Does your car’s engine have the hiccups? It might if you have any of the following things below going on underneath the hood. Hiccupping or sputtering is abnormal. Your engine should never do it. Louisville Automotive Shop can get to the bottom of the problem and fix it for you. Here are the possible reasons why your car, truck, UV, or van’s engine is sputtering all the time.
Catalytic Converter Trouble
If you know anything about automobiles, you know that the catalytic converter is a very important engine part. This is the part that takes the carbon monoxide in your vehicle’s exhaust and turns it into carbon dioxide before it is released through the tailpipe. Oftentimes, a sputtering engine is a sign of a problem with the fuel delivery, and if this fuel delivery is overloading the catalytic converter, it can fail.
Fuel System Trouble
Let’s talk about fuel delivery trouble, as well. The most common causes of fuel delivery problems include clogs in the fuel filter, the fuel pump, the fuel injectors, or in the fuel hoses. Your engine might be sputtering because it is being flooded, however. In this case, the fuel injectors might be leaking excess fuel into the combustion chamber and the engine is sputtering because there’s too much fuel.
Mass Airflow Sensor Trouble
Another cause of constant engine sputtering is the mass airflow sensor or MAF. The MAF sensor can get dirty quite easily because of where it is located in your vehicle’s engine, it can also malfunction if you have 100,000 miles or more on your automobile. If there is a problem with the MAF sensor, your engine might be sputtering because it is getting too much air and not enough gasoline in the combustion chamber.
Spark Plug Trouble
Finally, the engine sputters can indicate the health of your spark plugs. If the spark plugs are old, dirty, or worn, they will misfire and that is what the sputters are. The engine sputtering is the spark plugs misfiring. You may also have a problem with keeping your vehicle running when you are sitting at an idle; it may sputter and stall. All of the blame cannot be placed on the spark plugs, however. If your engine control unit is malfunctioning, it may be the thing that is causing the spark plugs to misfire.
Louisville Automotive Shop is the best auto service shop in Louisville KY, and we can get to the bottom of the reason why your engine is sputtering all the time. Call us today to schedule an appointment so we can get you in and out of our shop in no time.
