Why Is Your Vehicle Shaky When Starting Up?

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The process of turning the key in the ignition is expected to be followed by a car smoothly starting up, but it doesn't always work that way. Your car may be shaking when going through this routine process when it never did it in the past. Here are some reasons the car is behaving this way.

Plugs That Are Bad

One potential reason for vehicle shaking may be due to bad plugs causing the engine to misfire, so the engine doesn't have the spark it needs for it to start up properly. You can tell you have bad plugs because it actually affects other aspects of your vehicle. There may be engine misfiring when you accelerate, causing the entire vehicle to hesitate. You may also experience erratic surges of acceleration when driving. These bad plugs ultimately affect the power going to your vehicle and cause more fuel consumption as a result.

If you have these symptoms accompanied by a shaky startup, take your car to a mechanic to have it inspected for auto repair. It's likely that you'll need the plugs replaced to make the problem go away.

Motor Mounts That Are Faulty

Your vehicle's motor mount is what is responsible for holding the engine in place since there is plenty of movement underneath the hood of a car when the vehicle is starting up. That mount can see a lot of wear and tear over the years, causing the mount to become faulty. Be aware that a bad motor mount will only get worse over time, making the shaking become worse during the startup process.

In addition, a bad motor mount can also show other symptoms when driving. You'll likely feel a lot of vibration in your vehicle when accelerating, with it seeming to originate from under the hood where the engine is located. Sometimes the car may even sag or tilt to one side due to the mount being in bad shape. You're likely to experience damage to your engine, such as broken hoses or belts that perform better with a good mount in place. When shifting gears, the car will vibrate a lot more, because the mount is unable to absorb the vibrations that occur when doing so.

Have your car looked by a mechanic in this situation as well. They can confirm if the motor mount is really what is bad with the car, and perform the necessary repairs to make the vibrations stop.

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