Car Shakes When Starting – 8 Reasons and Solutions
It is quite normal to experience car shaking when you start it. Who hasn’t witnessed a shaky car once in a lifetime? Sometimes the frequency is so high that you feel like in amusement park, taking a good ride. You might all wonder ‘why is my car shaking when I start it?’ so here are few reasons for your question.
- When the wheels are not balanced
- When tires are not aligned properly
- When your car is having brake issues
- Engine problems can cause shakiness
Don’t avoid such things and understand the real reason behind the behavior of your car because it is better to know the problem in order to avoid any dilemma later on. So if your car shakes when starting, it is worth to take a look at it. You might be able to detect a serious engine problem during this process.
Why does my car shake When Starting?
The rotation of few components in the car engine, crankshaft and transmission gears can cause slight vibrations that cause the car to shake. There are few cases when the vibrations become really high, and you hear noises that are the things to worry about. You need to see a professional in that case. But other than that, having slight vibration is normal which everyone has experienced.
Even though it’s normal to experience a shaky car, but it is important to get it checked because there might be something that needs to be fixed. It can be a steering wheel, brake pedal, or engine.
These vibrations show that some of your engine components may be faulty and need to be repaired or replaced.
In this article, you will get to know a few reasons behind shaky cars and their possible solutions to avoid it, so that thing doesn’t get worse.
Once you get it checked, you might uncover more mechanical failures, so don’t wait for the problem to increase and have your car serviced or fixed before it gets too late.
Here are some reasons behind the abnormal behavior of the car; identifying them might make your work much easier.
Why does my car shake when I turn it on – 8 reasons behind car vibration?
1. Worn out or faulty plugs
Worn-out or faulty plugs can cause the car to vibrate or shake abnormally; it is one of the most common causes of engine shaking. This is a serious issue because when your spark plugs are worn out, they can prevent the fuel-air mixture from igniting properly in the cylinders, which can cause misfiring, that is commonly known as ‘not firing on all cylinders.’ Thus it needs to be checked before the cylinders misfire during idling or even at fast speed. Otherwise, it can result in the car to vibrate at high speed or when stopped.
Solution
The best way to resolve such issue is installing the new spark plugs so the vibration can be stopped. Dirty spark plugs can sometimes be cleaned easily, but sometimes cleaning cannot be done properly, so it is better to replace them as it generally no expensive.
2. Improper timing belt
Improper timing belts can cause the car to vibrate when you start it. The timing belt shows the accurate functioning of many small and critical components in the engine. Any issues in the timing belt can result in improper functioning of fans and other belt driven components. When the timing belt of the car loses or damages, it causes shakes and noises from your car. That is, however, really annoying and worrisome.
Solution
Checking the cable belts to make sure that they are not loose or damage and installing the new ones in place in worn-out ones can help resolve the problem.
Read Also: Car Shaking When Braking at High Speeds
3. Loose or disconnected hoses
Whenever the hose of the car loose or disconnect, it causes shakiness and vibrations in the car. It is another big reason which needs to be solved quickly. These hoses carry the air-fuel mixture, radiator coolant, and vacuum, etc. Once they get loose or disconnected, then your engine will not work properly because it not properly fed with the crucial requirements.
Solution
You can reattach the loose hoses or replace the damaged ones with new ones to solve the problem.
4. Improper fuel intake adjustments
Your fuel intake system needs to be properly adjusted and assessed to avoid any shakiness; any problem with the adjustment of the fuel intake system can cause the engine to vibrate. This happens because the engine is not getting the required fuel-air mixture because of the poor calibration.
Solution
In this case, you need to adjust the idle speed on the carburetor and clean the fuel intake system carefully to solve the problem.
5. Damaged motor mounts
The damage motor mount is another reason for the cause of vibrations in the car when it starts. It can cause the engine to vibrate during idle or when the car is stopped. The main reason is that it controls the vibration and road shocks, so any damage in it can cause the opposite. It supports the engine in its compartment and absorbs the road shocks.
Solution
This problem can be solved by replacing the motor mounts by a professional in an auto repair shop.
6. Engine plight
This is a great reason for your car to shake, the next time you think why my car is shaking when I turn it on? Then it could be because of the engine issues. The engine is the main part of the car, and any problem in it can cause the car to tremble. It might be because the engine is not getting enough amount of air, spark, or fuel to run properly, so it shakes and trembles to give you signs to fix the problem.
Solution
When this problem occurs, you need to buy new spark plugs for your car or swap out the dirty filters and install a new one.
