You rely on your automobile every day, so it’s stressful when the engine acts up. Lately, you’ve noticed your engine sputtering all the time. It fights you when you press down on the accelerator and then stutters as you drive along. What could be wrong? Central Auto Care explains below the reasons why vehicle engines sputter, and your car could be suffering from one or more of these problems.
Exhaust Leaks
A combustion engine relies on exhaust as much as it relies on air and fuel. The difference is the combustion chamber needs the exhaust gases routed out through the tailpipe rather than in. As exhaust gases leave the chamber, fresh air and fuel flow in to be detonated. An exhaust system leak can cause the engine to sputter because the exhaust gases are stuck in the combustion chamber. Most commonly, the exhaust will leak out of the exhaust manifold.
Catalytic Converter Failure
Your engine’s exhaust runs through the catalytic converter while it is pushed through the rest of the system. The catalytic converter uses a series of honeycomb-type filters to turn carbon monoxide into the much safer and more environmentally-friendly carbon dioxide. A sputtering engine accompanied by the smell of rotten eggs, a check engine light warning, and/or your engine overheating could be a sign your catalytic converter is failing.
Bad MAF or O2 Sensor
The Mass Airflow or MAF sensor is located between your engine’s throttle body and air filter. The O2 or oxygen sensor is found in the tailpipe. Both sensors are tasked with measuring air/oxygen; the only difference is how they do it. The MAF measures the amount of air flowing into the engine; the O2 measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. If either is malfunctioning, you might end up with too much air in the combustion mixture, which will make your engine sputter.
Clogged Fuel Injectors
Today’s vehicles have fuel injectors instead of carburetors. These injectors inject fuel into the combustion chamber in one of two ways. Some autos have intake manifolds, and the fuel injectors spray the gasoline into that. Other vehicles have direct-injection systems, which mean the fuel injectors spray the fuel directly into the cylinders. Dirty or clogged fuel injectors will starve the engine of gasoline just like a malfunctioning MAF or O2 sensor will.
Finally, your vehicle’s spark plugs detonate the air/fuel mix in the combustion chamber and if they are dirty or worn, your engine will sputter due to detonation timing issues. Call Central Auto Care to schedule an appointment at our Okotoks, AB, auto repair shop. We’ll fix your sputtering engine.