking can result in further damaging parts, ruining your tires, and other costly problems that could be avoided by a quick trip to your mechanic.
A rough idling engine can be caused by spark plugs or spark plug wires. Spark plugs use the electrical current received from ignition coils to ignite the air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber. A plug that is damaged or installed incorrectly can result in fuel being burned at an inconsistent rate.
The most common reasons for your car to excessively vibrate are a problem with your tyres, wheels, brakes, steering, suspension, axle or engine.
You usually notice your car shuddering because it feels like it`s vibrating. Your car will vibrate even when you`re not going very fast. The shuddering makes the car lag and is very noticeable. Some vehicles have a transmission temperature indicator that will let you know when your car`s transmission is overheating.
Grinding, Jerking, or Shaking
Shaking and jerking are good indicators of transmission trouble. Gear grinding is a common symptom in manual transmission vehicles. Automatic transmission failure often begins with some hesitation during gears shifting. Some might describe this a “slipping,” as well.
A rough idling engine is a clue that some part in your vehicle isn`t functioning properly or may be failing. Besides wasting fuel and other drivability issues, a rough running engine should be promptly diagnosed and repaired to prevent engine damage and ensure your driving safety.
500rpm is a bit low to me . Most cars I`ve dealt with it`s around 850rpm . If the idle is set to low when you come to a stop from running at a faster speed ( especially quick ones ) the idle speed may not be high enough to compensate to keep the engine running .
How to fix it? Cleaning or replacing the fuel filter and adding a fuel injector cleaning treatment to the fuel tank should take care of clogged fuel injectors. If the rough idle persists, it`s time to take your car to an auto repair shop.
The most likely cause of the shuddering most often happens in the vicinity of your car`s rims and tires. They plant your car to the road, and if anything is broken, will feel it. On a serious note, it may be a broken transmission mount or a broken caliper.
One of the most common causes of jerky acceleration is a dirty fuel injector. Your fuel injectors are responsible for pushing fuel into your engine`s cylinders. This means they control the timing and amount of fuel used to keep your engine running.
If vibration is felt at certain speeds, the tires may need to be balanced. If the tires are wearing unevenly and causing the car to vibrate, the driver may need a tire rotation. In some cases, the driver may need new tires to solve the problem of vibration.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Car is shaking when in idle and shudders as you go through the gears seems better in higher gears?!
ANSWER : A rough idle may be caused by many different things such as low fuel pressure, low voltage to the fuel injectors, dirty fuel injectors, a vacuum leak, a faulty Oxygen sensor or a dirty or failing idle air control valve. Any of these possibilities relate to fuel delivery issues that will disrupt the normally balanced air/fuel mixture that would otherwise allow the motor to run smoothly. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
My manual car won’t go into gear, it turns on and the clutch goes down perfectly fine. It happened after my gears grinded, the car
ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
My car won’t go past 35mph
ANSWER : Hi there. From the description you provided, your vehicle has problems with the transmission again. You stated it will not shift into 3rd gear again, like before the transmission was rebuilt. If the transmission is again the problem, it should be covered under warranty. It could be a faulty shift solenoid. The shift indicator not reading properly could be a faulty transmission position sensor. If this is an overall lack of performance issue, according to your last statement, then possibly you have a restriction in the exhaust system. I recommend having your vehicle’s problems inspected and diagnosed by a certified technician from YourMechanic.
Stays idling when I put it in gear, and the car doesn’t move. When forced into any gear without the clutch, the car does not shut off.
ANSWER : Hi there. The clutch may be worn and slipping causing the engine to stay running as the shifter is put into a gear selection. If the clutch was working, when put into gear and let off the clutch pedal, the vehicle will either move or stall out the engine. Check the slave cylinder and see if the return spring has broken off causing the clutch fork to stay engaged. Also the clutch adjuster cable could be out of adjustment or damaged. If the pedal and hydraulic assembly has no issues, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you diagnose your clutch.
Car won’t go into gear. 2002 Audi A4 Quattro
ANSWER : Hi there – Your symptoms describe the behavior to expect when your clutch hydraulics go out (clutch master and clutch slave cylinders). Check your clutch fluid level – it may be low. If the fluid level is low, this usually means your clutch slave cylinder has worn out, not unusual with your mileage, and should be replaced. I recommend a malfunctioning clutch inspection performed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
BMW 318i, car is shaking. Why?
ANSWER : Hello, thanks for writing in. It sounds like you may have a serious internal engine issue, something may have come disconnected, or you have bad gas. I usually check the computer for codes first. If the computer is seeing a problem then it will be stored in a code and that will give direction to the issue. If there is nothing there then a visual inspection of the engine must be done followed by a compression test. If you need to have this looked at, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose and repair this.
Shifting from 2nd to 3rd, car stopped going fast. Now it won’t go at all.
ANSWER : It is possible that your clutch has failed. The sound you are hearing is likely due to the clutch not engaging with the engine due to it being worn. I would recommened having your transmission inspected by a qualified transmission expert to determine if your clutch requires replacement in order to resolve this issue. This inspection may require removal and partial disassembly of the transmission in order to verify that the clutch has failed.
car shakes when idle and accelerating
ANSWER : It is very possible that you have a valve cover gasket or spark plug tube seal leak on your vehicle. These type of leaks will allow oil to leak onto the spark plugs causing misfires. When the engine misfires due to oil getting on the spark plug, the engine oil will burn. Since oil and tires are both petroleum products, they will both smell similar when they are burning. I would recommend having an oil leak inspection performed by a qualified professional to determine if there is an oil leak. Consider YourMechanic as an Oil/Fluid leak inspection can be peformed at your home or office.