7. Brake issues
Have you seen warped brake rotors recently? If not, then this is time to see it, in case your car is shaking when you start it. Yes! Even brake problems can cause vibrations and shake in your car. The rotor is actually a shiny, silver round shaped material that is found in disc brake system installed vehicles. Heavy wear and tear can make it inappropriate to use and also affect it’s shaped and makes it twist or bend. When it is out of shape, it can be mounted from the surface. The rotor’s original shape is flat, so when it is damaged, it can cause intense vibrations in your car. The brake rotors are compressed with the calipers and brake pads, which leads to the shake in your car.
Solution
In order to solve the issue, it is important to get your brakes and rotors check on time.
8. Imbalanced car wheels
Most of the time, people don’t realize the problem that is causing the car to shake. They check all the things except tires because they don’t think about having issues with the tire, while imbalance tires can cause trouble for you. Sometimes it’s not the tires, but the wheels that are causing vibrations. There could anything stuck to the wheels, or they might be dirty from inside. So cleaning it is the right thing to do to get rid of the vibrating car. When mud is stuck to the wheels, it causes imbalance and the car shakes.
Solution
So carefully clean the wheels from each side to avoid the shakes when starting the car.
Read Also: Car Shaking When Accelerating
How to fix a car engine vibration
1. Spot the Problem Source
The key to solving any problem is to find the root of the problem. Finding the source can help you fix the problem. When you start a car and experience shakes and vibration, then you should first detect the problem. The most common issue can be with the engine so always start with the engine and then detect the other issues. A shaky car might be because of many reasons mentioned above. The easiest way to detect the problem is to check the diagnostic trouble codes; every driver should know that. It will help you find if your cylinder has one, multiple, or no misfire at all. OBD- II scanner is a useful tool for this purpose. This first step will save a lot of your time and effort.
It is best if your cylinder is fine, otherwise is they really have misfires then the reason usually comes from four systems: control sensor, fuel supply, air supply, and the computer.
2. Analyze the Problem
The second step is to understand and analyze the problem carefully. As different problems are solved in different ways, each problem has its own solution. A single misfire is caused by a failure in the engine while multiple misfires in the cylinder are due to outside sources instead of the engine itself. When there is a mechanical failure and unbalance rotating, then there is no misfire code.
- Single-Cylinder Misfires
- Random Multiple Misfires
- Mechanical Failures
Single-cylinder misfires usually occur because of the fuel injector problems or failure in ignition. In this case, drivers are advised to check the spark plugs, ignition coils, and plug wires. Sometimes the only issue is with the cylinder’s coil; the broken coil is very easily determined and repaired. However, single oil is used to power two cylinders in many engines; in that case, if that coil is damaged, then both the cylinders will most likely die.
Many drivers are not aware of this, but the problems which affect the entire engine are caused by the engine support system, like air intake, fuel supply, or electronic systems. If you have a dirty airflow sensor, the sensor of failure, or a vacuum leaking air, then it can also be the reasons behind the bad engine.
The problems with the camshaft, damaged head gasket, and broken piston ring are known as mechanical problems, and they are responsible for making your car shaky because of cylinder misfires. In case you have no misfire at that then it might be because of the unbalanced rotating assembly. That causes the engine to shake. Balance shafts or harmonic balancer are used by many engines to reduce the shaking of the engine, so in case you are experiencing shaky car then it might be because of mechanical failures.
Read Also: Car Shaking When Stopped or idle
3. Replace Damaged Car Parts
After understanding the root cause of shaking, it is time to repair and replace the old and damaged parts to avoid more shaking. It is best to go for a car repair, but you can also do it on your own if you are reluctant to give your beloved car to someone else. Here are a few basic tools that you will need.
- A ratchet wrench
- A screwdriver, it is a must
- Engine pulling A-frame
- A mallet
- Jack
- Gloves
- Eyewear to protect yourself
Vacuum leakage makes the car slow and damages the engine along with gas mileage. This can be detected because cracks and holes appear on the vacuum hoses, making it easier to notice.
Open the trunk to find the vacuum system; the vacuum hoses will be right in the middle. Check the hoses carefully to confirm that this is the real problem. Then remove the damaged vacuum and put it aside. After a complete examination, remove the vacuum lines. The lines will be inside the vacuum hose which was taken out earlier. When the temperature is cold, the vacuum lines are damaged and shatters, which is responsible for broken hoses or vacuum leakage. The only solution to this problem is to install a new vacuum hose.
Final Words
There are many reasons for shaky cars, and one of the most common is dirty sparks and engine issues. Even after a few vibrations, you should quickly examine your car to see if there is an issue because the problem can increase with time.
Here are a few reasons and ways to solve them to keep your car in good condition.
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