Traveling by car does not always go smoothly. What to do if the car jerks when changing gears? What caused it? Drivers themselves name two main reasons for this behavior of vehicles.
The first is a “cold start”, the car’s engine did not have time to warm up from the moment it was started until it started driving, which is typical at low temperatures in winter.
The second reason why the car began to twitch is the driver’s inability to properly operate the manual transmission. A manual transmission requires certain skills; if a driver has only used an automatic transmission, then he is unlikely to use a manual transmission and drive with ease. There is not enough knowledge here that when engaging reverse gear you need to turn the lever “here”.
Manual transmission jerks when shifting
In the case of mechanics, twitching most often occurs when the engine is not warmed up. This should not be considered a defect, but you should try to avoid driving in such modes.
The manual transmission is simple in design and is unlikely to provoke jerks when transmitting torque from the engine to the drive wheels. But it may suffer from engine and clutch malfunctions.
Jerks when shifting gears create shock loads on gears, couplings, shafts, and gearbox bearings. Chips and other damage to these expensive and difficult to repair transmission parts are possible. Often, jerking is caused by wear of the clutch mechanism, which, when used in the city or, conversely, on very rough rural roads, experiences excessive loads.
For a competent driver, a working clutch will not “pull” the gearbox, but a worn-out clutch, and even with an inexperienced “driver,” can quickly cause damage.
Jerking is possible due to the following driver errors when controlling the gearbox and clutch:
- Squeezing and releasing the clutch pedal with the moment of gear shifting is incorrectly coordinated;
- switching at too high engine speeds;
- shock pressing of the gas pedal after changing gear;
- driving in a gear that is too high for a given speed, when the tachometer is less than 1200–1500 rpm, and trying to accelerate from that speed in the same gear.
What can you say about automatic transmission?
Automatic transmission is considered to be the most important and most complex mechanism of a modern car. Therefore, this unit should be given the greatest attention and regular and high-quality maintenance should be carried out. If this is not done, then it may happen that a small breakdown can turn into big problems.
Jerking in cars with automatic transmission can also occur for several reasons. Let's look at them:
- Low ambient temperatures. Such problems occur mainly in the cold season. The box should be warmed up gradually and such problems will disappear after some time;
- Use oil for longer periods than recommended in the machine's operating instructions. It is especially dangerous to use such oil in winter. It is necessary to replace it in a timely manner, otherwise “costly” problems with the automatic transmission will arise;
- Insufficient oil level in the box also contributes to jerking when driving.
For more information about this problem, read the article “What to do if the automatic transmission kicks and jerks when shifting.”
Some drivers may notice that these are not all the reasons for this phenomenon. We must agree with this, since every year there are some improvements and changes to the components and assemblies of the machine. We tried to consider the possible reasons why the car jerks when changing gears. This story should encourage drivers to correctly identify and fix such problems with their car.
In absolutely any car, such a problem can arise when the car starts to jerk when changing gears. Often the problem is most noticeable on a cold engine, as well as in first gear. But you shouldn’t immediately blame the box; let all the main suspicions immediately fall on it. The system of the technical part of the car is quite complex, so problems here may not be related to visual and sound perception. It is necessary to check the entire car for possible problems, and we will describe the most active suspected failures below in the publication.
If your car is jerky when changing gears from the very beginning, it's worth paying attention to your driving style. Modern cars have an adaptive on-board computer system that controls the operation of each unit. Perhaps you should change your driving style. If the jerking occurs automatically, then in 99% of cases it is the gearbox that is to blame, and you will not be able to carry out any repair work yourself in the garage - you need to give the car to specialists.
Impact of jerks on the car
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Whether jerking the car is beneficial or harmful is a rhetorical question. It’s the same as poking a person with a knife and asking if your health is improving. Any kind of jerking of the car is harmful, be it just a jolt when driving or a consequence of changing gears.
The main impact falls on the transmission unit and the engine part. First of all, the load on moving elements (bearings, switches, gears) increases. Each impact can deform, leave a crack or completely break any of these elements. Repairs can take a long time and cost the car owner a significant amount of money.
That is why it is important to initially determine the reason why the car began to twitch and eradicate it
Shocks due to cold
The first common reason that can cause shocks when switching automatic transmissions is low temperature.
If the transmission fluid is not warmed up enough (at sub-zero temperatures), almost any automatic transmission may “kick” for some time after starting to move. However, as the box warms up, all shocks during switching should disappear (if they remain, it is better not to delay a trip to the service center for diagnostics).
Driving on unheated oil in an automatic transmission is actually quite harmful for the gearbox, since any automatic transmission is designed to operate on oil that has certain physical properties. Low temperatures change the properties of the oil, which is why some automatic transmission elements begin to experience overload.
You should not abuse the quick start of movement immediately after starting the engine in winter in a car with an automatic transmission - it is advisable to warm up the car for at least some time. Regular trips with unheated automatic transmission oil can lead to serious damage to the gearbox.
