What are the reasons for the engine malfunction light being on and the car experiencing weak acceleration?
3 Answers
The reasons for the engine malfunction light being on and the car experiencing weak acceleration are: 1. Sensor failure causing the car's ECU to inaccurately obtain engine data; 2. Carbon buildup in the engine; 3. Spark plug failure, ignition coil failure, fuel pump failure, or fuel line blockage leading to incomplete combustion of the air-fuel mixture; 4. Intake valve blockage; 5. Substandard gasoline quality. The solutions for the engine malfunction light being on and the car experiencing weak acceleration are: 1. Reconnect or replace the sensor; 2. Replace the spark plugs or ignition coil; 3. Replace the air filter and clean the throttle body and fuel lines; 4. Replace the engine oil or gasoline; 5. Clean carbon deposits from the engine.
Ugh, this is one of the most annoying situations when driving. My car acted the same way last time—yellow dashboard light on and feeling sluggish. Checking the fuel system is definitely the first step; a clogged fuel filter or dirty injectors can make the car struggle to drink fuel. If the spark plugs are too carbon-fouled, weak ignition will naturally make the car lose power. Pay special attention to the ignition coils—if these fail, they love to trigger warning lights. Another culprit could be a clogged catalytic converter, choking the exhaust like running with a mask on. The scariest is timing chain slippage, which might require major repairs if ignored. A friend of mine kept delaying repairs until low cylinder compression cost him nearly 10,000 RMB.
I've dealt with quite a few of these issues. The most common one is when the mass air flow sensor gets clogged with dust, causing incorrect air intake calculations that lead to an imbalanced air-fuel mixture, triggering the fault code. Another frequent problem is oxygen sensor poisoning from long-term use of low-quality gasoline from small gas stations. Turbocharged vehicles require special attention to check for leaks in the intercooler pipes - insufficient pressure will definitely cause sluggish acceleration. Unstable battery voltage can also trigger the warning light, especially in older vehicles with aging wiring. I remember one peculiar case where the throttle pedal position sensor failed, making the ECU think the driver was only pressing halfway.
