Repairing Our Vehicle

Is your vehicle behaving oddly and you fear that the engine is misfiring? If so, it helps to know what symptoms to look out for that indicate you need auto repair.

The Smell

Start by paying attention to any odd odors while you are driving that smell like gasoline. This could be happening because of unburned fuel that gets into the engine cylinder, and then it makes its way out through the exhaust. When the engine is operating normally you'll likely have a little bit of fuel leave through the exhaust, but a misfiring engine will cause a lot of fuel to go through the exhaust system. 

The Exhaust Emissions

If you do not smell the excess fuel going through your exhaust system, then you may see it because that fuel is going to cause a lot more emissions coming from your vehicle, with the exhaust potentially being much more noticeable to you. You may even need someone to drive your car while you watch it to see if more or darker emissions are coming out of the exhaust pipe. 

The Power Pulsing

If you're driving and notice that the vehicle's power will drop and then come back, it is an indication that your engine is misfiring. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why the power in your vehicle may pulsate while you're driving, so it is worth having a mechanic investigate the problem further to identify why it is happening. They'll let you know if it's due to a misfiring engine. 

The Vibrations

Do you feel your car vibrating a lot more than normal? While this could be due to other problems like wheels being out of alignment or the engine mount being worn out, it can be due to engine misfiring. Pay attention to if the vibrations happen while the power is pulsing because that could be a sign that the two problems are related to each other.

In addition, your vehicle may vibrate more when you are driving at lower speeds due to a misfiring engine. The cylinders are going off and on unexpectedly, which will be more noticeable at slower speeds when your vehicle is not normally vibrating due to the drive itself. 

The Stalling

Does your vehicle stall when you are at a red light or stop sign? This happens because the cylinders in the engine are not maintaining their momentum, and the vehicle is stalling out when you come to a complete stop.