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The irregular running of the engine has many names. You will also occasionally come across a different name on this page. Stuttering, holding back, jerking, it all boils down to the same subject. However, there are many different situations where a car can stutter. Every situation has its own cause and associated solution. On this page you will find all information about the different situations, the causes and the solutions of a stuttering car.
To make it as easy as possible for you, we have made a list below with all the different situations related to the irregular running of the engine. Click on the problem that comes closest to your situation and find the corresponding causes and solutions!
Table of contents
Car stuttering at constant speed
You have determined that the problem occurs when you are driving at a constant speed. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of engine jerking at constant speed
When an engine stalls at a constant speed, this is a sign that something is wrong with the air supply or the fuel injection. There is probably either too much or too little fuel being injected or air being supplied. A problem with the ignition can therefore be ruled out here.
The advantage of this problem is that a large part of the causes are related to internal pollution. When the injectors are dirty, they will not inject the correct amount of fuel. The same applies when the problem is in the air supply. If the intake path (or the EGR valve) is heavily polluted, there will be too little air (oxygen) present during combustion. This results in the loss of power that you probably experience.
It is also possible (particularly with diesel engines) that the engine gets back pressure, causing it to start stuttering. This is due to a clogged particulate filter. This is another cause where internal pollution is the culprit.
Our advice
Now our advice when your car jerks at a constant speed. As indicated above, the majority of the causes are caused by internal pollution. We therefore recommend that you first clean the system internally with a fuel additive.
There are separate cleaners for petrol and diesel engines. At the bottom of the page you will find more information about the products in question!
So there is a good chance that the problem will be solved after you have applied the cleaning additive. If the problem still occurs afterwards, the problem has nothing to do with internal pollution. We recommend that you have a garage look at it.
Car judders when pulling away in 1st gear
You have determined that the problem occurs when you want to drive away. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car jerks judder driving away
If your car only jerks when you want to drive away, chances are it has something to do with the ignition. For example, this could be a problem with the ignition coil or the spark plug.
Another possible cause is contamination of the injectors or the air intake. The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of the fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, there is a good chance that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page.
If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If you are a bit handy yourself, you can get started with the ignition problem yourself. Otherwise you would still have to take the car to a garage. The advantage is that you can be very specific towards the garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
My car stutters when the engine is cold
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is cold. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution. Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of a car stuttering with a cold engine
If the car only falters when the engine is cold (read: this is different from just driving away) then there is a good chance that this has something to do with the temperature sensor.
The extent to which fuel is injected also depends on the temperature of the engine. When a sensor reports the wrong temperature, the wrong amount is injected.
Another cause could be contamination of the injectors. When an injector is dirty, the correct amount of fuel will not be injected.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, chances are that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If the problem is not solved then you know that the problem is probably in the temperature sensors. In this case we advise you to go to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific towards the garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
My car judders when I let off the gas
You have determined that the problem only occurs during throttle release. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution.
Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of car jerks when releasing gas
When your car jerks when you release the gas, the cause is often mechanical. In this case, chances are the problem is a vacuum leak or a problem with the engine mounts.
Another possible cause could be internal pollution. When the engine is internally contaminated, the correct amount of fuel will not be injected. This results in power loss.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, there is a good chance that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If the problem is not solved then you know that it is a mechanical problem. In this case we advise you to go to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific towards your garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
Why is my car juddering when I accelerate?
You’ve determined that the problem only occurs during throttle-on, which automatically entails high RPM. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution.
Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes stuttering car when accelerating / high speed
If your car only jerks when you give it a lot of gas, chances are it has something to do with the ignition. For example, this could be a problem with the ignition coil. For cars built before 2000, it can also be the spark plug cable.
Another possible cause could be that the fuel delivery is too low, for example a worn fuel pump or clogged fuel filter. Furthermore, contamination of the injectors or the air intake.
