Q: Car bucks when I put it in reverse and drive.

asked by on August 01, 2016

Once I put my car into either reverse or drive, it will buck even if I have the brakes on. I'm assuming it's a transmission problem but I'm not sure what it could be.

My car has 140000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Check your idle speed. If your vehicle is idling too high, it will buck when you engage the transmission. Your idle speed in park should be around 500-600 RPM’s. If you are noticing the RPMs to be higher that usual, then you should have the bucking issue diagnosed by an expert, as the potential causes can range from bad transmission fluid to a clogged fuel filter to a faulty idle control valve.

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