There are several reasons why a car may jerk when you take your foot off the gas. The most common reason will be a dirty engine, but there may be issues with the engine mount or even the model of vehicle that you own.
What Can Cause a Car Jerk When Letting Off the Gas?
If your car is jerking while you are accelerating, then this is often a rather simple problem to diagnose. It could be because you’re not used to driving with a stick.It may be a dirty engine. It may be faulty car components.
The problem is almost immediately obvious, even if you are not experienced with vehicles. Identifying the reason behind a car jerking while you are letting off the gas is somewhat more difficult.
There are four main reasons why your car may be jerking when you take your foot off the gas pedal. However, there may be an issue beyond this too. Never try to diagnose the problem yourself. You should speak to a mechanic.
Dirty Throttle Body
One of the main reasons why a vehicle may be jerking when you accelerate is a dirty throttle body.
The job of the throttle body is to control the air intake into the engine. Over time, the throttle body will start to become clogged with soot.
It is often rather easy to tell when the throttle body has become dirty. The vehicle will often run rather ‘rough’ when you are idle. It will also tend to get a little bit noisier as you take your foot off of the gas.
Dealing with a dirty throttle body is often a problem that can be dealt with on your own. However, as we said, there are plenty of reasons why a vehicle may jerk when releasing the gas, so you should still head to a mechanic anyway.
Dirty Engine
The throttle body is not the only part of the engine that can become dirty.
The engine has a lot of fluids running through it. It also performs a ton of chemical reactions. It heats up. it cools down.
Over time, the engine will become dirty. Certain parts of it may become clogged. All of this can lead to jerking when you take your foot off of the pedal.
Your engine should probably be cleaned at least once every couple of years, less if you are putting in a lot of miles. You will often know that the engine is the case if your vehicle isn’t quite performing the same way that it did in the past.
Worn Engine Mount
The engine mount, as the name suggests, is the part of your vehicle that holds the engine firmly in place. It will also help to ensure that your ride is much smoother. This is because engine mounts often dampen the vibrations of the engine.
The problem with engine mounts is that, because they have an engine vibrating against them whenever the vehicle is being run, they will wear down over time. You should ensure that you have your engine mounts inspected at least once every 4-7 years.
If the problem is with your engine mount, then you will likely notice that your vehicle sounds a lot louder when you are driving it. You may experience a lot more vibration in your vehicle. Chances are that your vehicle will jerk when you accelerate and when you accelerate.
If your vehicle hasn’t had the engine mount replaced in around 4-7 years, then it may be wise to take the vehicle to a mechanic where it can be properly inspected.
Car Model
Some car models may naturally jerk a little bit when you are driving. If the problem is not immediately obvious, then a quick Google search should give you a rough idea of whether your particular vehicle is likely to be dealing with a bit of jerking on occasion.
Is a Car Jerking When Letting Off the Gas a Bad Thing?
Yes. If your engine is dirty and it isn’t cleaned, then the problem will become worse. It may take a while, but you will eventually end up with an engine that doesn’t work. Trust us, repairing or replacing a broken engine can be exceedingly expensive.
If the engine mount is the problem, then excessive vibration from the engine can damage other components in the vehicle. The mountain may give way. This can send your engine crashing to the ground. Although, thankfully, the latter is a rarer problem.
As a result, if you notice jerking in your vehicle, get it checked out as soon as possible.
Summary
Most car jerking will be caused by either a worn engine mount or a dirty engine. A mechanic should be able to diagnose the problem for you. The quicker you get the problem dealt with, the less of a long-term impact it will have on your vehicle.
Hi, I hope this article was helpful to you. If you've ever owned a car before, it's inevitable that you will deal with your fair share of car issues. I know I have, and that's why my passion is to research common car questions and answer them.
- 10w20 vs 10w30: Which Is Better? - June 14, 2022
- Clay Bar vs Rubbing Compound: Which Is Better? - June 14, 2022
- BG 44K vs Techron: Which Is Better? - June 14, 2022