The car jerks when accelerating
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Do you pick up speed and the car starts to jerk, its ride stops being smooth? The reason lies in the inconsistent supply of fuel to the float chamber: it disappears from there faster than it enters. The fuel pump supplies fuel there, so the problem may be that it is faulty.
How to “cure” him? To do this, remove the fuel pump cover and carefully inspect the hole where the valve should be located. Often the O-ring lies nearby, not in place, or is missing altogether. Due to depressurization, interruptions in fuel injection occur, and, consequently, the car jerks while driving.
Repair in this case consists of replacing the valve and restoring the tightness of the system. You can do it yourself if you have a new O-ring of suitable diameter and tools. This work will take at most half an hour, but a professional can do it in 5 minutes.
Let's sum it up
Always start looking for possible problems among the most easily corrected points. For example, it is better to immediately check the settings of the on-board computer and its serviceability, and only then think about other possible problems. Also look at spark plugs and high-voltage wires - they are often the culprits of unexpected problems with the car's behavior.
You also need to remember about high-quality regular car maintenance. If the transmission or engine is not properly maintained, it will be extremely difficult to identify problems in the future. Fill the gearbox with high-quality oil and carry out other routine maintenance. If you have anything to add from your own experience, be sure to share the information in the comments.
Traveling by car does not always go smoothly. What to do if the car jerks when changing gears? What caused it? Drivers themselves name two main reasons for this behavior of vehicles.
Why does the car jerk while driving?
Power system malfunctions
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So, why does the car jerk at low speeds when driving? The first thing the most experienced motorist will say is that you need to look for a problem in the fuel system. And he will be right. When the car starts moving, the cylinders may not receive enough air-fuel mixture, which leads to improper operation of the transmission due to lack of power. If an uneven amount of fuel-air mixture enters the “heart” of the car, then the fuel will simply ignite poorly, which is why the explosion stage of the mixture is disrupted; all these processes lead to incorrect operation of the engine, which the driver can feel and experience discomfort while driving.
Measures to identify and eliminate the causes of vehicle jerking related to the fuel system:
- Test the performance of the hall sensor;
- Check the throttle position;
- Check the condition of the fuel injection nozzles.
It is advisable to check the condition of all elements of the fuel system and this applies to all types of engines. Experts also claim that depressurization of the pipes leads to the fact that the engine begins to “starve”, in other words, this leads to fuel “starvation” of the engine. As a result, the driver, while driving the vehicle, will feel “dips” in the operation of the engine. Therefore, the pipes should be carefully checked, and if there are any malfunctions, they should be repaired immediately.
Ignition system failure
If the fuel system has been thoroughly checked and no faults were found, then you should proceed to diagnosing the ignition. Owners of cars with an injector often ask the question: “Why does the car jerk at low speeds?” And for good reason, because the operation of the fuel system of a power unit with an injector can be disrupted due to improper operation of any sensor. A common cause may be low voltage that does not ignite the fuel mixture.
At this stage of diagnosis it is necessary:
- The first step is to check the ignition coil;
- Check the condition of the spark plugs;
- Test high-voltage wires and distributor;
- Check the condition of the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors.
Often, the car jerking when driving is due to the fact that the spark plugs have lost their functionality. This is the most harmless breakdown. If the reason lies in a malfunction of the camshaft position sensor, then in this case it will not be possible to start the engine at all. And here you can’t do without qualified help.
Problematic gearbox
If a car with an automatic transmission suddenly begins to twitch when driving at low speeds, then in this case it is worth reviewing the procedure for servicing the automatic transmission. Even a good transmission can malfunction and cause the vehicle to jerk if there is too much or too much transmission oil. The oil will simply foam, which will lead to the machine twitching.
If you notice that your car has begun to behave strangely, namely that at low speeds there are “dips” in the engine’s operation, jerking - these are the first signs that there is a problem lurking in one of the car’s systems that requires an immediate solution. Often you can solve the problem yourself, but there are times when you cannot do without the help of qualified specialists. You should monitor the quality of gasoline; fuel that is not of the highest quality sometimes causes a lot of trouble, and often causes the car to jerk.
If the culprit is not in the box
Often such phenomena can occur due to problems with the engine, or, more precisely, with the distribution of the fuel mixture. There are often cases when jerking occurs due to the fault of a problematic spark plug, which is unable to ignite the mixture in the cylinder, causing the car to jerk. Modern cars have injection engines, for them there are several signs of such car behavior, consider them:
- The speed sensor, which is responsible for some processes occurring in the on-board computer, has failed;
- Problems with the idle speed sensor, which ensures smooth and uninterrupted engine speeds;
- Clogged injector nozzles, which will not be able to fully ensure engine operation;
- Compression difference in the engine cylinders (see article on how to check it);
- Worn high-voltage wires, due to which misfires of the fuel mixture in the cylinders may occur (see the article “Causes of misfires”).
Here is approximately the entire list of power unit problems that can cause jerking when shifting gears. Yes, there is one more factor that cannot be left aside: the quality of gasoline.
