What Causes Engine Surges? - Cause, Diagnosis, Solutions
Quick Links For You
- What is car engine surge?
- Causes of an engine surge
- Symptoms of car engine surge
- Diagnosis and troubleshooting process
- Our verdict
- Used cars for you
- FAQs
No matter what car brand you own, despite the top maintenance practices, mechanical issues are bound to happen over time. One such major mechanical issue is the car engine surge. It is a fault that is generally related to the car’s ECM or fuel system, leading the RPM levels to fluctuate and causing the vehicle to gain and lose speed repeatedly. Such an issue is not just bad for your car’s health but also life-threatening. However, the good news is that in most cases it is an easy fix with little cost involved.
If you are also experiencing this issue with your car, read our detailed guide about the car engine surge, the reasons behind it, and how to solve it.
Also Read: Car Registration Process in Dubai 2024: A Complete Guide For Used Car & New Car Registration
What Is Car Engine Surge and How Does It Affect My Car?
Before we proceed with the diagnosis and remedies, it is important to understand what an engine surge is. Any internal combustion engine relies on the simple fact that a free flow combustion will take place. Therefore, multiple sensors, combined with a fuel delivery system, make sure that the engine rotates at different speeds via rotation. These rotations are also called rotation per minute or RPM, which identify the number of rotations the pistons are doing to move the car.
During an engine surge or engine knocking, the RPM levels fluctuate and the car involuntarily gains or loses speed. This can either happen during driving, or even at idle conditions. The engine surge might be caused by a reason or two, but if it is unattended, it can further damage the crucial engine parts. Some early symptoms of a bad engine can be a long start timing as well.
Also Read: Dubai Traffic Fines 2024: A Complete Detailed Guide
What are the Reasons or Causes of Engine Surge?
Now there could be multiple reasons why your car’s engine is surging. However, there are a few general parts that are usually found culprits. Checking these engine parts can quickly tell you the exact cause of engine surge and you can further rectify it. Your car might experience a surge for various reasons, such as bad injectors, a faulty MAF sensor, a faulty fuel pump, a faulty emission system, vacuum leaks in the intake manifold, clogged air filters, etc.
Some of the usual causes of car engine surges are as follows:
- Bad Injectors: Faulty or bad fuel injectors can cause your car’s engine to surge. Leaking injectors can lead to this problem. Injectors need to be clean and working properly to feed the proper flow of fuel.
- Fuel Pump: A faulty fuel pump or fuel pump sensor can also cause engine surge. In most cases, sensors are found working improperly. Replacing a fuel pump is a costly affair.
- Faulty Emission System: In some cases, a faulty emission control system or faulty emission control sensors like the EGR, can lead to engine surge.
- Clogged Fuel Filter: One of the most common issues behind an engine surge is a clogged fuel filter. Replacing it with a new filter usually resolves the problem.
- Vacuum Leaks: Any sort of leakage in the intake manifold of the engine can cause an engine surge. Vacuum leaks on the intake manifold are also usual culprits.
- Faulty ECM: The electronic control module of the car is responsible for managing the air-fuel mixture flow. A faulty ECM can have bad timing and further lead to rich or lean air-fuel mixtures, further leading to engine surge.
Apart from the above-mentioned causes, there can be extensive and more serious issues that can lead to engine surges. Hence, a detailed diagnosis of your car is necessary to rectify it.
Car Engine Surge Symptoms: How To Detect?
Detecting an engine surge on a vehicle is relatively easy. However, it is important to understand that an engine surge is different from misfiring. A car engine surge would generally be witnessed when the engine starts smoothly and drives smoothly for a few minutes, before involuntarily gaining and losing speed by itself. Once it is in surge mode, the RPMs will continue fluctuating. In an engine misfiring, one or more cylinders of the engine are not undergoing combustion properly, and hence the car will jerk. Under a surge condition, the car will feel rough to drive and lose power and gain power in a fluctuating manner.
Also Read: Car Ownership Transfer Process In Dubai: Read Detailed Guide
Car Engine Surge Diagnosis and Troubleshooting Process
To diagnose the actual problem related to the engine surge, multiple parts need to be checked. As this problem can arise due to multiple factors, a thorough inspection of the below-mentioned parts needs to be done.
1. ECM Tuning Check
The ECM or the electronic control module is responsible for the control of the air-fuel mixtures going inside the engine for combustion as per the throttle inputs and altitude changes. ECM is the brain of modern engines, and it needs to be in a proper working condition, to ensure a smooth operation and less emissions. A bad ECM tuning can either lead the engine to run rich or lean. This means that the engine will either starve on fuel or get too much fuel with less air. Both of these conditions are harmful to the engine and lead to the engine surge.
Troubleshooting: Get the ECM properly tuned at the authorized FNG or the company workshop.
