Q: My car struggles to accelerate at times, especially after making a complete stop and attempting to accelerate.

asked by on November 09, 2017

My concern is my cars acceleration. First off, I've changed the spark plugs, cables, it recently has an oil change and the idle is normal. I've noticed the hesitation when I've reached a stop light and I am forced to make a complete stop and as I attempt to accelerate the car hesitates. I have hypothesized that it was possibly air intake restriction but I installed a higher flowing air filter and replaced the MAP sensor and the hesitation is still present. My next hypothesis is fuel distribution since the fuel filter hasn't been changed in a while, but the exhaust also seems to be quite silent and pressing on the accelerator. I am in need of help, I am quite desperate to get rid of the hesitation.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Check engine compression and intake vacuum to first rule out possible mechanical problems such as stuck or leaking valves. Among the causes of poor acceleration are clogged fuel injectors and/or inadequate fuel pressure/volume. When an injector is clogged it can degrade the performance of the vehicle and the car may accelerate slowly or feel that it does not have enough power. A defective fuel pump will not supply enough fuel to the injectors. This can cause the vehicle to accelerate slowly, or even sputter and stall, especially at high speeds. A clogged fuel filter can also restrict the amount of fuel that reaches the injectors. A dirty mass airflow sensor can cause the wrong data to be be sent to the computer. A slow accelerating car is the result of this incorrect data. It may also trigger the Check Engine Light. Other causes of poor acceleration are vacuum leaks, a defective throttle position sensor, a defective idle air control valve, and a plugged catalytic converter. To get the underlying cause of the problem pinpointed and resolved, you can request an engine diagnostic for slow acceleration and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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