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If Car Jerks When Stopped In Drive

Many car drivers complain that their car jerks when stopped in drive from a full speed. Although it is not a common phenomenon for all cars, when it happens repeatedly, you must pay attention to it and find out the reason behind car jerking when you stop driving it.

Also, in such conditions, when you want to accelerate the car from a stop, it will work sluggishly.



The Possible Reasons And Solutions Of Car Jerks When Stopped In Drive

  • A dirty fuel injector is the most common cause of car jerking. When the injector is dirty, it cannot produce the right amount of power for the car engine. Thus, the loss of power causes a misfire of the engine, and the car will jerk while you stop it or drive at a consistent speed.
  • Also, there could be a blockage in the fuel tank, or it may get clogged. Sometimes, air might get mixed with the fuel reducing the power for the engine. So, it will also jerk at such moments.
  • Another reason could be a faulty speed sensor. When the sensor fails to detect the car speed and provides faulty readings, the car engine will jerk and come to a standstill. When you drive the car, the sensors send the data to the computer of your vehicles. It analyzes the readings and helps the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) or Engine Control Unit (ECU) control the driving process. It will then send signals to the shift solenoids for a downshift or upshift change of them.  If the readings are faulty, the computer will also analyze faulty data and send wrong messages to the control unit. So, the downshift or upshift can be faulty, too, causing the car engine to jerk and come to a standstill when you stop driving the car in red light.
  • Also, with faulty sensors and data analysis, the transmission unit will keep sending different signals to the solenoids, and the engine won’t be fixed at a certain speed. So, it will vibrate and come to a stop.
Illustrating the 4 most common causes for car jerk

If you see the car jerks when stopped in drive frequently, you must consult a professional mechanic and troubleshoot the problem ASAP. It is crucial for the safety of your car, and causes stopping in the middle of the road with a strong jerk may cause serious accidents. So, be aware of it.

Steven Melo

I love hung out around cars since I knew what a car was. I grew up in the backseat of a 1995 Ford Contour and 2010 Volkswagen phaeton w12 before discovering how to drive a manual 1979 Porsche 911SC. Now I use my 2001 BMW M5.

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