The irregular running of the engine has many names. You will also occasionally come across a different name on this page. Stuttering, holding back, jerking, it all comes down to the same subject. However, there are many different situations where a car can stutter. Every situation has its own cause and associated solution. On this page you will find all information about the different situations, causes and solutions of a stuttering car.
To make it as simple as possible for you, we have made a list below of all the different situations regarding irregular engine running. Click on the problem that comes closest to your situation and will find the associated causes and solutions!
My car stutters at constant speed
You have determined that the problem occurs when you are driving at a constant speed. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of engine stalling at constant speed
When an engine falters at a constant speed, this is a sign that something is wrong with the air supply or fuel injection. There is probably either too much or too little fuel being injected or air supplied. A problem with the ignition can therefore be ruled out here.
The advantage of this problem is that many of the causes have to do with internal contamination. When the injectors are dirty, they do not inject the correct amount of fuel. The same applies if the problem is in the air supply. If the intake tract (or the EGR valve) is heavily contaminated, there will be too little air (oxygen) present during combustion. This results in the loss of power that you probably experience.
It is also possible (especially with diesel engines) that the engine receives back pressure, causing it to stutter. This is due to a clogged particulate filter. This is also a cause where internal pollution is the culprit.
Our advice
Now our advice if your car jerks at a constant speed. As indicated above, most of the causes are caused by internal pollution. We therefore recommend that you first clean the system internally with a fuel additive.
There are separate cleaners for petrol and diesel engines. At the bottom of the page you will find more information about the relevant products!
So there is a good chance that the problem will be solved after you have applied the cleaning additive. If the problem still occurs afterwards, then the problem has nothing to do with internal contamination. We then recommend that you have a garage look at it.
My car stutters when accelerating/driving away
You have determined that the problem occurs when you want to drive away. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car jerks when accelerating/driving away
If your car only jerks when you want to drive away, there is a good chance that it has something to do with the ignition. This could, for example, be a problem with the ignition coil or spark plug.
Another possible cause is contamination of the injectors or the air intake. The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page.
If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If you are a little handy, you can tackle the ignition problem yourself. Otherwise you would have to take the car to a garage. The advantage is that you can be very specific towards the garage, which will normally resolve the problem more quickly.
My car stutters when the engine is cold
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is cold. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car stalling when the engine is cold
If the car only falters when the engine is cold (read: this is different from just driving away), there is a good chance that this has something to do with the temperature sensor.
The extent to which fuel is injected partly depends on the temperature of the engine. If a sensor reports the wrong temperature, the wrong amount is also injected.
Another cause could be contamination of the injectors. When an injector is dirty, the correct amount of fuel is not injected.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If the problem is not resolved, you know that the problem is probably in the temperature sensors. In this case we recommend going to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific towards the garage, which will normally resolve the problem more quickly.
My car stutters when the engine is warm
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is warm. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of a car stalling when the engine is warm
If the car only stutters when the engine is warm, there is a good chance that this has something to do with the temperature sensor. The extent to which fuel is injected partly depends on the temperature of the engine. If a sensor reports the wrong temperature, the wrong amount is also injected.
Another cause could be contamination of the injectors. When an injector is dirty, the correct amount of fuel is not injected.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If the problem is not resolved, you know that the problem is probably in the temperature sensors. In this case we recommend going to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific with your garage, which will usually resolve the problem more quickly.
My car stutters when I let off the gas
You have determined that the problem only occurs while releasing the throttle. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car jerks when releasing gas
If your car jerks when you release the gas, the cause is often mechanical. In this case, there is a good chance that the problem involves a vacuum leak or a problem with the engine mounts.
Another possible cause could be internal contamination. If the engine is dirty internally, the correct amount of fuel will not be injected. This results in a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If the problem is not resolved then you know that it is a mechanical problem after all. In this case we recommend going to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific about your garage, which will normally resolve the problem more quickly.
My car stutters when accelerating / at high speeds
You have determined that the problem only occurs when accelerating, which automatically results in high RPM. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car stuttering when accelerating / high speed
If your car only jerks when you accelerate, there is a good chance that it has something to do with the ignition. This could, for example, be a problem with the ignition coil. In cars built before 2000, it could also be the spark plug cable.
Another possible cause may be that the fuel delivery is too low, for example a worn fuel pump or clogged fuel filter.
Furthermore, there is contamination of the injectors or the air intake. The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page. If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If you are a little handy, you can tackle the ignition problem yourself. Otherwise you would still have to take the car to the garage. The advantage is that you can be very specific about your garage, which will normally resolve the problem more quickly.
My car stutters while idling
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is idling. Very good! A number of causes have now been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of engine stuttering at idle speed
The disadvantage of a car that stutters at idle speed is that there are many causes. To start with, the following possible mechanical causes can be identified:
- False air
- Ignition (spark plug, ignition coil)
- Injection system (defective injectors)
Another possible cause is contamination of the injectors or the air intake, as was the case with this one Volkswagen Golf. The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have started looking for a solution to your problem, there is a good chance that you will first want to try to solve it yourself. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. You can find more information about the additives in question at the bottom of the page. If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always advisable to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never a waste of money.
If you are a little handy, you can tackle possible mechanical problems yourself. Otherwise you would still have to take the car to the garage. The advantage is that you can be a little more specific towards your garage, which will normally resolve the problem more quickly.
Summary of various causes of power loss
There are many different causes for engine power loss. Using the table of contents at the top of the page, you can search more specifically for the cause and associated solution(s) for your problem based on the different situations.
Below we have listed all possible causes. A distinction has been made here between mechanical causes and causes related to pollution. The causes are explained in more detail later in the blog, as well as possible solutions.
The various causes regarding internal pollution are:
- Dirty intake tract (intake manifold, carburetor, throttle valve)
- Dirty fuel path (injectors, fuel filter)
- Dirty exhaust system (EGR valve, turbo, particulate filter
The most common mechanical causes are:
- Problems with the ignition (ignition coil, spark plug or spark plug wires)
- Problems with engine or gearbox mounts
- Electronic problems (wrong signals to computer)
- Problems with temperature sensor
- Problems with the lambda sensor
- False air
- Vacuum leak
Apply a cleaning additive yourself
As you may have read, internal pollution is often a cause of a stuttering car. In one situation there is a greater chance that you will solve the problem with an additive than in the other situation. Yet pollution can contribute to your car's stuttering in any situation. Even if it is not the main cause.
It is therefore wise to start by cleaning the engine internally. Besides the fact that it could solve the problem, a clean fuel system has even more advantages, such as more optimal fuel consumption.
Lindemann cleaners are ideal for this. In addition to being an affordable option, these additives are also of excellent quality.
You can use the discount code below 5% discount pack on your order!
Click on “Order Directly” and receive an extra 5% discount with the discount code: DPPBLOG5
Do you have any additional questions and/or comments based on this blog? Please feel free contact with us!
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