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Why Does My Car Shake When I Accelerate

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You’re driving along and suddenly notice a shaking or a feeling of vibration. You wonder what’s wrong. You say why is my car shaking? There could be many reasons why your car is shaking when you accelerate. Could it be the brakes, the tyres, the engine, or something else? Here are some possible causes of your car shaking and what you can do about it.

Brakes/Brake Caliper

You know it could be your brakes causing the shaking or vibrating, especially when you hit the brakes. Could you look at your brake rotors? The discs or rotors are under constant pressure from everyday use, general friction, wear and tear and any moisture that may have accumulated. Any wear or friction can cause damage or unevenness to the rotor. The actual wearing can be minimal, but it can also be extreme. When the rotor is uneven or badly worn, the brake pads will no longer grip properly, and you’ll feel shaking or vibration as they are having difficulty grasping the rotors.

You can machine a warped rotor to correct the unevenness, but in many cases, a warped or damaged rotor will require replacement. You’ll need experience to replace a worn rotor, so it’s best to have a trained mechanic do the work.

A stuck brake calliper can also cause brake vibration. The caliper is the device that the brake pads are attached to, and a caliper pushes the brake pads to take hold of the rotors when you apply the brakes. Calipers can get stuck and when they do, you’ll experience shaking or a powerful pull to one side or the other. A stuck calliper is a more significant issue and should be in the hands of a trained professional.

Tyres

When you feel a vibration or shaking in your vehicle, chances are that your tyres could be causing the problem and checking them is the one place you should look. If your tyres are uneven, bald, worn or unbalanced, all of those issues could cause shakiness.

Tires are short-lasting. Even with the best care, they may need replacement. Rotating your tyres and maintaining proper pressure will increase their usefulness over time. Still, if you need to follow maintenance procedures, you’ll probably experience wear and tyre deterioration, which can cause your car to shake.

Other related causes of tyre vibration include improper wheel alignment, under- or overinflated tyres, suspension problems, tyre rotation, worn tyres, and separated tread. Separated tread from tyres can cause shakiness, and that’s because of overinflated tyres. This issue usually requires replacing tyres, which should happen immediately.

Axle/CV Joints

When your car is involved in an accident, or you drive too fast and hit bumps, potholes or curbs, you could damage your axle, which might cause your car to shake. Any impact that causes damage to your axle creates a severe problem. A damaged axle will cause your suspension to vibrate and can cause more involved shaking. If your axle receives damages or is badly bent, you have a significant issue on your hands, which a trained professional should handle immediately.

About your axle, CV joints are found at the end of drive axles. They are covered in rubber boots. Axle boots keep grime, dirt and debris away and help contain the axle grease. Worn or torn boots can also cause shakiness while driving. With any tears or brokenness, the CV joint will lose its ability to lubricate and will take in dirt and debris. If you drive with damaged CV joints, you’ll get suspension vibration and may replace both the CV joints and the drive axles. When you hear clicking or clunking-type noises when making a turn, it could be a defective CV joint.

Engine

Uneven and sporadic engine vibration could indicate that something is causing the shakiness in your engine. It could be anything, such as faulty spark plugs, that hinders your vehicle. An engine needs both fuel and air along with that spark. The lack of these attributes can cause poor engine performance, leading to engine vibration. You may become aware of jerking or shaking upon acceleration, or you may notice shakiness at certain speeds or when driving for a certain amount of time.

When you experience any of these issues, you first want to check your spark plugs. If they’re not working correctly or are damaged, your engine will perform sporadically. When the plugs are undamaged, it could be a problem with the spark plug wires. You may need to either adjust or replace them.

If there is nothing wrong with the spark plugs or spark plug wires, there could be problems with the air or fuel filter. Dirt or clogging with either of these parts can limit your engine’s air or fuel, leading to vibration and rough running. If that’s the case, replacing either one is easy and not expensive.

Motor/Engine Mounts

Motor or engine mounts keep your engine in place. They’re made of rubber and metal and attach or bracket your car’s engine to the frame. The rubber in motor mounts decreases any vibrations that accompany an engine’s everyday performance. Just like other parts in your vehicle, the motor mounts, whether the rubber or metal component, can wear out with time. Both are unable to cushion as well, and vibrations will occur. The problem can be resolved with new motor mounts. Also, could you ensure the motor mounts are correctly placed to prevent vibrations and other costly damage?

Wheel Alignment

Though a wheel alignment won’t cause vibrations or shakiness, an alignment that doesn’t meet exact specifications can lead to other problems that cause shaking. A wheel alignment not to specifications can lead to other issues that cause shaking. Could you check the wear on your tyres and whether they’re worn unevenly? An alignment problem with your car could cause wear on your tyres. Any unevenness with your tyres and vibration in the steering column indicates that you may need a wheel alignment.

Properly maintaining your vehicle means getting wheel alignments at particular intervals, especially when you reach the stage of worn tyres and steering column vibrations. It’s not that expensive, plus it’s a fairly simple process, and a trained and certified automotive expert can do it for you.

If you’re having problems with vehicle shakiness or vibrations, contact Kadotani Auto Repair in Watsonville, California. They’ll help you resolve those shakes when you accelerate and give you the best service for what is ailing your vehicle.

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