Your F150 may have a low fuel or oil level, dirty air filter, damaged spark plug, or even a gone rogue head gasket. The mass airflow sensor is important as it gives information to the ECU on how much air is getting into the engine, which is essential to have an appropriate air/fuel mixture and hence combustion. As the combustion increases during acceleration, so do the exhaust gases. If you notice your cars fuel filter and air filters are clogged, the best solution is to replace them. If the MAF is faulty and not measuring the airflow properly, you could experience a serious loss in power. 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER. Shit. Even though acceleration issues dont seem too serious, you should never ignore them. This repair is pricey, but youll need to complete it before using your vehicle again. When it rains it starts loosing its power and the smokes gets very black. When this component is clogged, the engine cannot rev as high as usual because it cant eliminate the exhaust as quickly. When an injector is clogged it can degrade the performance of the vehicle and the car may accelerate slowly or feel that it does not have enough power.A slow accelerating car is the result of this incorrect data. If you have a habit of driving with low fuel, you risk making the fuel pump prematurely go bad. This amount of voltage is required to generate the electrical spark that can ignite the fuel and air mixture in the engine. Tighten loose connections: Examine both the positive and negative cable connections to make sure that they are tight. A dirty air filter can also be the culprit. First off, its a good idea to learn how a car accelerates. After the ignition coil sends an electrical signal to the spark plugs, they transmit that signal to the combustion chamber so that its air & fuel mixture can be ignited by an electric spark. 10,000 MILES. 2. Luckily, fixing the mass airflow sensor is easy and cheap in most cases, as all that must be done is to clean the sensor. The Air Filter. Vacuum Leak. 1. 45 minutes later it will start again and I can drive for weeks ,but it will happen again. The fuel filter is located in between the fuel injectors and fuel pump of your vehicle. For example, you may be dealing with a: weak or worn fuel pump. To figure out the root cause of the problem, you (or your mechanic) will need to do some troubleshooting. On the dashboard, locate the tachometer, the gauge that displays your vehicle's RPMs, and the speedometer, the gauge that shows your speed. Car Losing Power When Accelerating Causes and Solutions, Common Causes of a Car Losing Power When Accelerating, How to Fix a Car That Loses Power When Accelerating. Below are the 11 most common reasons for a car or truck losing power when trying to accelerate: In order for a cars engine to function properly and provide adequate power to the vehicle, there must be good cylinder compression throughout the combustion process. Its left for you to solve the hitch and continue enjoying your driving experience. A failing or dirty mass air flow sensor (MAF), idle air . Once that happens, the engine will eventually lose its power and the overall functionality of the vehicle will be impaired. Replacing a blown fuse or fuel pump relay is considerably cheaper than replacing the fuel pump, which costs around $500 with labor and parts. The oxygen sensor measures the amount of gas that leaves a cars exhaust. i had to get it towed to his shop because my car began to suddenly stall out when it would come to a near complete stop, and i ended up flooding the carburetor trying to pump the gas to get the car to start back up. Most people know what the exhaust does it eliminates what is left of the combustion that just took place in the combustion chamber. 2. 4. The most common cause of why a car loses power when accelerating is a clogged fuel filter or engine air filter. Your car can lose power when you try to accelerate for many different reasons. My Nissan Pulsar 2005 starts alright but after 10kms or so slows down won't accelerate, jerks and starts shaking as if it is about to stop. Car will not accelerate properly. A clogged exhaust system is bad on any vehicle but its even worse on a turbocharged vehicle. Read full answer. Often, the clog will occur in your cars catalytic converter or particle filter. So, if your car has been giving you problems lately, keep reading for more information. I have no idea. When the engine gets hot and I put it off, putting it on the light (check engine) goes on and lose of power starts. They do this by sending in fuel at high-pressure, much like a spray. Unwanted ambient air entering the engine tract typically causes car vacuum leaks. I have a 2011 F150 with an Ecoboost engine. Clogs can appear in your exhaust system over time, leading to performance issues. When your car is functioning correctly, you'll notice only a little smoke coming from the exhaust.Your vehicle's emissions control system is intended to handle the majority of exhaust emissions. 9 Reasons Your Car Jerks When Accelerating, Top 6 Causes of a Car That Wont Accelerate, P0520 Code (Symptoms, Causes, and How to Fix), Death Wobble (Common Causes and How to Fix It), P0452 Code (Symptoms, Causes, and How to Fix), 9 Best Car Buffers and Polishers (Use What the Pros Use), 5 Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor (and Replacement Cost), 11 Causes of a Vehicle Losing Power when Accelerating, #1 Low Compression (Gas & Diesel Engine), #2 Clogged Fuel Filter(Gas & Diesel Engine), #3 Bad Air Filter(Gas & Diesel Engine), #4 Clogged Exhaust Pipe(Gas & Diesel Engine), #5 Camshaft Position Sensor Malfunction(Gas & Diesel Engine), #7 Oxygen Sensor Malfunction(Gas & Diesel Engine), #8 Bad Fuel Injectors (Gas and Diesel Common Rail Engine), Other Causes of No Power When Accelerating, Symptoms of a bad throttle position sensor, Causes of Car High Fuel Consumption in Diesel and Petrol Engines, BadInjection pump delivery valve ( Conventional Diesel Engine). If the fuel filter gets clogged and the fuel does not reach the engine chamber in the right quantity, the engine will not perform at its optimum level. Your timing belt handles a lot of performance-related jobs, including opening and closing your engine valves at the correct intervals. Lift your floor mat to see if it is holding the pedal down. An even more likely scenario is that a turbo boost pipe came loose, so the turbocharger will not increase the turbo pressure. A friend of mine said is the add power thing but we dont really know. If your car is losing power when accelerating, many things could cause it. It might be a good idea to check. For example, suppose you notice that your vehicle is losing power