What Causes Severe Car Shaking Like Convulsions and Significant Power Loss?
2 Answers
Severe car shaking and power loss are typically caused by a dirty throttle body, excessive carbon buildup in the fuel injectors, or aging engine mounts. Below are detailed explanations of these causes: Dirty Throttle Body and Excessive Carbon Buildup in Fuel Injectors: After driving for a certain mileage, a dirty throttle body can prevent it from closing properly or cause the idle speed stepper motor to stick, both of which can result in excessively high engine idle speed. Additionally, carbon deposits generated during engine operation can lead to vehicle shaking, especially noticeable when starting the car—the engine may shake more violently than usual or even fail to start on the first attempt. Therefore, when experiencing car shaking, it's essential to inspect the throttle body and fuel injectors. If excessive dirt or carbon buildup is found, prompt cleaning is necessary. Aging Engine Mounts: Car shaking can also be related to aging engine mounts. Engine mounts act as the vibration damping system for the engine, absorbing minor vibrations during operation. If the engine mounts are faulty, these vibrations can transfer to the steering wheel and the interior of the car, causing noticeable shaking at idle. The issue is most pronounced when starting the car's electrical systems while the engine is idling.
I had the same issue with my car a while ago. It would jerk and shake badly when accelerating, feeling particularly sluggish. The most common cause is worn-out spark plugs, either with excessive gap or heavy carbon buildup, leading to unstable ignition and misfiring. It could also be a faulty ignition coil, causing one cylinder to completely stop working. Insufficient fuel pump pressure can result in poor fuel delivery, especially noticeable when climbing hills. Additionally, excessive carbon buildup in the throttle body making it less responsive, or a clogged air filter restricting airflow, can make the car feel choked. If the exhaust system is blocked, like a failed catalytic converter, the trapped exhaust gases can also cause suffocation. Don't force the car to run in such conditions. First, check the simple components, and if the cause remains unclear, use a diagnostic scanner to read the trouble codes.
