What Causes Car Shaking?
2 Answers
Reasons for car shaking: 1. Poor fuel quality. When starting a cold engine, the engine block temperature is low, making fuel atomization difficult, which prevents the fuel injected into the cylinders from fully mixing with air. The solution is to add high-quality fuel from a reputable gas station. 2. Carbon deposits can absorb a certain amount of fuel, causing errors in the electronic control unit's judgment. The solution is to regularly clean carbon deposits from the engine valves and intake pipes. 3. Spark plugs. When starting the car, especially when fuel and lubricant temperatures are low, more throttle is needed to meet power demands. Over time, the spark plug gap gradually widens, reducing ignition energy and worsening fuel atomization, leading to car shaking. The solution is to replace the spark plugs when necessary.
My neighbor's decade-old car has been shaking like a massage chair lately, and the problem lies in the aging engine mounts. These mounts are essentially the engine's cushioning pads. When the rubber hardens over time, the engine vibrations transmit directly into the cabin. Another common issue is with spark plugs. Last year, my car was shaking because one cylinder had incorrect spark plug gap, causing misfires and making the engine run unevenly—it felt like riding a tractor. If the steering wheel shakes, it's likely due to unbalanced tires, perhaps from missing wheel weights. Shaking during hard braking usually indicates warped brake rotors, while high-speed vibrations may point to driveshaft or axle problems. Small issues left unattended can worsen. I learned this the hard way—delayed repairs ended up costing me over two thousand for a full suspension mount replacement.
