Have you ever experienced a situation where the vehicle is jerking when accelerating? You must have thought of many things. Well, we will go through the probable causes of that. Trucks are very reliable vehicles both on and off-road. Most owners love them because they can perform any task ahead of them. Trucks have vital parts which facilitate their smooth functioning. One of these parts is the accelerator, which you will need when you feel like you want to speed off. The accelerator ensures the combustion chamber receives adequate air and fuel for performing the task ahead. Sometimes, when accelerating, you might note that it jerks instead of moving smoothly. You will be able to know some of the reasons why your truck jerks when accelerating after reading this guide.
Causes of Truck Jerking When Accelerating
When your truck jerks as you accelerate, it signals a severe issue that you should address as soon as possible before it escalates to other significant problems. Here are some of the causes of truck jerking as you accelerate.
Blocked Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter regulates the emissions that come from your truck’s engine. Sometimes the rich air might flow into the catalytic converter and block it. If this happens, your truck will be jerking whenever you accelerate.
Accumulation of Moisture
Sometimes moisture gathers in your truck’s distributor cap, which might make it jerk whenever you press the gas pedal. Moisture accumulation can also lead to engine misfire, which is common when you park your truck in cold weather. Consider parking your truck in a warm and dry spot to prevent this.
Clogged Air or Fuel Intakes
The truck engine requires air and fuel to work. Air mixes with fuel inside the engine. In the combustion chamber, a spark plug ignites the mixture, causing an explosion that triggers the piston to move up and down. This cycle is continuous, and it’s what makes your truck move. Either fuel or air blockage interferes with this cycle and will lead to jerking as you accelerate.
Faulty Acceleration Cable
When your acceleration cable is worn out, you will experience jerking issues. The acceleration cable is a braided metal cable that links the gas pedal and the engine throttle plate. This cable gets pulled, and the throttle opens whenever you press the gas pedal. This cable weakens and fails to perform effectively with time, leading to jerking when accelerating.
Dirty Fuel Injectors
The fuel injector introduces fuel into the combustion chamber. Sometimes, it gets dirty, interfering with the continuous fuel stream into the combustion chamber. When the injectors are dirty, you will experience misfires, and your truck will be jerking as you accelerate. Consider cleaning your fuel injectors occasionally to avoid such issues.
Worn Out Spark Plugs
Your engine will misfire when the spark plugs are worn out, and they will not be able to ignite the fuel in each piston. If you realize that your spark plugs are worn out, your pick-up truck will be jerking whenever you accelerate.
Conclusion
When your pick-up truck is jerking when accelerating, the problem always lies within the engine. You must take your truck to your mechanic to identify the main cause of jerking.