Have you ever experienced car hesitation when accelerating? A car hesitates when accelerating is a symptom that shows an imperfect internal combustion in your engine. Insufficient burning inside the engine will make the car hesitates or jerks when driving. This could happen during acceleration, driving downhill, or gear change. Generally, it is not a serious problem but it is very exasperating when the car doesn’t go although you step on the gas pedal heavily. Below is the list of possible causes of car hesitation. You can diagnose your car problem one by one if it always hesitates.

Fuel Pipe

One common problem that an internal combustion engine hesitates is bad fuel pipes. Check all the fuel pipes from the fuel tank to the fuel system including those small pipes around the fuel system. It is not surprise that sometimes rats had entered into the bonnet and chewed some of the fuel pipes. Your car engine will hesitate if fuel is disrupted when it travels from the fuel tank to the engine.

Dirty Fuel Filter

Let’s check the easiest thing before going to the harder part. Ask yourself, when was the last time you change the fuel filter? A dirty fuel filter will interrupt the fuel flow into the car’s engine. Locate the fuel filter and see if it is dirtier than a cappuccino.

Dirty Fuel Tank

This often happen to car owners who bought or used cheap gas over a long period of time. Dirty fuel tank can lead to car hesitation. A complete clean up is needed if it is too dirty.

Dirty Fuel Injectors (Fuel Injection System)

Dirty fuel injectors provide insufficient fuel into the car engine and it can cause it to jitter or stall during acceleration.

Dirty Air Filter

Besides fuel filter, air filter plays an important role in providing the best mixture of air and fuel to a car engine. Dirty air filter can cause deficient burning and hesitation.

Imbalance Fuel and Air Mixtures (Carburetor)

This often happen to cars that runs on carburetors. A malfunction carburetor is unable to blend the correct amount of air and fuel for the engine. Check the fuel inlet, idle jet, throttle lever, choke lever, throttle valve and see if they are working properly.

Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Wires

Spark Plugs deliver electric current from the ignition system to the engine to ignite the engine’s fuel and air mixture. Bad spark plugs can cause a car hesitates, jerks, or shakes during acceleration or driving. If the spark plugs are new but you see incomplete electric spark, check on the spark plug wires.

Ignition System

If both the spark plugs and spark plug wires are working properly. You may have to check on the ignition system. For car equipped with mechanically timed ignition (usually is older car), check on the distributor, ignition coil, both battery connectors, and all wires. For newer vehicles that equipped with electronic ignition or digital electronic ignitions, we recommend to send your car back to dealer.

Engine Tuning

If all of the above is not the root problem that cause your car hesitates when accelerating, you might have to send it to a trusted mechanic and tune the engine. Engine tuning is the adjustment of the engine and fuel system to increase the car performance at its best.