Why Does My Car Hesitate When I Accelerate?

One of the questions our service team is frequently asked is, “Why does my car hesitate when I accelerate?” Generally, there can be many causes such as a broken fuel pump or a clogged fuel filter. In other cases, you might have to check the transmission. There are so many other potential causes for why the car hesitates when I push the gas pedal. There are plenty of potential causes for lagging during acceleration, but we’ve done our best to break down some of the main causes. Be sure to schedule service with our Middletown dealership if you are looking for

If your engine is lagging when you hit the gas, one of the following parts may be malfunctioning:

• Fuel Pump: Fuel pumps are designed to deliver measured amounts of fuel to the engine for combustion. If the fuel pump is not working, it won’t properly deliver the right amount of fuel into the engine.
• Mass Airflow Sensor: Mass airflow sensors (MAF) detect the amount of air flowing into the engine, where it transfers the info into the car’s main computer. The computer tells the fuel injectors how much fuel is going into the engine. If the Mass Airflow Sensor is worn out, this can cause hesitation during acceleration.
• Fuel Injectors: Fuel injectors can become worn out or dirty, preventing them from spraying fuel into the internal combustion chamber. Engine hesitation will develop gradually over time.
• Throttle Position Sensor: Throttle position sensors tell the main computer how much pressure to place on the accelerator. If the sensor is broken, there will be a decrease of engine performance.
• Fuel Filter: The fuel filter collects particles like dust and dirt and prevents them from getting mixed into the fuel. If it’s clogged, the fuel filter can cause engine hesitation.
• Transmission: Hesitation can indicate transmission clutch slippage rather than engine problems, which is typically caused by low or old transmission fluid, an old transmission oil pump, damaged clutches, or clutch solenoid failure.

Contact us online or call us at 732-709-1144 to learn more about our services. You can also utilize our service specials or our parts specials today for additional savings.