Don't Shake Your Car Apart! Troubleshoot Shaking Before It Gets Worse

Cars are supposed to be sturdy, high-performance machines that last for years before complete failure as long as there isn't any unforeseen damage. Unfortunately, rough terrain can shake apart and a damage some of your car's components in ways that can't easily be planned away. If your car seems to be shaking and vibrating when driving, consider a few causes and repercussions as you look for a reliable mechanic. 

Mass Air Sensor Problems

When a car starts shaking while driving, one of the easiest guesses is tire problems. Low tire pressure, flat tires or bubbles in the tire are problems that happen all too often for many drivers. Unfortunately, there are similar shaking causes that can be found under the hood.

The mass air sensor (also known as the mass air flow sensor) is responsible for regulating the amount of air that enters the engine's fuel combustion system. Air is necessary for combustion of fuel and general engine operation, but there's a specific amount of air that needed to be added for the recipe that is fuel combustion. 

If there isn't enough air entering the system due to a mass air sensor leak, clog or intermittent failure, your engine may misfire. In order to operate smoothly, even the chaotic firing of fuel against pistons is controlled to the very second, but a weaker-than-expected explosion may throw off the balance of the engine. This leads to violent shaking, even if your vehicle is idle.

Mass air sensors can be replaced, but make sure that the connecting hose is properly attached and clean. In some vehicle models, the tubing is a very fragile, clear plastic tube that can be torn if exposed. 

Fuel Filter And Injection Line Failure

The air sensor isn't the only fuel system failure that could cause a lot of shaking. If you're not getting enough liquid fuel in the form of gasoline or diesel because of dirty fuel or a clogged filter, misfiring can still happen.

Fuels sold at gas stations may contain dust, rust and other contaminants from the storage facility, transport vehicle or even the gas station storage if cleaning isn't performed on a regular basis. Your own vehicle's fuel tank may have created its own contaminants in the form of corrosion or allowing dirt to enter the fuel system. Contaminants can't be completely eliminated, which is why the fuel filter exists.

The fuel filter can block enough debris to keep your vehicle running smoothly, but it can eventually get too clogged. If fuel can't pass through the filter at an acceptable rate for the vehicle, then misfiring can cause the vehicle to shake.

Even worse, allowing debris to enter the fuel system can cause a much deeper, harder-to-clean series of clogs and misfiring problems. For filter cleaning and replacement, be sure to contact a mechanic (such as one from Euroclassics Limited) to get an efficient system cleaning before more expensive repairs are necessary.