Car jerks when accelerating

Tiny
JERSEY4LIFE
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 MITSUBISHI LANCER
Four cylinder two wheel drive automatic 112,000 miles.

This car was purchased a few months ago with 109,000 miles. A little while after it was purchased it started to jerk when accelerating from a stop to about twenty mph or when I slow down on the highway then step on the gas again. The service engine light comes on when the car jerks. I took it to the dealer and they said it was the oxygen sensors, but did not say if this is the reason why it is jerking. I have researched this problem and many other people have the same problem, but it is the automatic transmission. How can I tell? Please help!
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 AT 9:17 PM

8 Replies

Tiny
TECHNOPRO
  • MEMBER
  • 45 POSTS
Can you describe the "jerk" a little bit more? Like does it takes place when engine is cold or does the jerk happen when you throttle up suddenly?
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Friday, October 24th, 2008 AT 4:22 AM
Tiny
JERSEY4LIFE
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  • 7 POSTS
It seems to happen all the time. It feels like the car is kind of shaking and it will not go anywhere when you press the throttle harder.
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Sunday, October 26th, 2008 AT 1:25 PM
Tiny
TECHNOPRO
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Do you experience any shift shock when putting your car in D range?
If the answer is yes then I am pretty sure your problem is in the transmission side.
Try leaving your car in P range and throttle up and see if the engine respond to the action.
Let me know how you get on, cheers.
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Monday, October 27th, 2008 AT 5:54 AM
Tiny
JERSEY4LIFE
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When you say "shift shock" do you mean the car jerks forward? If so then I do not. When the car is in P and I press the throttle the engine responds.
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Monday, October 27th, 2008 AT 4:45 PM
Tiny
TECHNOPRO
  • MEMBER
  • 45 POSTS
Hi, it seems to me that your engine is not responding properly under load.
You can try to do a stall test and this will determine if there is any slippage in your transmission.
Put the hand brake fully on, apply some wheel chokes to the wheels and depress your brakes fully.
Put your lever in D range and depress your throttle completely and see the rev counter, it should not exceed 3000 rpm. Do not do this test for more than ten seconds. Then leave your car idling for three minutes on N range for the transmission to cool down.
If the test is okay then you know that there is no abnormal slippage in the transmission.
Try removing the negative terminal for five minutes, put it back and start the car, leave it idling for ten minutes and see what difference it makes.
Good luck.
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Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 AT 5:03 AM
Tiny
JERSEY4LIFE
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Hi, I got the problem fixed it was the spark plugs and wires.
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Monday, December 15th, 2008 AT 11:21 PM
Tiny
GUNNARNYKI22
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
When your car was jerking would it cut off too?
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Sunday, January 5th, 2020 AT 6:31 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,747 POSTS
Hi:
If the check engine light is flashing, that indicates a cylinder misfire. That is what sounds like is happening. If the light flashes, take a look through this link and let me know if it helps. Also, let me know if it isn't flashing.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-misfires-or-runs-rough

I will watch for your reply.

Joe
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Sunday, January 5th, 2020 AT 7:08 PM

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