The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of the fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, there is a good chance that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page. If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If you are a bit handy yourself, you can get started with the ignition problem yourself. Otherwise you would still have to take the car to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific towards your garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
Why is my car juddering when stationary?
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is idling. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can look more specifically for the right solution.
Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of engine stuttering at idle speed
The downside of a car stuttering at idle is that there are many causes left. To begin with, the following possible mechanical causes can be identified:
- False air
- Ignition (spark plug, ignition coil)
- Injection system (defective injectors)
Another possible cause is contamination of the injectors or the air intake. The ignition mechanism in combination with the injection of the fuel and air (oxygen) together ensure ignition, and therefore power. If one or more of these components does not work 100%, this can cause a loss of power.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, there is a good chance that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page. If the problem is not resolved then you know that the problem is probably in the ignition. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If you are a bit handy yourself, you can get started with the possible mechanical problems yourself. Otherwise you would still have to take the car to the garage. The advantage is that you can be a little more specific towards your garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
My car stutters when the engine is warm
You have determined that the problem only occurs when the engine is warm. Very good! Now a number of causes have already been ruled out and you can specifically look for the right solution.
Below we discuss the remaining possible causes, associated solutions and our advice!
Causes of a car falter when the engine is warm
If the car only falters when the engine is warm, there is a good chance that this has something to do with the temperature sensor. The extent to which fuel is injected also depends on the temperature of the engine. When a sensor reports the wrong temperature, the wrong amount is injected.
Another cause could be contamination of the injectors. When an injector is dirty, the correct amount of fuel will not be injected.
Our advice
Since you have been looking for a solution to your problem yourself, chances are that you will also want to try to solve it yourself first. Based on this, we recommend that you first clean the injectors with an additive.
You can easily add an additive yourself, after which the injectors are cleaned. In some cases this will solve the problem. More information about the relevant additives can be found at the bottom of the page. It is always recommended to clean the injectors annually, so in that sense it is never wasted money.
If the problem is not solved then you know that the problem is probably in the temperature sensors. In this case we advise you to go to the garage.
The advantage is that you can be very specific towards your garage, so that the problem will normally be solved faster.
Summary of various causes of power loss
There are many different causes for engine power loss. Using the table of contents at the top of the page, you can look more specifically for the cause and associated solution(s) for your problem based on the various situations.
Below we have listed all possible causes. A distinction is made here between mechanical causes and causes related to pollution. Further on in the blog, the causes are explained in more detail, as well as possible solutions.
The various causes related to internal pollution are:
- Dirty intake tract (intake manifold, carburetor, throttle valve)
- Dirty fuel path (injectors, fuel filter)
- Dirty exhaust path (EGR valve, turbo, diesel particulate filter
The most common mechanical causes are:
- Problems with the ignition (ignition coil, spark plug or spark plug wires)
- Problems with engine or gearbox mounts
- Electronic problems (wrong signals to computer)
- Temperature sensor problems
- Problems with the lambda probe sensor
- False air
- Vacuum leak
Consequences of a stuttering car
A dirty intake manifold, injectors, EGR valve or carburetor can lead to:
- Higher fuel consumption
- Oil consumption
- Less power
- More wear
- Troubled engine running
Driving with a stuttering car can cause serious long-term problems, so you may need to replace certain parts such as a carburetor or injectors. And everything applies: prevention is better than cure, so using an additive preventively prevents these problems!
How to fix car stuttering yourself?
As you may have read, internal pollution is often a cause of a stuttering car. In one situation there is a greater chance that you will solve the problem with an additive than in the other situation. Still, pollution can contribute to the stuttering of your car in any situation. Even if it’s not the main cause.
It is therefore wise to start with the internal cleaning of the engine. In addition to being able to solve the problem, a clean fuel system has even more advantages, such as better fuel consumption. Lindemann’s Service Cleaners are extremely suitable for this.
In addition to being an affordable option, these additives are also of excellent quality. Via the “Order Direct” button you will be redirected to our webshop where you can order the products.
