Car jerks during quick acceleration
My car has gone around 150,000 miles. The problem appears when I try to accelerate quickly. Then, the car would make these jerking movements. If I try to pass some car, it would hesitate and jerk until it gathers some speed. The car doesn't have stalling issues however. But, it also takes the car a bit longet to start up. It usually happens after I drive for a while and then stop briefly. When I get back to the car and turn it on, the RPM would quickly increase two times and then get back to normal. The car died on ome once, right after I bought it. I filled the tank with gas and started i
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
You may have a misfire in the engine or low fuel pressure from a bad pump, clogged filter, or both. I recommend having a mechanic test the fuel pressure and volume to see if the fuel pump is meeting specifications. Also, have the ignition system checked for misfires and see if it is in need of any service. From there, they will be able to determine the cause of your acceleration issue and let you know what needs repair.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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An indication that a vehicle is not receiving the right mixture of air and fuel is if the vehicle jerks or surges forward at high speed. Several components of the fuel or air intake system could cause this jerking or surging sensation to happen. Issues within these systems can also cause fuel economy to worsen.
There are a range of reasons why your car is juddering when you accelerate. Your vehicle could have dirty fuel injectors, a damaged fuel pump, a blocked catalytic converter, a faulty mass airflow sensor, broken spark plugs, or even an accumulation of moisture.
If the air/fuel mixture inside the engine becomes too rich, it can disrupt the exhaust, causing car jerks or the accelerator to respond when you press the gas pedal. Other symptoms of a faulty catalytic converter include foul odors and decreased fuel economy.
Many different faults can cause the vehicle to jerk and have acceleration issue. The most likely cause of these are spark plugs, battery, alternator, fuel pump, low transmission fluid, MAF sensor, vacuum leak, exhaust leak or oxygen sensor. All of these would need to be ruled out before the transmission was replaced.
A damaged carburetor may not mix fuel / air properly and can leave your car jerking, miss fire or running rough even if the spark is present. This can lead to poor gas mileage, decreased performance and general bad tuning.
One of the most common causes of a sputtering engine is an issue with the vehicle`s fuel system—the filter, pump, and injectors. These three critical components work together to ensure fuel flows smoothly from the fuel tank to your engine`s fuel injectors, and then pumps into the engine evenly.
Dirty Air Filters
The air filter functions to prevent dirt and debris in the air from entering the engine. If it`s dirty, it could restrict airflow to the engine, thus reducing the amount of oxygen that the engine gets. This causes an uneven oxygen-to-fuel ratio in the engine which leads to misfiring and car jerking.
When your car jerks, stumbles or stutters while driving, it usually means something is interfering with the proper distribution and transfer of power from your transmission. Another example is if you`re driving a manual transmission and haven`t gained the feel of shifting for your particular vehicle.
If you`re driving at freeway speeds and notice your engine sputter or jerk, you may have a failing fuel pump. This problem is caused when the fuel pump can`t deliver a smooth flow of fuel to the engine; periodically, your engine receives only air when it was expecting to receive fuel.
Surging/Hesitation
In the case of surging, the fuel pump is pushing too much diesel fuel or gasoline into the combustion chamber and this will cause your vehicle to pick up speed in spurts. If the fuel pump is not sending enough accelerant into the combustion chamber, your engine will hesitate.
SHUDDERING AND JERKING
When your car jerks while accelerating or decelerating, it may be a possible symptom of a bad torque converter. The damaged lock-up clutch can be a problem when you feel shuddering while moving on a smooth road.
Lack of Acceleration
A dirty air filter reduces the amount of clean air that is getting through to the engine, decreasing its power and performance. Replacing your dirty engine air filter with a new, clean one can improve the acceleration of your engine.
When you press down the accelerator pedal and get minimal output, it could mean you have a problem with your fuel system. The most probable issue is a clogged fuel filter. Your fuel filter works to ensure that dirt and debris do not get into the fuel system.
Dirty Air Filters
The air filter functions to prevent dirt and debris in the air from entering the engine. If it`s dirty, it could restrict airflow to the engine, thus reducing the amount of oxygen that the engine gets. This causes an uneven oxygen-to-fuel ratio in the engine which leads to misfiring and car jerking.
Dirty Air Filters
The air filter functions to prevent dirt and debris in the air from entering the engine. If it`s dirty, it could restrict airflow to the engine, thus reducing the amount of oxygen that the engine gets. This causes an uneven oxygen-to-fuel ratio in the engine which leads to misfiring and car jerking.
