While diving can be stressful, experiencing a sudden jerk while you accelerate can be downright scary. If a sudden jerk catches you off-guard you may even lose control of your vehicle. It’s important to know the possible reasons your car may jerk while accelerating, and how to fix these issues. Below, we’ve outlined some common possible causes and fixes.
1. Clogged Fuel Injectors
Having clogged fuel injectors is a very common issue that can cause many car problems. A clogged fuel injector can prevent the fuel your car needs to accelerate, thus causing you car to jerk in the process. If you hear your car engine stuttering, then the injectors may not be providing an adequate amount of fuel.
To fix this, you should clean the injectors on a regular basis. Using a fuel injector cleaning solution might eliminate the issue of the car jerking.
If the clog is too severe, the injectors may need to be taken out and cleaned or replaced by a mechanic.
2. Obstructed Catalytic Converter
Your car’s catalytic converter manages the reduction of exhaust particles that your car puts out. However, if the converter is obstructed with too much exhaust/air, then it can become obstructed. This can also cause the airflow to be impeded throughout the car’s exhaust system.
This can result in jerking and stuttering, which can cause your car to become unresponsive during acceleration. Other than the possible jerking, you may also experience bad smells, an illuminated check engine light, or decreased fuel economy.
Depending on the severity of the issue, you may be able to clean out the converter using a cleaner. However, if the issue needs more than a cleaner, then you will need to have a mechanic investigate, and it may end up needing to be replaced.
3. Defective Mass Airflow Sensor
Having a defective mass airflow sensor could certainly cause your car to jerk or even lung forward while accelerating.
The mass airflow sensor helps measures the amount of air that your car engine takes in. Based on the amount of air intake, the MAF data is used to adjust the injectors to supply an adequate fuel amount when necessary so that an ideal air and fuel mixture is maintained.
If the mass airflow sensor becomes defective, jerking can occur as you accelerate or drive at higher speeds. It may be noticed a lot as you drive at a constant high speed such as highway diving.
You may notice black smoke coming from your tailpipe or your engine may backfire, and you will likely be notified of a problem when the check engine comes on. To fix this issue you’ll need to have the sensor replaced.
4. Dirty Fuel Filter
Car jerking is often due to the amount of fuel being supplied to the engine, so checking the fuel filter and fuel pump is a good place to start diagnosing.
When a car has a faulty fuel pump your car will have a hard time maintaining the required amount of fuel needed for accelerating. You will likely need to have it replaced.
5. Clogged Air Filter
Proper air intake is essential for your car to run properly, so it is necessary to have a clean air filter. When your air filter is dirty, it decreases the amount of available air that the engine needs to combust properly.
The air filter’s job is to prevent dirt and debris from entering the engine. When the filter becomes too dirty, it may allow some of the built-up dirt to enter. When this happens, your car may begin to jerk.
By keeping an eye on the filter’s cleanliness, you will be able to prevent clogging, and when it becomes too dirty to clean you’ll need to replace it.
6. Spark Plugs Don’t Spark
Checking the spark plugs and identifying if they no longer spark is easy to do and fix. When the spark plugs are working properly, they ensure power is properly provided to the vehicle.
Having the spark plugs misfire due to being worn out can cause jerking or shuttering while you accelerate and drive.
To prevent any misfiring, you can just replace the plugs. To prevent any other spark plug issues, it’s a good idea to have all the plugs replaced.
7. Worn Out Accelerator Cable
Although most cars today use a throttle that is electronic, many older cars still utilize a cable that helps the vehicle accelerate. This cable is the link between the throttle’s plate and gas pedal.
As times passes, you may wind up with a worn-out accelerator cable on your hands. If this is the case, then the car will not respond normally as you attempt to accelerate, which can lead to jerking.
If the cable shows signs of damage or wear and tear, you’ll need to have it immediately fixed or replaced to ensure that it does not snap, which will prevent the car from being drivable.
8. Malfunctioning Transmission Control Module
A malfunctioning transmission control module can be another cause of jerking as your car’s gears shift. If you feel the jerk as your car shifts gears, you need to check the control module.
The transmission control module controls the shifting as you accelerate, so you may experience delays with shifting, which can cause your car to jerk.
While this is not as common of an issue as others in this list, it can certainly be the culprit behind your car jerking.
When a car starts jerking as you accelerate it, there is undoubted that it’s usually a sign of an impending issue. However, sometimes car jerks when accelerating is a common problem faced by several car owners. But don’t worry because this symptom also has a solution like other car problems.
Car Jerks When Accelerating – Reasons & Solutions
You must be aware of all the feasible reasons behind the problem in accelerating before jumping to the solution. The car jerking problem happens to be an issue common in both manual and automatic cars.
1. Polluted Air Filter
What does it mean when your car jerks? Air filters keep the car away from the road pollutants such as dirt, debris and other things that contaminate the engine. Over time, filters are susceptible to accumulating obstructions and build-ups. In addition to pollutants, dirty air filters are also the cause of inefficient fuel combustion.
Therefore, you should wipe those off then check to make sure the symptom will not happen again. For example, Toyota Camry is said that sometimes it jerks when accelerating and the most common reason behind is air filter pollution. Furthermore, some people think that Toyota Camry is a bit sluggish when accelerating from a lower speed, so notice to accelerate from a stand still.
2. Damaged Fuel Pipes
The primary job of fuel pipes is transferring fuel from one section of the engine to another. It is possible that a car jerks when accelerating due to broken fuel pipes. In fact, the situation may even get worse and cause a fire in the car. Usually, it gets difficult for the car to accelerate due to disruption in fuel transfer. The internal combustion is susceptible to other major issues, once a fuel pipe leaks.
