Occasionally, some cars will shake depending on the make, model, and age of the car. However, noticing your car shakes a lot could be a sign that there is a bigger problem to address.
If your engine is shaking, you probably want to figure out what is causing it. We did the research, and here is what we found!
Why Is My Engine Shaking?
1. Bad Rims
Generally, the assembly of your car’s tires needs to be well balanced to ensure they function properly.
If there is something wrong with your car’s rims, such as a deep scratch, dent, or bend, your car may shake as a result of the damage.
Usually, you will be able to see if you have bad rims, and if you have a bad rim, you would need to replace the rim.
2. Damaged Tires
If you notice that your car shakes whenever you drive, the problem may be with your tires and not your engine.
This is because your tires are in direct contact with the road while you drive, and damaged tires will likely make your car vibrate whenever you drive.
However, there are many things that could be wrong with your tires, such as uneven tread, tire blowout, flat tire, and more.
3. Faulty Brake Rotors
Your brake rotors are smooth metal plates in your brake system that the brake pads push against, but bad brake rotors will cause vibrations that make your car shake.
If there is warping, a crack, or unevenness on the rotor, the brake pads will make noises and vibrate.
As such, you need to have the brake rotors replaced so the brake rotors can smoothly push against the brake pads.
4. Improperly Balanced Tires
As mentioned earlier, your tires need to be well balanced for your car to have a smooth ride. Therefore, any unbalance can cause the car to be uneven and shake.
If you got a new tire recently, the tire has to be balanced before it is installed to make sure the weight of the tire is distributed evenly.
Normally, you need to have a mechanic professionally balance your tires since it is a technical job.
5. Issues With The Driveshaft
Your driveshaft is a link between your car’s wheels and transmission, so the driveshaft needs to be balanced since a lot of energy moves through it.
However, a faulty driveshaft will make your car shake when you drive at a constant speed, with the shaking getting stronger as you accelerate.
6. Power Steering Problems
If you notice that your engine shakes whenever you make a turn, you probably have a problem with your car’s steering assembly, particularly the power steering.
Usually, most cars have power steering fluid to help drivers make smoother turns while they drive.
As such, you can check your power steering fluid levels to see if you need to add more to fix the shaking.
However, it is important to check if there is a broken part in your power steering assembly first to make the proper replacements before adding power steering fluid.
7. Faulty Wheel Bearings
Wheel bearings are found in your car’s steering hub, which lets your wheels rotate freely, but faulty wheel bearings could make your car shake.
Usually, you will know if you have bad wheel bearings because there would always be shaking when you drive, along with a high-pitched noise when you drive at faster speeds.
8. Faulty Steering Components
Generally, your steering assembly has several mechanical components in it, which means any one of these components could go bad and make your engine feel like it is shaking.
Typically, you will know that there is something wrong with your steering components if your car shakes whenever you turn the wheel.
Usually, it is best to have a mechanic check your steering assembly to see what component needs to get replaced.
9. Faulty Timing Belt
Your timing belt helps make sure that everything in your engine is in sync, such as your engine firing at the right time.
Therefore, a faulty timing belt could make your engine do things at the wrong time, which makes your engine shake.
10. Problems With The Axle
Axel problems are a common reason why your car shakes. A professional mechanic would be needed to replace the axle.
Your axle is a part that connects your wheels, so any damage, misalignment, etc., within the axle can make your car shake.
11. Brake Calipers
Brake calipers are clips that push the brake pads into the brake rotors, but brake calipers can get sticky.
When this occurs, the brake calipers will put too much pressure on the brake rotors and brake pads, which will lead to rattling while you drive.
12. Bad Spark Plug
Your spark plug is in charge of helping your car ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, but a bad spark plug will misfire.
When a spark plug misfires, you will hear a knocking sound along with vibrations from your engine.
13. Misaligned Suspension Or Steering
If you notice shaking while you accelerate, especially in your steering wheel, there is probably misalignment in your steering wheel or suspension.
Usually, the shaking will become more severe as the misalignments become greater.
14. Bad Fuel Injectors
Most cars rely on fuel injectors to spray fuel into the combustion chamber, but bad fuel injectors will make your engine shake.
If your fuel injectors do not offer steady amounts of fuel or spurts fuel, your engine will rattle, causing your car to shake.
15. Loose Motor Mounts
Engine mounts keep your car’s engine securely attached to the car’s framework, so improperly mounted motor mounts will make your engine shake.
Generally, it would be best to have a mechanic check your motor mounts since it is not easy to access the motor mounts.
To know more, you can also read our posts on why your engine is vibrating at low RPM, why check transmission fluid when engine is running, and why your engine is knocking.
Conclusion
An engine can shake for a variety of reasons, including problems with your brake systems, such as faulty brake rotors and brake calipers.
Also, tires are another common cause that makes it feel like your engine shakes, especially if your car shakes while you drive.