Shaking cars are usually an indication that there’s something amiss with their engines; whether that means low oil levels or worn spark plugs – both problems are easily treatable.
However, the first step in diagnosing vehicle shaking should be identifying its source – can poor oil make your car shake?
1. Dirty Oil Filter
An oil filter in need of replacement not only restricts how much lubricant your engine receives, but it can also create extra friction among engine parts resulting in more metal-to-metal contact that causes vibration in your car and makes it shake more often than usual.
Friction in an engine can be caused by old oil sludge that has built up in its engine over time. At each oil change appointment, service technicians pour fresh golden oil to lubricate its moving parts; but by the next oil change interval you may end up discarding thick black dirty oil instead.
At an oil change, your mechanic will remove and install a new filter for you. However, this new one may be clogged or damaged and prevent oil from flowing freely throughout your engine, leading to overheating and eventual shaking of its foundations.
Oil in your engine plays a pivotal role in keeping it operating at peak performance. It acts as a protective barrier between its metal components, preventing them from touching one another and thus reducing overheating and noise emissions. If it becomes too dirty for this protective function to do its job effectively, vibrations could result in engine malfunction.
One way to easily assess whether or not your oil is dirty is to rub a drop between your thumb and forefinger – if it feels gritty, even if all levels appear normal, replacement is required immediately.
Signs that it may be time for an oil filter change are when white smoke emanates from your car’s exhaust pipe. When the engine oil becomes contaminated, it will produce smoke while either idling or driving – this should serve as a reminder that it’s time to have your oil changed again.
2. Clogged Fuel Filter
Fuel filters play an essential role in keeping impurities, dirt, dust, rust, debris and other contaminants out of the fuel and combustion chamber, helping ensure optimal air-to-fuel ratio and solid performance. When they become clogged they can disrupt this system causing problems that lead to engine shaking or even cause complete engine shutdown.
If your car begins shaking randomly or during driving, this could be due to a clogged fuel filter. Replacing it early and easily could prevent further damage being done to your engine and fuel lines.
Clogged fuel filters can lead to many issues for vehicles and engines alike. They may lead to acceleration issues when accelerating and decrease highway speeds while simultaneously burning too much oil which compromises performance.
Clogged fuel filters may cause your engine to run rough when idling. If your engine seems to shake when idled, this could be indicative of a problem with its filter.
Low fuel pressure can also be an indication that your filter has become clogged with debris, restricting flow to your engine and potentially causing your engine to shake or cause other forms of engine damage if left unaddressed. If left unaddressed quickly it could lead to engine malfunction and other forms of harm as a result.
Clogged fuel filters are easy to detect by taking a quick visual inspection or seeing that they appear dirty, making regular inspections essential. Checking your filter when having car maintenance performed can also be useful.
Untangling your fuel filter may be difficult in modern cars as it requires special tools and is difficult to reach. If your filter becomes clogged, however, you can easily change it yourself with some basic tools and knowledge of how it works; otherwise seek help from your mechanic or ask your dealer. It is essential that clogged filters don’t impede engine performance or cause other issues; unknowingly leaving yourself vulnerable.
3. Low Oil Level
As oil levels decrease, your car may start shaking at high speeds due to engine components rubbing together without enough lubrication; this could potentially damage both engine components as well as other car components. It’s always wise to only drive your vehicle when its oil levels are sufficient; so if your car is shaking excessively it would be wise to get an oil change immediately if this is happening to you.
However, your car may still shake after an oil change for various reasons. If the new oil doesn’t meet the same brand or type standards as your old oil, it could put added stress on your engine and make it shake more than before. If in doubt about which kind of oil to use, check your owner’s manual.
Your car may vibrate post-oil change if its new oil isn’t filtered properly, according to experts. A filter should remove dirt and other debris from engine oil; however, if not maintained regularly it could obstruct oil flow causing your engine to shake violently.
Your engine can tell if it needs more oil by inspecting its dipstick. A properly functioning dipstick has markings indicating maximum and minimum levels, and should indicate which levels need replenishing based on an accurate reading from its line or hole. If your dipstick indicates low levels, add more engine oil until your recommended levels are achieved – before doing this though make sure your engine dipstick is clean and reinserted for accurate readings as well as checking whether its filter has become clogged or damaged (replacing it as necessary).
4. Worn Spark Plugs
If your car’s engine shakes when accelerating or even traveling at low speed, it may be indicative of worn spark plugs. Spark plugs are essential components in the ignition process and without good functioning spark plugs your ignition will fail, leading to power losses and shaking from one or more cylinders resulting in loss of power and ultimately shaking of your car’s engine.
Spark plugs often become worn over time and should be changed. At the same time, engine air filters should also be changed as spark plugs work hand in hand with air filters to ensure fuel-air mixture ignites properly in the combustion chamber.
Spark plugs are frequently exposed to high heat and friction as they spark, leading them to accumulate oil and carbon deposits over time. This prevents their firing – an essential process in keeping engines functioning optimally – as well as leading to reduced power in vehicles that subsequently shake or shudder at higher speeds.
Finding the appropriate spark plugs for your car can be accomplished by consulting its manufacturer’s guide and using a feeler gauge to assess gapping between earthing and power electrodes of new spark plugs. An improper gapping may delay sparking or cause it to miss altogether; using universal spark plugs could also pose this threat, since they may not fit perfectly within your engine’s configuration.
Spark plug replacement should usually solve the problem of your car shaking when accelerating and idling, but in other instances the shaking could be caused by another issue that requires professional assistance from an experienced mechanic. To best diagnose this issue, contact an authorized service centre in Kitchener-Waterloo who can identify its source before suggesting repair or replacement solutions or performing engine tests to diagnose vibrations in your engine.