An engine that hesitates when accelerating is either sucking too much air, not getting enough fuel, or misfiring. Here’s what you might discover—and what you can do to fix the problem: Dirty air filter. The Fix: Replace the air filter.
Q. What would cause a car to hesitate while driving?
A vehicle that hesitates while accelerating or while driving up a hill may have a weak fuel pump. Fuel injectors may become dirty over time and not be able to provide as much fuel to the cylinder as is needed. Dirty fuel injectors may cause the engine to run lean which will in turn, cause hesitation when accelerating.
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Q. What causes throttle hesitation?
Hesitation is when your engine misfires, stumbles or lacks power when you accelerate or step on the throttle. The problem often means the air/fuel mixture is not being properly enriched or is going lean, or the ignition system is weak and is misfiring when the engine comes under load or the air/fuel mixture goes lean.
Q. What can make your car hesitate to start?
Car Hesitates When Accelerating
- Air filter. Your engine needs air, spark and fuel to run, and the air part of that equation can be compromised quite a bit if the air filter is clogged and dirty.
- Mass airflow sensor.
- EGR valve position sensor.
- Coil pack.
- Throttle position sensor.
- Fuel injectors.
- Fuel filter.
- O2 sensor.
Q. Can injectors cause loss of power?
1. Engine misfires and decrease in power, acceleration, and fuel efficiency. A faulty fuel injector can cause the vehicle to experience misfires, a loss in power and acceleration, a reduction in fuel efficiency, and in severe cases can cause stalling or prevent the engine from running at all.
Q. Why would my car suddenly loses power while driving?
The most likely issue is a clogged fuel filter. While the fuel filter is the most common problem with the fuel system and is the easiest to fix, a lack of power could also point to issues with the fuel line or the fuel pump.
