What causes the car to feel jerky?

1 Answers
DeHarrison
07/30/25 1:20am
The reason the car feels jerky is due to piston slap, which is an abnormal noise caused by the piston side hitting the cylinder wall. When the direction of the axial force on the piston top changes as the piston moves from the compression stroke to the power stroke, piston slap occurs. Each time the piston passes top dead center and moves downward, it is forced to hit the cylinder wall, leading to piston slap. The determining factor for piston slap is the clearance between the piston and the cylinder wall, commonly referred to as piston clearance. The effect of piston clearance on slap: when the engine is cold, the piston clearance is larger, resulting in louder knocking sounds. However, as the engine temperature rises, the piston clearance decreases accordingly, and the knocking sound diminishes. If piston slap occurs, it is advisable to promptly visit a repair shop for inspection and repair.
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