What Causes a Car to Feel Underpowered When Driving?

[DiAlexa]

The reason a car feels underpowered when driving is due to carbon buildup in areas such as the valves, idle speed motor, intake manifold, combustion chamber, and spark plugs, or poor fuel quality. The high-voltage electricity generated by the electrical system is supplied to the spark plugs via wires. The spark plugs ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, so issues with the wires or spark plugs can cause poor ignition. Clogged fuel injectors, fuel leaks in the fuel lines, reduced fuel pump performance, or a blocked fuel filter can prevent the engine from receiving enough fuel. Additionally, a clogged air filter or throttle system can result in insufficient air intake. If the fuel injectors are clogged or the fuel pump fails to deliver high-pressure fuel injection, the fuel cannot be effectively atomized, leading to reduced combustion efficiency and failure to achieve the expected horsepower.