when accelerating because of a faulty ignition coil or bad oxygen sensor. It is recommended that you change your air filter after your vehicles service schedule. Also, suppose your gas pedal makes a squeaking noise, similar to a squeaking brake pedal; you can try lubricating it with lithium grease to fix the problem. The piston must be in the correct position for effective combustion. Discussions with other drivers have led to the discovery that many Ford Focus owners are facing the problem of losing power when driving. When the check engine light is off, it can go for hundreds of kilometers. Fuel injectors can become clogged over time as the tiny passages become clogged. The car did not have the power to turn or even make it to the side of the road. Therefore, the air that goes into the system should always be clean. When the fuel pump gets weak or bad, the car will have acceleration problems, and the engine performance will fail. The problem will reoccur after another 20 minute drive. However, the solutions may vary depending on the cause of the power loss. These links are my affiliate links which means i. At this point, it might be a good idea to replace them, especially if it has been a while. Thanks for all your help. Aside from putting your life and other road users at risk, acceleration problems make your driving experience boring. It does not come as a surprise that your car needs fuel to keep going and accelerating. What exactly could be the problem? What ended up being your problem with it, Im having a similar issue with my I30 I just started having issues when I hit 120km/h then it gradually got worse, 2003 Chevy Tahoe lost power over 30 its a rough ride and its throwing codes p0420,p0120 and p1516. At first, everything was fine. You can either do it alone, which will cost you about $20 to $60, or take it to a shop to replace it, adding labor costs for half an hour of work. If the fuel filter is clogged, you can get it changed by a mechanic who will charge you a very paltry sum. Then I got new hoses it car was still loosing power then they put a new exhaust on it. Do you feel like the engine lacks power accelerating? The result will be an engine that simply doesnt function properly. Since the car has less power for the engine when the AC is turned ON, the acceleration is generally sluggish. Honda, Jeep, and Ram vehicles have power loss investigations and recalls, Car Shakes When Accelerating? filters. Sometimes parts of the exhaust system can be clogged, leading to backpressure and consequently may cause problems when driving the car. Pulls up hill in lower gears fine but seems to loose power going up hill on motorway in 4th/5th gear. Once information about the camshaft speed is sent to the ECM, the computer will then manage the timing of both the fuel injection and ignition based on this information. Causes & How to Fix it, Car Jerking When Accelerating? All Rights Reserved. If not, misfires and rough acceleration will occur. Ideally, youll want to replace your spark plugs every 20,000 to 30,000 miles. Score: 4.4/5 (9 votes) . Heres Why And What To Do. Can you describe the strange noise? Besides, it is advisable to change the fuel filter after 2 years or 30,000 miles of usage and the air filter after 14,000 miles. When the fuel filter is clogged, the fuel pump has to work much harder, resulting in a far less efficient drive. Clogged/Dirty Air Filter (Both Diesel & Gas), 3. If your car is equipped with a turbocharger, your turbocharger is likely damaged. Warming up your car improves combustion, fuel economy and performance. The most common reasons why your car is having trouble accelerating is due to three main categories: Actuator Malfunction - bad spark plugs, faulty fuel pump, damaged fuel injectors, old fuel wiring, and other fuel component issues. Hearing a Pop Noise When My Car Is Turning? If someone stole some components from you, they may have cut wires in order to take things quickly. When the pressure is low, the car wont have the same amount of power. That way, the engine can perform the best that it can under different driving conditions. If your car's fuel filter is clogged, it won't be able to deliver enough fuel to the engine, which will cause the car to lose power. Thank you for your time! Have the filter cleaned or . Is your car losing power while driving or accelerating? 2. It is therefore located in the exhaust pipe. Another factor that can impact the longevity of the fuel pump is your refueling habits. Do you know where its coming from? The truck will run rough for a few minutes after, then go back to it's normal self, which is good except for this power loss problem. Was thinking air or fuel filter issue? V6-3.4L. The best way to start diagnosing a car that is losing power when accelerating is by checking the trouble codes in the engine control module with an OBD scanner. If the gasoline inside the fuel filter appears dirty or clogged, then it is likely that the filter is clogged and needs to be replaced.Another way to check if the fuel filter is clogged is to check the fuel pressure. Watch on. If that happens, the engine will lose its power, and the vehicle will not function properly. It enables the engine timing and fuel injection system to do their jobs efficiently. From there, this information helps the computer determine the engines current load. 4. The oxygen sensor even provides support with emission control as well. For example, if you have a bad fuel pump, timing belt, ignition coil, or sensor, youll need to have the part replaced. I press the pedal but there is no sound, like completely shut down already but still has light. If this sensor isnt functioning, the engines airflow could be restricted, hindering the vehicles performance and causing acceleration problems. In most cases, a faulty mass airflow sensor will throw a code on an OBD2 reader, stating that something is wrong with the mass airflow sensor. Clean any corrosion: If you see any signs of corrosion, then you should clean the terminals and cable ends before you tighten them up. MICHAEL11457. There is also a possibility that the spark plugs are fine but do not produce sparks due to bad ignition coils. However, if there is a malfunction with the camshaft position sensor and its not able to send this information to the ECM, then the performance of the engine will be greatly impacted and likely wont be able to function properly. 8 Common Causes Here's some bad news: There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer as to why your car might not be accelerating as it should. Faulty Fuel Injectors (Both Diesel & Gas), 9. The exhaust system consists of multiple parts, which can cause power loss when accelerating.