Shaking vehicle

Tiny
APRIL HOWELL-KUIPER
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 CHEVROLET AVEO
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 87,000 MILES
Hello, recently I have had issues with my front end shaking. When I am stopped at a light it will shake like it wants to stall out but never does. A friend looked at it, determined that the filter was very dirty so figured that was the only issue since running tests did not show any issues. Now not even a month later it is shaking worse! I also have the engine light on and the "hold" light blinks on and off. Great car other than these issues! Can someone give me an idea of what it might be? Thank you. :) (Check out the video, you can clearly see how bad the car was shaking. I was not moving!)
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Sunday, November 5th, 2017 AT 10:29 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
Can you get a scan done to see what the codes are, the yellow engine light is indicating that there is a fault code, with this we should be able to narrow down the problem.
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Monday, November 6th, 2017 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 34,110 POSTS
You are describing a simple misfire. How long since the engine was tuned up? In particular, spark plugs and wires are the best suspects, especially at the mileage you listed.

The "check engine" light means the engine computer has detected a problem and set a diagnostic fault code. The place to start is by having those codes read and recorded. The people at many auto parts stores will do that for you for free.

The most serious of fault codes are indicated by a flashing check engine light. That means too much unburned fuel is going into the exhaust system where it will overheat and damage the catalytic converter. You are supposed to stop the engine right away to let the exhaust system cool down. If you continue forcing the car to move, you risk turning a minor problem into a very expensive one.
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Monday, November 6th, 2017 AT 2:50 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,793 POSTS
Thanks for the video! The car is shaking because the engine is misfiring and the hold light blinking is because there is a trouble code.

Here is guide to help you see what code it is so we can go from there:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

and

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

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Monday, November 6th, 2017 AT 2:50 PM
Tiny
APRIL HOWELL-KUIPER
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you everybody! I will have this further tested. We just recently had an oil change about a month ago and spark plugs were also changed over the summer. I am hoping this is a simple fix since I cannot afford a mechanic due to being unemployed and definitely cannot afford another car!
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Monday, November 6th, 2017 AT 3:17 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,793 POSTS
Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

Cheers, Ken
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Tuesday, November 7th, 2017 AT 10:47 AM

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