There is nothing more irritating than having a comfortable drive and all of a sudden receiving a shock, a jerk, or some sort of hesitation or stutter, which is hard to understand why it occurred. You expect to get a smooth ride, but suddenly your vehicle seems to struggle to follow itself. It does not matter whether jerking occurs while accelerating, driving at a steady pace, or while changing the gears; regardless of the time you detect the issue, the truth is that you must fix it as soon as possible.
The good news is that there is always a pattern of reasons why vehicles develop jerks, especially those, which happen regularly. The main cause of the phenomenon lies in the parts that lose their capacity with time, malfunction, rust, or other reasons. This small part can develop into a major problem, since you continue to drive, hoping that the part will start working somehow, although it does not. Thus, identifying the symptoms of your vehicle’s problem will help to detect the cause and fix the issue.
First and foremost, it is important to understand the nature of your vehicle’s problems and inform your mechanic about it. This is necessary to avoid the misdiagnosis that may result in your vehicle receiving ineffective services, thus spending your money for no use. The fact is that there are many components of your car that work together and ensure a proper ride. Any problem with even the smallest of them will result in discomfort and jerking when driving. Below you will find a list of the eight most common causes of jerking and how to fix each of them.
1. Spark Plug Malfunction
One of the key elements responsible for maintaining a proper engine performance is a spark plug. As the name says, it is necessary to produce a spark and ignite the fuel-air mixture in order to create sufficient power and enable your car to run smoothly. The problem with spark plugs is that from time to time they become faulty, break, or wear out. As a result, the plug fails to produce a spark, which will cause misfires in the combustion process.
Symptoms of Misfiring Spark Plugs:
- Weak spark during combustion
- Carbon buildup on electrodes
- Widened spark plug gap
- Rough engine startup issues
- Irregular ignition performance
There are several reasons why spark plugs malfunction. First, they operate in harsh conditions, since it is extremely hot and there is high pressure and loads. Under the influence of such conditions, spark plugs age, accumulate carbon deposits, and lose the ability to create a proper spark. Moreover, spark plugs have a gap that widens over time, which leads to insufficient sparks and poor vehicle performance.
Failure to fix spark plug problems will only aggravate your car’s condition, since the engine will have to work under additional strain. Thus, spark plug misfires will result in a number of engine problems. Spark plug replacement is a relatively cheap and fast solution to eliminate any problems.
2. Fuel System Issues
In the previous paragraph, we explained that spark plugs work in order to produce a spark for igniting the fuel-air mixture. However, this procedure cannot take place without sufficient fuel supplied by the fuel system. In this regard, any problems related to the fuel system will lead to jerking issues. Dirty fuel lines or fuel injectors will prevent a sufficient amount of gasoline from reaching the cylinders. Consequently, fuel will not burn in the cylinders, resulting in engine misfires.
Fuel System Issues Symptoms:
- Restricted fuel injector spray
- Dirty fuel filter blockage
- Weak fuel pump pressure
- Inconsistent fuel supply flow
- Uneven engine fuel delivery
Fuel system malfunction is associated with clogging, which occurs because of the accumulation of carbon deposits. Due to clogged fuel lines or injectors, fuel cannot get to the cylinders in order to ignite the mixture. Other fuel system problems include the malfunctioning fuel pumps unable to produce sufficient pressure and clogged fuel filters that prevent fuel flow.
Ignoring this problem can result in a chain reaction that will affect other components of the engine. Fuel supply is essential for maintaining engine performance and efficient combustion. Fuel filters’ replacement, cleaning, and filling up your car with high-quality gasoline is highly recommended to prevent such issues.
3. Transmission Problems
The next component of your vehicle that affects its driving properties and performance is the transmission system. This mechanism ensures the transmission of energy generated by the engine to the wheels. The purpose of the transmission is to change gears and provide efficient driving. However, transmission malfunction will result in gear slipping, difficulties in switching the gears, and other problems associated with jerking.
Transmission Problems Symptoms:
- Delayed transmission gear shifting
- Slipping gears under acceleration
- Contaminated transmission fluid condition
- Poor hydraulic pressure control
- Rough power transfer operation
The common problem with the transmission is the deficiency or contamination of the transmission fluid. This liquid is necessary to lubricate gears and maintain stable fuel pressure. In case of contaminated or low volume of fluid, transmission will fail to shift gears and switch them. As a result, the transmission will prevent your vehicle from acceleration and normal functioning.
In manual transmissions, common problems relate to clutch components, whereas in automatic transmissions torque converter problems occur. Not addressing transmission troubles will result in the system’s failure that may be quite costly. Nevertheless, regular checks and servicing will help to prolong the life of the transmission.
4. Ignition Coil Malfunction
Earlier, we mentioned that spark plugs ignite the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders. Ignition coils are another element of the engine whose main function is to transform low-voltage energy produced by the battery into high-voltage energy needed for ignition. When ignition coils fail to generate sparks, the spark plugs will not be able to ignite the fuel-air mixture, resulting in engine misfires and poor performance.