To deal with this problem, check for leaks that may be chewed off by rats. Moreover, owners of old cars should pay attention to this issue because they are likely to faulty flue line.
3. Damaged Carburetor
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The carburetor blends and regulates the right amount of fuel and air as it goes into the engine cylinders for appropriate fuel combustion. A damaged carburetor is responsible for poor performance of the car as well.
Like a dirty air filter, an improper carburetor also causes car jerking as it disturbs the fuel-air mixture balance. If you figure out an issue with the carburetor, check the fuel inlet, throttle lever, idle jet or throttle valve.
4. Accumulated Moisture In Distributor Cap
The weather is also one of the major reasons why a car jerks when accelerating. Obviously, it usually occurs during the winter with vey low temperature when you park your car outside. Moisture gathering in your car’s distributor cap can cause car jerking and lead your engine to misfire while you accelerate.
The solution here is quite simple: prevent to park car in a cold and wet place and try to find warmer spot instead.
5. Polluted Injection System, Fuel Tank And Filter
Gunk or dirt can cause severe problems to your car. A polluted fuel tank, filter or injection system can cause car jerking very easily. It disturbs the flow and supply of the fuel into the engine. Furthermore, insufficient fuel in the car causes it to jerk as you accelerate the car.
Nevertheless, it isn’t too hard to fix and you don’t need to hire someone to do it. You can buy a special kit solely for injectors in the local hardware store or online and clean that area carefully. It is also advised that you should do it regularly to make sure your engine doesn’t get clogged up with dusk and dirt.
6. Poor Engine Tuning Or Blockage In Engine
If everything comes clean, you must check your engine. Basically, engine tuning involves nothing more than adjusting a vehicle’s engine as well as the fuel system. Effective engine tuning boosts your car’s performance and eliminates car’s jerking.
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Besides poor engine tuning, one of the most frequent reasons of car jerking when you accelerate is blockage in engine. Jerking happens as gases are not coming out of it when they are supposed to. In addition, you should not ignore the “Check Engine” light in your car, especially when it is blinking. This problem occasionally happens in Honda Accord and Nissan Murano. In this case, sending the car to a professional mechanic to get it tuned or remove the blockage is the best solution.
7. Wrong Alignment
Lastly, if your engine is good and none of the motor of the car is the problem, it might be that your car fails to react to pulling. Many car owners misunderstand that it jerks, but actually it is just your car moving really slow.
To address this, you have to check your tires to make sure that pressure in them are done right. Besides, alignment your car’s tire is needed if your car experienced some severe collisions.
8. Your Skills With Manual Transmission
Car jerks when accelerating at low speeds is not something rare. If you have driven a stick shift car before or if your car has a manual transmission, you are sure have experienced the car jerk followed by the engine stalling. This type of car jerk is very common in a manual transmission for those drivers who are just starting to learn how to drive. In this case, it mostly happens when you are trying to shift from the neutral gear to the first gear when you continue after a pause in the middle of a slope. Of course the solutions is to practice your clutch foot and engine feel. Car jerks when accelerating from stop and car jerks when you press on the gas is at the time when you try to start moving your car at the middle of a slope.
Below is the steps to practice but you should ask your driving teacher for further understand if needed:
- Press the clutch pedal down to the floor.
- Move the stick into first gear and ease onto the gas pedal while at the same time slowly releasing the clutch pedal. Make sure to perform this transition smoothly, or else the car will jerk really fast.
- Pay attention to the jerky motion of the car
- Ease off the clutch and onto the gas when shifting gears.
9. Broken Spark Plugs
The spark plug’s function is to light up the combined fuel and air inside the engine, which causes fuel and air mixture to combust and move the pistons. Therefore, a fully functional spark plugs ensure the engine to work efficiently. A faulty spark plug means a failed engine and a jerking car.
Spark plugs need to be replaced frequently. You may also need to check upon the its wires for signs of wear and tear.
10. Broken Ignition System
In case the spark plugs are freshly new and working well while their wires are all fine, it should be time to have your ignition system checked. Newer generation cars have the engine computer controlled ignition systems, which you will need to drive to your service center for check-up.
Your catalytic converter have the function of regulating the emissions that come out of your car. At times, the rich mixtures of air and fuel flowing through your catalytic converter can clog up. This clogging stuff can lead to a jerking or stuttering motion when you press the gas pedal.
12. Drained Acceleration Cable
A car jerking may be a result of a very worn out acceleration cable. You will notice some signals for this symptom such as your car takes excessive time to respond when you press the accelerator and starts jerking. Another symptom is that if you take a look inside, the outer covering of the acceleration cable will be damaged.
The best you can do is to change the drained acceleration cable as soon as possible, as the car will jerk and stop at any moment if you leave it to break. Take the vehicle to a mechanic to solve the problem.
13. Motor Winding
Engine winding can be another reason for car jerking. Wear of the engine’s winding is most likely to be caused by the heavily stressed engine – for example through hard acceleration. Signs for this is:
- If there are more than one winding and one of them is broken, the car will jerk.
- If there’s only one winding, the car will not start.
Use of an Ohm meter is the only way to know this, so if you don’t have one, you should check with a mechanic to know if motor winding is the reason your car is jerking.
Summing Up
These are reasons and solutions for car jerking while accelerating. So, keep try keeping all parts of the engine clean and oil them regularly. This is one of the important maintenance tips, you must know as a car owner. Also, your car jerks when accelerating by the engine problems, so right gasoline usage for your car’s engine is for better functioning.