You’re driving along and you step on the accelerator to speed up; the only problem is, your car stutters and slows down. You’ve noticed this happens more often than not lately, and you even put in a higher octane gas to help your engine maintain its power. If your automobile loses power when you accelerate, the problem isn’t the gas. It’s more likely one of the nine reasons CAR FIX Crossville lists below.
1. Clogged Fuel Filter
The fuel filter removes contaminants and sediment from your gasoline before the fuel pump pushes it through to the engine. If the fuel filter is clogged or leaking, your vehicle does not get the extra gas it needs when you try to speed up.
2. Clogged Air Filter
The same holds true for the air filter but for different reasons. The air filter cleans the air in your engine so there aren’t any damaging particles drawn into the combustion chamber. Your car needs both air and gas to accelerate, and a clogged air filter inhibits airflow.
3. Catalytic Converter Problem
The exhaust system removes excess and harmful gases from your engine. Once that exhaust exits the engine, the combustion process restarts to keep your engine running. The catalytic converter can get clogged or malfunction, and this prevents exhaust removal.
4. Mass Airflow Sensor Failure
As we said above, your vehicle uses both air and fuel to accelerate. The mass airflow sensor measures the amount of air in the engine. If this part fails, you might have too much or little air, which will affect your acceleration performance.
5. Oxygen Sensor Issues
The oxygen sensor works with the fuel injectors and also measures the gases and air in your vehicle’s exhaust. Ideally, the numbers should match those reported by the mass airflow sensor. If the oxygen sensor is failing, it can affect fuel injector or exhaust performance.
6. Clogged Fuel Injectors
Speaking of the fuel injectors, if they are clogged or leaking, your engine performance will be affected by the fuel loss. The fuel injectors spray gasoline into the combustion chamber to mix it with the air. Cracked fuel injectors can leak and carbon buildup can clog them.
7. Dying Fuel Pump
None of this happens without the fuel pump. It draws the gas out of the tank and propels it into the engine. If the fuel pump is going bad, it will either draw too much or not enough gas, which can affect your acceleration performance by flooding or starving your engine.
8. Damaged or Worn Spark Plugs
Once the air and gas are in the combustion chamber, the spark plugs release sparks to fire it up. If they are damaged, dirty, or worn, they can affect your ability to accelerate and even get your car started. They can also cause the engine to misfire and stall.
9. Compression Loss
Finally, there are two ways your engine can lose compression: in the cylinders or via the vacuum hoses. Your car, truck, or utility vehicle needs compression to start and run, and if the cylinders or vacuum hoses are leaking, your engine won’t have the pressure it needs to transfer power to your wheels.
CAR FIX Crossville can find the cause of your engine’s power loss and fix it. Call our Crossville, TN, auto repair shop today.
