Q: Car loses power, sputters, shakes, jerks, stalls and the check engine light flashes and I cant drive over 15 like 20 mph
Oh man where to start....so I have a 02 hyundai elantra and the problem I am about to mention only happens sometimes but is getting worse and happening more often as time passes, as well usually always happens when I run the AC. So usually starts when I'm accelerating but does sometimes happen at normal speeds(40-50mph) car will completely lose power, it shakes, it sputters, it jerks and I cant even get the car to drive over like 15 mph and while this is happening the check engine light will then go on and start flashing after I stop it'll turn solid and stop flashing. Usually later or the next day the check engine light will go off until it happens again. Yesterday it just started stalling not while driving but while stopped and one time it stalled immediately after I turned on the ac. While its sputtering etc the rpm will rise just a little up and down. Finally when this problem started a couple months ago I hooked it up a reader and code was a misfire, cant recall code. Thank you
My car has 166434 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
That type of very rough running, sputtering, no power is commonly caused by problems with the ignition system. The fuel system also needs to be checked to eliminate a fuel control problem as the source of this issue. Cam timing may also need to be verified to see if the timing belt has jumped out of time. When the Check Engine light blinks, it is telling you that the misfire is so severe that the catalytic converter can be damaged if you continue to drive it. It gets worse with the A/C on because that puts extra demand on an already struggling engine. I suggest that you have a certified technician complete a comprehensive inspection on your vehicle to determine what repairs will be needed.
Get an instant quote for your car
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing