There are various reasons why your car jerks when braking but it doesn't mean that you will need to panic when this happens. It is inevitable to slightly get scared when you encounter this, especially when you're already driving in the middle of the road. Trust me, I had a few scares of mine when it happened to me.
This is why I'm here to help you answer this common problem and hopefully by the end of this article, you will be knowledgeable about why your car does it and what you should do when it happens.
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3 Common Reasons Why Your Car Would Jerk When You Hit The Brake
1. Fuel Injector
This is a part of your car where it could be clogged with dirt and other elements that could hinder it from functioning right. Keep in mind that when the fuel filter gets all nasty with dirt, the jerking will happens whenever you hit the brakes and it would become a normal thing.
2. Shifting
If you are driving a manual car, you have to be careful with your shifts. Always make it a point that you are doing it right or else you could expect that your car will jerk because it is an indication of wrong shifting. This always happens if you don't own an automatic car.
3. Transmission
This is something that you have to keep an eye on because it could pose danger to you as the driver. The minute your transmission fails means that your car is also about to shut down. An indication that it is bound to happen is when your car starts jerking when you put it on a brake.
So make sure to check the transmission if it is working well and if you see something odd in there, especially when it starts to emit smoke; it might be the right time to call a mechanic.
Frequently Asked Questions When Car Jerks After Hitting The Brake
Why does a car jerk if the fuel injector is messed up?
Answer: The fuel injector is responsible for the right amount of fuel that your car has to have.If this part is dirty and clogged, you can expect that your car would get confused on the fuel department, which could then lead to misfiring the engine. This is when you would feel that your car is doing that jerking behavior.
Aside from dirt, what could cause the fuel injector to stop working?
Answer: Be careful of buying cheap gas because this is actually what causes the problem sometimes.When the gas that you use has less detergent, the fuel injector tends to get dirty easily. Consequently, dirt tends to easily build up in that area leading to the jerking of your car.
How can I fix the fuel injector when it becomes really dirty?
Answer: You could always buy some fuel additives to clean that area and you could purchase these things in car shops or even in your local hardware.
How to tell when it is finally time to change the fuel injector?
Answer: Your car jerking is not enough to change this part of your car. You must check if the RPM goes high because when it does, that is the sign that it is time for a new filter. Go to a service station near you and request for a fuel injector replacement.
Why is it necessary to change the filter aside from it prevents the car from jerking?
Answer: It is for safety and efficiency reasons that you must do this anyway because, without this specific filter in your car, it would be hard for your vehicle to balance the amount of fuel and air that the car should be releasing.So not only will your car jerk after hitting the brake, but there is also a possibility that your car could just stop working.
What to do if the transmission is the one causing the car to jerk?
Answer: You can solve this without having to go a mechanic just yet by replenishing its transmission liquid. It is also possible that you might need to flush some of its liquid to make it work again.
However, should you see its gears inside this part broken, then this is the time to go to a service station and ask for a new transmission.
Usually, it is best to just purchase a new one than try to rebuild it since the cost would pretty much be the same.
Conclusion:
You don’t have to panic just yet when your car starts jerking whenever you try and hit the brake pedal. Most of the time, it indicates a warning that you must check something inside its engine before you continue with your driving. It is just inconvenient sometimes if it happens when you are already in the middle of the road.
But don’t worry because as long as the transmission is still good, I don’t think that your car would just stop working as you drive. As soon as you notice it, I would suggest to not dawdle in checking the transmission and the fuel injector, as these are the parts that are usually affected whenever the jerking occurs.
The good news is that there are various troubleshooting options that you could do on your own if you experience it. This would save you time and money from going to a service center or a mechanic if you catch the problem early.
Usually, you will just need to clean the filter to make sure that it is capable of measuring the right amount of fuel and air to distribute in the engine.
You would be surprised that most of the time, it is really just dirty, causing this issue in your car. So take a deep breath and check the areas that need to be checked and I can assure you that it won’t lead to a serious case if you take immediate action on this issue.
My car jerks when I take my foot of the brake – David do you have any idea as to why it does this.
Thanks