Help! My Car Shakes When I Idle

Your car shaking on idle is a pretty common occurrence, especially when you are at a stoplight waiting to drive off. Your car’s transmission gears, rotating crankshaft, as well as other inner working components, can cause vibrations that will be felt in the cabin of the vehicle. If the vibration in the cabin is abnormal, with a rattle from the engine compartment, an engine component could be faulty.

Usually, your vehicles will shake more if there is a problem with one of the engine components. A faulty or damaged part will cause the entire process to work insufficiently, resulting in shaking and out of the norm vibrations.

While it’s difficult to know what might be causing the vibrations, identifying which of the engine components is causing the vibrations will significantly help your mechanic solve the problem during your regular car repair maintenance service.

Faulty and Worn-out Spark Plugs

One of the main reasons why your vehicle could be vibrating at idle could be due to worn out spark plugs. When a vehicle’s spark plug is faulty, it can interfere with the air-fuel ratio leading to improperly firing cylinders, resulting in a misfire while idling. Replacing your spark plugs will solve this problem.

Timing Belt

A car’s timing belt is critical when it comes to many vital components of the engine. Therefore, if there are any issues with your car’s timing belt, it could cause the engine to vibrate. When your timing is off, the fans and drive belts will not function properly, resulting in rattling and shakes. Checking the cable belts to make sure that they are not damaged, or loose will help resolve this problem.

Disconnected or Loose Hoses

Another reason why your vehicle might be vibrating is due to disconnected or loose engine hoses. These hoses carry radiator coolant, vacuum, air and fuel mixture, etc. Failure to any of these hoses means that your engine is not being adequately fed with critical requirements. This can lead to vibrations that will be felt in the cabin, idling, or running at low speeds. Inspecting for loose hoses and replacing damaged ones will help resolve this problem.

Improper Fuel Intake Adjustments

In case your car’s fuel intake system is not calibrated or adjusted correctly, it could lead to engine vibrations that will be felt in the cabin while idling. It usually happens during idling because the engine is not getting the right air-fuel mixture as a result of improper adjustments. Adjusting your vehicle’s idle speed as well as cleaning the intake system can resolve this issue.

Worn Out Motor Mounts

In case there is any damage to your engine or motor mounts, it will lead to vibration or shaking during idling or when the car is stopped. This component is what supports the engine in the bay, absorbing any vibration as well as road shocks produced while your vehicle is running. If the vibrations caused during idling are due to motor mounts, having them replaced by a professional auto care service such as AAMCO Chester VA, will solve the problem.

AAMCO Chester: Preventing The Shakes & Providing Optimal Engine Care

AAMCO Chester is a renowned regional transmission repair center. Our seasoned technicians, state of the art equipment, and track record repairing American licensed vehicles have earned us a top spot in the hearts of our clientele.

Apart from transmission repair, we also offer other auto care services, including brake service and maintenance, suspension system maintenance, factory recommended service, engine tune-up service, total car care service, and many more.

Does your vehicle surge or shake at idle? It probably needs a spark plug replacement. Contact your local AAMCO Chester car maintenance and repair center and have our mechanics perform and inspection service. Remember, acting fast will help detect the problem before it escalates into an issue that will lead to catastrophic engine damage. Our team of experts will check your car for the above-discussed issues and recommend the appropriate repairs.