My Car Jerks When I’m Stopped at a Light: Why, and How to Fix It: Transmission Issues & More

We’ve all been there.  Waiting for the red light to change and our car gets the jitters.  It’s annoying and embarrassing—but is it a serious problem?

Well, it’s certainly not something you want to ignore.  Chances are, the reason your car is jerking is because of something that’s relatively easy and inexpensive to fix, but ignoring it could lead to bigger problems on down the line.

Dirt: The #1 Culprit

It’s pretty simple:  Any time a part of your engine is dirty, you risk problems that can make your car jerk.  One common example is dirty transmission fluid.   Over time and regular driving, debris builds up in your fluids from the dirty air your car takes in, particularly if you live in an urban area with high pollution levels.  Dirty transmission fluid—or a low level of fluid—can cause a vacuum in your transmission, which leads to hard automatic shifts or “hiccups” when you stop or start.  Waste products can collect in other critical places as well, like your catalytic converter or fuel injector.  Prevention is easy:  Change out your fluids and filters regularly!

Cleanliness Isn’t Everything

Even if you’re studious about keeping your transmission clean (and good for you!), some things are beyond your control. For one thing, you might have a defective speed sensor, a device that measures tire revolution and helps regulate your air-fuel ratio according to the speeds it detects.  Similarly, the air flow sensor, which also helps to maintain a proper balance of air, may need to be replaced.  So far, simple solutions.

The fault can also lie with your spark plugs or ignition coil, both of which are responsible for igniting the fuel.  If they don’t work properly, they can’t draw proper levels of electricity from the alternator or battery, and this causes your engine to “misfire” and jerk.  This problem will also affect your ability to regulate your car’s speed and to maximize your gas mileage.

Get Back to a Smooth Ride!

Professional-level car maintenance doesn’t have to be hard. If you need good parts or good advice, consider Sun Transmissions your source. We specialize in problems related to automatic transmissions and general car maintenance, so, here you can find from transmission bushing kits, to power steering parts, solenoid parts, connectors, automatic transmission clutch and so much more. Stop by and see us if you’re in Miami or let us ship your order to you anywhere in the United States.   We’re here to help!