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Car jerks during quick acceleration
ANSWER : You may have a misfire in the engine or low fuel pressure from a bad pump, clogged filter, or both. I recommend having a mechanic test the fuel pressure and volume to see if the fuel pump is meeting specifications. Also, have the ignition system checked for misfires and see if it is in need of any service. From there, they will be able to determine the cause of your acceleration issue and let you know what needs repair.
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When accelerating the car begins to jerk real bad.
ANSWER : Usually when the Check Engine Light flashes, it is an indication that you have a severe misfire that may cause damage to the catalytic converter. Most of the time this is due to failing ignition components. That is why it feels jerky. A certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, will be able diagnose your rough driving symptoms and determine the exact cause of your concern.
Read Full Q/A … : Car jerks during quick acceleration
The car hesitates and jerks during quick acceleration
ANSWER : It sounds like you may be experiencing an issue with your fuel system. The fuel pressure regulator is one of the parts responsible for maintaining your fuel pressure at all rates of engine speed. Most fuel pressure regulators are controlled by engine vacuum. It is possible that your fuel pressure regulator has failed or the vacuum line that connects to it is leaking. I would consider the vacuum leak more likely considering that engines produce less, vacuumed at higher RPMs. I would recommend having your fuel pressure regulator as well as the rest of your fuel system inspected by a qualified technician. Ensure that this job is performed by a professional, such as one from YourMechanic as fuel can be very dangerous. If you are looking to solve this problem, I recommend a mechanic from YourMechanic to inspect and diagnose why your engine hesitates, during acceleration.
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Why does my car jerk & accelerate by its self?
ANSWER : From what you’ve described, the jerking is most likely due to a misfire or a vacuum leak on the engine. You should have all the spark plugs and wires checked for misfiring after your computer is scanned for a misfire code.
You may have a leaking valve cover getting oil on the plugs and wires. Another possibility is that the engine may have a vacuum leak, causing the high idle and even the misfire if no other problems are found. A proper diagnostic should be done if any engine codes are present.
If you need help with getting this fixed, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home to diagnose the misfire firsthand for an accurate repair. Best of luck.
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Rattling heard and felt from underneath car when accelerating. Car hesitates (as if it will cut off) when accelerating
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear of your difficulty with your 2012 Sonic. The good news is your Check Engine Light is on, so what means the fault has been "recorded" by the engine computer and diagnostic codes will be available to the mechanic to search for the fault. The codes don’t necessarily indicate which "parts" have failed but rather will indicate which systems are malfunctioning and causing poor operation of the engine. Individual components in these systems will then have to be tested by the mechanic. The traction codes may or may not be related to the issue with the engine, the poor acceleration, but those traction codes will have to be evaluated as well. It is possible there is more than one problem. If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect your vehicle for you and download codes your car computer has stored, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.
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i was driving and my oil light kept going off. Car had oil. Car wouldn’t accelerate. Car died. It does not turn engine over now.
ANSWER : It is very possible that the engine has been damaged beyond repair. Usually when the oil light goes on and the vehicle is low on oil, especially when a loud noise is heard right before the vehicle died, it is very likely that the engine is blown and would require replacement in order to continue driving the vehicle. I would recommend having the vehicle checked with a no start inspection. Consider YourMechanic as this service can be completed at your home or office.
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My car accelerates too quickly when I apply throttle and I am receiving poor fuel economy numbers
ANSWER : The acceleration you are experiencing is normal. The car has a large, very powerful engine and was designed to reach 60 MPH in less than 4 seconds which is exceptional. The gas mileage you are reporting is at the lower end of the range reported for this vehicle but it is not extremely low. The EPA city rating is 18 MPG so you are about 10% below the city rating. You can maximize mileage by: keeping the tires adequately inflated; ensuring vehicle wheel alignment is correct; check for stuck brake caliper(s); maintain consistent vehicle speed; make sure engine temperature is in normal range and not too low due to a stuck open cooling system thermostat; and make sure there is no excess weight in vehicle. If mileage does not improve after verifying all of the foregoing, or if you simply want all the foregoing inspected, please request a vehicle fuel efficiency diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this issue investigated and resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you
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I put the wrong key in my car and a few weeks later my car just shut down and it will not start I believe it’s the computer but…
ANSWER : Hi there. What had happened is the wrong key set the security to the vehicle. This is to prevent the vehicle from starting with the wrong keys. Try removing the battery cables (+) and (-) for 13 minutes. During that time, put the original key in the ignition and turn it on. Activate everything in the car even though there is no power. Then remove the key and hook up the battery cables. The computer should have reset and reset the security. If the security is still being tripped, then I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you
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