What Causes a Car to Backfire and Lose Power?

[LeEllie]

Car backfiring and losing power can be attributed to the following reasons: 1. Overly rich air-fuel mixture causing power loss and jerking: Under normal operating conditions, the ideal air-fuel ratio for an engine's combustible mixture is 14.7:1 (air to fuel). Insufficient air or excessive fuel will result in a mixture richer than this ratio. An overly rich mixture can lead to engine knocking (producing popping sounds), loss of power during acceleration, and similar symptoms. 2. Faulty spark plugs causing power loss and jerking: Issues such as incorrect ignition timing, faulty ignition coils, insufficient voltage from the alternator or battery, or altered spark plug gap can result in incomplete combustion or failure to ignite the air-fuel mixture. This leads to engine misfiring (popping sounds) and power loss. Incorrect ignition timing may be caused by a faulty camshaft position sensor, misaligned timing chain, or defective knock sensor.