What Causes Shaking During Acceleration?
2 Answers
Here are the reasons for shaking during acceleration: 1. Clogged fuel system or dirty throttle body: Insufficient fuel supply at low throttle causes uneven cylinder operation leading to shaking. A dirty throttle body restricts air intake, causing uneven operation and vibration. 3. Faulty ignition wires: Broken or burnt ignition wires or spark plug failure in some cylinders result in unstable engine operation and shaking. When excessive carbon deposits accumulate inside the engine, the fuel injected by cold-start injectors gets largely absorbed by these deposits, creating an over-lean mixture that makes starting difficult. In this situation, the engine only starts easily after the carbon deposits become saturated with fuel. After starting, the fuel adsorbed on carbon deposits gets drawn into the cylinders by engine vacuum, enriching the mixture. This alternation between lean and rich air-fuel mixtures causes idle shaking after cold starts.
As an average city car owner, my car often shakes when starting in the morning, dancing like crazy. It might be due to worn-out spark plugs failing to ignite properly, making the engine lose power. Another possibility is clogged fuel lines; if the fuel injectors have too much carbon buildup and fuel can't reach the cylinders, the car will shake. Also, if the engine mounts in the suspension are aged or cracked, the body will vibrate. Last time, I replaced the spark plugs and did a cleaning at the 4S shop, and the shaking reduced. With frequent stops at city traffic lights, prolonged idling makes carbon buildup worse. It's recommended to drive at high speeds occasionally to clear carbon deposits. Safety-wise, be cautious—severe shaking can make the steering wheel tremble, affecting control and increasing accident risks. It's best to get it checked early before small issues turn into big problems.
