Why doesn’t the car accelerate? Why won’t the car accelerate when you push the gas pedal? What causes the car to not accelerate?
Problems with your car’s acceleration are not good signs. It is often a sign that there is a problem with your ignition system or the air/fuel mix. The most common reasons the car doesn’t accelerate are discussed in this article.
8 Reasons Your Car Doesn’t Accelerate
- – Damaged or Dirty Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF).
- – Fuel filter blocked
- – Filter blockage
- – Defective throttle
- – Ignition issues
- – Defective fuel pump
- – Incorrect camshaft timing
- – Engine Protection Mode (Limp mode) / Emergency Mode / Mode for Engine Protection
Sensor for Mass Air Flow Damage or Dirt
The most common reason a car does not accelerate is due to a poor mixture of fuel and air. The mass airflow sensor measures air entering the engine and the engine control device (ECU) calculates how fuel should be injected.
This sensor is most likely to get dirty if there’s an open-air or unremoved air filter.
The MAF sensor will not measure the amount of air entering your engine if it is damaged or dirty. Engine problems can result from lean mixture.
To make the MAF sensor functional again, you can clean it. You can remove the sensor from the housing and clean it thoroughly with an aerosol spray of electronic cleaner.
Fuel Filter Blockage
The fuel filter is attached after the fuel pump to ensure dirt doesn’t enter the fuel system or damage parts like the fuel injectors.
Low fuel pressure can be caused by a low fuel flow. Low fuel pressure leads to a lean mixture within the engine. This causes problems with acceleration.
It is often easy and affordable to replace the fuel filter. If you haven’t changed the fuel filter in a while, it is time.
Filter Blockage
The filter prevents dirt and other particles from entering the engine. It also protects sensitive parts and sensors. The vehicle’s make/model will dictate the frequency at which the filter should be replaced.
Air is essential for the engine to breathe. The engine can be choked if the filter becomes blocked. This means that you can’t exceed a certain speed.
Defective Throttle
To let more air into your engine, a flap will open when you press down on the accelerator pedal. This is known as the throttle. The throttle valve is responsible for limiting your power if it fails to open fully.
The check engine light will often come on when there are problems with the throttle.
Problems with Ignition
It is not just the fuel mixture that causes the vehicle to not accelerate. For a powerful engine, you need good ignition. You will experience problems with acceleration if there are problems with the ignition system.
An engine misfire often manifests ignition problems. Misfires could be the reason your car is making strange or unusual sounds.
Misfires occur when the ignition fails and the fuel is not burned. Misfires can be caused by poor spark plugs or defective ignition coils.
You should check the ignition timing (advance adjust) if you are manually adjusting your vehicle. You can lose too much power if you delay the ignition timing.
Defective Fuel Pump
The basic task of the fuel pump, is to fuel the engine. The fuel pump is responsible for creating pressure in fuel lines to provide energy when the engine requires it.
Low fuel pressure can be caused by a malfunctioning fuel pump. Low fuel pressure can cause the vehicle to stop accelerating. The Engine Control Unit’s fault codes should be read. If the error code is related to low fuel pressure, then the fuel pump and related components should be repaired.
Incorrect Camshaft Timing
Did you recently change the timing chain or timing chains? Is the car not starting to accelerate after this? This can cause your vehicle to lose its power if the replacement has not installed the belt or chain correctly.
It is important to investigate the issue as soon as possible. An incorrectly installed timing chain or belt can lead to engine failure.
Engine Protection Mode (Limp mode)
Some vehicles have “Limp Mode”, which activates when the ECU detects an incorrect parameter from one of the sensors. This happens most often in turbo vehicles or turbo-related problems. This could be due to a clogged fuel filter, a clogged intake manifold, or the drying of MAF sensors.
The engine’s speed and power are usually limited by limp mode. It is possible for an automatic transmission to cause your vehicle’s information to not shift into the third gear.
Your car may not accelerate if it is in Limp mode. When the engine is self-protected, the check engine lamp will also come on.
