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Can I Drive My Car If the Engine Is Shaking? (Quick Answers)

A shaking engine can be quite annoying to drive. But many of us drive it anyway without even considering if it’s safe. You may have noticed that it happens when you drive at a certain speed.

Whatever it may be, you should not ignore it if your car is shaking. It indicates some major underlying issue.

In this article, we will discuss whether it is safe to drive your car if the engine is shaking. We will also discuss the reasons behind it and how you can avoid it. So read ahead to learn more about it.

Can I Drive My Car If The Engine Is Shaking?

You should not drive your car if the engine is shaking. You may risk damaging some expensive parts. For example, there might be issues with the catalytic converter. You should not ignore it, or the car might backfire. If you drive the car when the engine is shaking, you’ll damage it further.

Shaking of a car’s engine is not very uncommon. It may happen in the middle of a long drive or after you left the car sitting ideally for a few days at a stretch. Whatever your situation may be, it is never safe to drive a car if you notice that its engine is shaking.

It is not safe to drive a car when its engine is shaking. There might be some severe underlying issue with the car. This is a strong indication that you should stop driving and pay attention to the car parts.

If you notice that your car is shaking, make sure to pay attention to the pattern at which it is shaking. The car might be shaking at a certain speed, or it might be shaking whenever you’re driving. Whatever it may be, a shaking engine is never a good sign.

So you should not drive the car if you see that the engine is shaking. Make sure to inspect the car yourself first. But if you’re not an expert in the field, bring it to a mechanic for inspection.

If you ignore the shaking and continue to drive the car, then you will risk the car even further. There is a chance that the engine may backfire and you may end up damaging the entire car at once. So it is never recommended that you drive a shaking car.

Is a car engine supposed to shake? Is it safe to drive with engine shaking?

A car’s engine will vibrate when you drive. It is normal. But it will only vibrate at an optimal level when you run the car. It should not be shaken to the point that it makes you uncomfortable or worried.

The rotation of the transmission gears, crankshaft, and other important gears will cause the car’s engine to vibrate as soon as you start the car.

But this vibration is only slight and it does not make the people inside the car uncomfortable. It is not even quite noticeable. So if you notice that the car’s engine is shaking beyond the optimal level, you should stop the car for an inspection.

It is not safe to drive with engine shaking. This indicates that your car is experiencing some underlying issues. You should stop the car immediately if you notice that its engine is shaking.

Why does my car engine keep shaking when I drive?

When you notice that your car’s engine is shaking, it indicates that there are some issues within the car. It is very important that you inspect and figure out the underlying cause. Otherwise, you will risk damaging some very costly parts.

Let’s learn why your car engine keeps shaking when you drive. Here are some of the most common reasons why this might happen:

Faulty spark plugs:

Your car might have some faulty spark plugs if its engine shakes noticeably. Faulty spark plugs will hinder mixing fuel-air properly and will not ignite the cylinders well.

This will cause the engine to misfire, eventually resulting in uncontrollable shaking. This may happen both while the car is at rest or running at a high speed.

Disconnected or loose hoses:

Another common cause that results in excessive shaking of a car’s engine is disconnected or loose hoses. The hoses carry fuel-air mixture, coolant, vacuum and such.

So if the hoses are faulty, it means that your engine is not being fed properly. In such a case, it will start to shake and cause issues.

Faulty motor mounts:

If you notice that your car’s engine is shaking, it may be because it has faulty or damaged motor mounts. These components are crucial because they support the engine and absorb its vibrations and road shocks.

If they are damaged, then the engine’s vibrations are felt very strongly and it may even end up shaking.

What happens when you drive with your car engine shaking?

If you keep on driving the car when the car engine is shaking then the following might happen:

Risk of damaging the car even further:

When your car’s engine is shaking, it is an indication that there are some issues with the parts of the car. If you keep on driving the car when the car engine is shaking, then you may end up damaging those parts even further.

The faulty parts are incapable of operating. This is indicated by the strong vibration that you feel while driving. So if you do not stop the car for inspection, you will end up causing even more damage to it.

It is important that you take the car to a mechanic and get those parts fixed. Otherwise, you will be causing damage to some expensive parts of the car.

Backfire:

There is a possibility that your car’s engine has some damaged or loose parts when you notice that it is shaking. If you do not stop driving, you will damage it even further.

And the car’s engine may end up backfiring. It may even cause a road accident if you continue to drive the car.

What to do if your engine is shaking?

If your car’s engine is shaking, it is important that you stop the car immediately and take it to a mechanic for inspection.

There is a possibility that your car’s engine has some faulty or loose parts inside. Car’s engine will vibrate at an optimal level when you drive it. But if the vibration is too strong and bothersome, then it is an indication that there are some issues with its parts.

You will need to fix those parts before driving it any further. Otherwise, you will cause some serious damage to the car. There might be issues with the hoses, motor mounts, or spark plugs.

So if you do not get it fixed and continue to run the car despite the vibration, you will cause more damage to the engine. It may even backfire at one point.

So as soon as you notice that the car’s engine is shaking, stop the car. Take the car to an expert for inspection.

There is most likely some damage in the internal parts. Get those parts fixed before taking the car out for another spin. This will save you a few hundred dollars in car parts.

How do I stop my engine from shaking?

As soon as you notice that your car’s engine is shaking, you will need to pay attention to it. Otherwise, you will end up damaging the car even further. Here’s how to stop your engine from shaking:

Fix the damaged parts:

It is very likely that your car is shaking due to some damaged parts. Car’s engine usually vibrates at an optimum level when it is running. This is normal.

But if your car is vibrating very strongly, or even shaking, then there is some internal damage in the car. There might be issues with the hoses, mount, spark plugs, or such parts. Fix the damaged parts to stop your engine from shaking.

Check the ignition system:

There might even be some issues with the ignition system of your car. In order to fix the car and stop it from shaking, you will need to check the ignition system and fix the damage before taking the car on another spin.

Tune the spark plugs:

If there are some issues with the spark plugs, you can fix it by tuning the plugs at a regular interval. Make sure to tune the plugs regularly following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Final Thoughts

You can drive your car if the engine is shaking. But you should not. If you notice that your car’s engine is vibrating beyond its optimum level, make sure to get it checked by an expert. Otherwise, you will damage the engine even further and it may even backfire while running.