What Happens When an Engine Misfires?
2 Answers
An engine misfire will exhibit the following symptoms: 1. Unstable vehicle idling; 2. Abnormal engine vibration; 3. Significant decrease in engine power; 4. Difficulty starting the vehicle; 5. Engine prone to stalling; 6. Black smoke from the exhaust pipe. The causes of engine misfire are as follows: 1. Severe burning and erosion of the contacts in the distributor cap of the ignition system, causing cross-firing; 2. Malfunction of the ignition coil; 3. Wear of the cylinder wires; 4. Accumulation of carbon deposits in the fuel injector or clogging of the injector filter screen, leading to imprecise injection and atomization; 5. Excessive carbon buildup on the spark plugs.
Last year my car had a cylinder misfire issue, and it felt awful. The car shook like a vibrating phone, especially at idle—the steering wheel and seats were trembling, making me really uncomfortable. When accelerating, it lacked power; even climbing a small hill was a struggle. What used to take just a light press on the gas pedal now required prolonged effort. I also noticed a strong gasoline smell, black smoke from the exhaust, and a spike in fuel consumption—costing me 20-30% more than usual. After some thought, I suspected it might be due to worn-out spark plugs, a faulty ignition coil, or clogged fuel injectors. I immediately took it to the repair shop, where the mechanic ran diagnostics, replaced the faulty parts, and fixed the issue. Since then, I’ve been checking the ignition system every six months to prevent similar problems. After all, frequent car troubles are not just inconvenient—they ruin your mood too.