Ignition Coils Problem Symptoms:
- Weak high voltage generation
- Incomplete cylinder fuel combustion
- Electrical wiring connection damage
- Engine stumbling during driving
- Ignition system power interruption
There are different reasons for ignition coil failure including excess moisture, corrosion, electrical wiring contamination, and aging. Whatever the reason, failure to fix this issue will result in problems with engine performance, misfires, decreased fuel economy and power, difficulty in starting your car, and engine stalling.
Neglecting such problems will increase the load on the catalytic converter and other components of the engine. Engine malfunction will prevent acceleration and affect vehicle power. Fixing this problem will involve replacing ignition coils.
5. MAF Sensor Issues
This abbreviation refers to mass airflow sensors that monitor the amount of air entering the cylinders of the engine. The readings obtained by MAF sensors will be transmitted to the engine management system and used for calculating the fuel-air ratio necessary for efficient combustion. Thus, any problem with MAF sensors will lead to the malfunction of this system, thus affecting engine misfires and jerking.
Signs of Mass Airflow Sensors Malfunction:
- Incorrect engine airflow readings
- Dirty sensor surface contamination
- Imbalanced combustion fuel mixture
- Reduced throttle response accuracy
- Unstable engine air intake
The common reason for this type of problem is contamination of MAF sensors with dust and other particles. Contaminated sensors cannot conduct correct measurements and provide wrong data. In such cases, your engine will hesitate, stall, jerk, struggle while accelerating, and exhibit poor responsiveness. In addition, you may notice vibrations or engine stalling.
In order to fix the problem, a MAF sensors cleaning is required. If this measure fails to resolve the issue, you need to replace these sensors. Regular cleaning of the car’s air filter will help to prevent the contamination of MAF sensors.
6. Oxygen Sensors Malfunction
These sensors are placed in the exhaust pipe for measuring the composition of gases coming from cylinders. Information about the composition of gases will be sent to the engine management system for further calculation of the fuel-air ratio and ensuring proper combustion. Problems with oxygen sensors will provide incorrect data to the engine management system, thus resulting in engine misfires.
Symptoms of Oxygen Sensors Malfunction:
- Incorrect exhaust oxygen monitoring
- Rich fuel mixture imbalance
- Lean combustion performance issues
- Increased harmful emission output
- Reduced catalytic converter efficiency
The reason why oxygen sensors malfunction is their aging due to operating under harsh exhaust gas conditions. Oil leakage and coolant contamination can also trigger the malfunction. Being inefficient, these sensors will be unable to provide accurate information about oxygen composition. Consequently, the engine will run too rich or too lean resulting in hesitations and jerking while driving. You may also experience increased fuel consumption and illuminated check engine light.
In order to fix oxygen sensors malfunction, it is necessary to clean the exhaust system or replace oxygen sensors completely. Ignoring this issue will negatively affect fuel economy and lead to inefficiency of the engine. Checking your vehicle for exhaust gas emission will help you to avoid malfunction of oxygen sensors.
7. TPS Malfunction
The next part responsible for your engine performance and jerkiness is the throttle position sensor. Its purpose is to monitor the throttle body valve according to the position of the throttle pedal. This information is sent to the engine management module in order to control engine operation. However, malfunction of throttle position sensors results in wrong data provided to the engine management module. In such a way, the engine will hesitate and jerk when driving.
Throttle Position Sensor Malfunction Signs:
- Inaccurate throttle valve signals
- Delayed accelerator pedal response
- Sudden engine speed fluctuations
- Poor throttle control accuracy
- Electrical sensor connection faults
Like other sensors, throttle position sensors fail with time due to constant friction between parts. In addition, this sensor can also malfunction due to dirt accumulation on the throttle body or electrical malfunction. As a result, wrong valve positions are sent to the engine management module. Your engine will hesitate, jerk, and stutter during the driving and accelerating phases. You may also notice that your engine throttle response has slowed down.
Not addressing TPS issues will result in poor engine performance and responsiveness. Replacing this sensor will help to restore proper engine performance. Clean throttle body will prevent TPS from malfunctioning.
8. EGR Valve Problems
This component is part of the EGR valve system responsible for redirecting exhaust gases into the engine cylinders. The function of the valve is to reduce the temperature inside the cylinders thus creating favorable conditions for ignition. However, the malfunction of this valve prevents it from providing the aforementioned conditions, causing poor engine performance and hesitations while driving.
Signs of EGR Valve Malfunction:
- Excessive carbon deposit accumulation
- Restricted exhaust gas circulation
- Stuck EGR valve movement
- Increased combustion chamber temperature
- Poor engine emission regulation
The most common reasons for the malfunctioning of EGR valves are clogging and carbon deposits. These issues may occur over time or because of oil leaking into the exhaust pipe. Carbon deposits prevent the EGR valve from opening and closing thus allowing gas to escape, resulting in engine hesitation, jerking, and stumbling while accelerating or cruising.
Cleaning the EGR valve will fix problems caused by carbon deposits. However, in other cases, you will need to install a new valve. Inspections and maintenance of exhaust pipes will help you to prevent the occurrence of such issues.