2. Vacuum Leaks
Any engine is supported by a network of pipes and hoses responsible for different inlet and outlet duties of the air. Over time, these pipes and hoses tend to get cracked and open up from different places, leading to leaks. Any such leak on your car can easily lead to depressurization and further damage to the engine. For example, a faulty MAF or mass air flow manifold can lead to a rough idle while a faulty MAP or manifold air pressure system can lead to an engine surge.
Troubleshooting: Check & replace the leaking hoses or pipes.
3. Bad Fuel Injectors or Fuel Pump
The fuel injection system of your vehicle must be checked thoroughly for an engine surge problem. Any sort of leak in the fuel pump can lead to the engine taking extra air through the fuel system and leading to a jerky ride with an engine surge problem. Moreover, any leakage on the fuel injectors can also lead to the same issue. While the fuel pumps are usually solid and reliable, it is the pipe or hose system that might get cracked over time and develop leakages. In such cases, you will find your car dripping fuel on the floor when parked. A bad fuel injector will usually lead to misfiring but it can also be diagnosed by the naked eye, only if there is a leakage.
Troubleshooting: Replace the fuel injectors and the fuel pump if necessary. The fuel pump timing should match the timing belt rotation of the engine when installing a new pump.
4. Clogged Fuel Filters
If your car is running on a clogged fuel filter, there are high chance that you will experience an engine surge constantly. A clogged fuel filter will lead to the reduction of fuel pressure, further leading the ECM to open the fuel injectors wider to throw more fuel, and then closing them, resulting in a sudden drop. This process leads to the engine surge in a vehicle. The fuel filter is usually made of a very sharp and fine mesh material that usually gets clogged after a certain amount of use.
Troubleshooting: Fix the new fuel filter and replace the old one.
5. Engine Overheating
While it usually doesn’t happen if you take care of your vehicle and service it regularly, but, there is always a possibility that your car’s engine can run hot. There are multiple reasons behind it, including air in the cooling system, low coolant levels, and high operating temperatures. However, if this happens, the head gaskets of your car’s engine can get blown away, further leading to the mixing of the coolant with the engine oil and even engine seizures in extreme cases.
Troubleshooting: Get your cooling system flushed once every 100,000km to avoid overheating.
6. Weak Ignition System
If the ignition system of your car is weak or malfunctioning, it can lead to serious trouble. A weak ignition coil will lead to fewer sparks or weak sparks, thus, leading to improper burning of the air-fuel mixture. Moreover, if the ignition timing of the system is incorrect, it will lead to engine surge and even more damage than it does. Hence, it is necessary to get the ignition system of your vehicle checked thoroughly while diagnosing the car engine surge problem.
Troubleshooting: Replace the malfunctioning parts of the ignition system and adjust the ignition timing.
7. Malfunctioning Transmission
If you own an automatic transmission car, make sure that its gearbox is working properly. Any sort of malfunction inside the transmission will lead to jerky gearshifts and even wrong shifts at the wrong RPMs. This will cause the engine to surge in any automatic transmission car. While the CVT and torque converter gearboxes are usually reliable, it is the DCT gearboxes that usually go through such troubles.
Anyhow, if your car is a manual transmission, make sure that the clutch is engaging properly with the drive shaft. A worn-out clutch will slip and lead to occasional power loss, further causing the engine to surge on a vehicle.
Troubleshooting: Get the transmission checked by a professional.
Our Verdict
Any car can face the engine surge issue, even after being well taken care of. However, a consistent eye on the health of your car’s engine, and further diagnosis of it, can prevent the engine from surging and create more problems. In case your car is encountering an engine misfiring or engine surging issue, make sure to go through above mentioned steps, so that you can enjoy a peaceful driving experience.
Also Read: How to Check Salik Balance in 2024? - Read Complete Guide
Check Out High-Quality Used Cars at the Best Prices with CARS24!
Your Questions, We Answer!
1. Is engine surge bad for my car?
Yes, any vehicle’s engine surging is a negative symptom of its bad health. Engine surge will impact the crucial parts of your engine like its transmission, cylinders, head gasket, and more. It needs to be addressed immediately and troubleshooting should be done as soon as possible. In some severe cases, engine surge has expanded to engine failures or seizures, leading to a hefty repair time and cost.
2. Why will my car’s engine surge?
It is either because of the fault in its fuel injection system or the ignition system. There could be any part that has failed in these systems, leading to the engine surging.
3. How will I know that my car’s engine is surging?
An engine surge can be identified by its automatic or involuntary acceleration and deceleration at random intervals during driving. It can be either evident on the higher driving speeds or lower driving speeds (in case of extreme surging issues).
4. Can my faulty gearbox lead to engine surging?
Yes, you must get your car’s transmission checked while trying to diagnose the car engine surging issue. A faulty transmission can lead the clutch to slip and make the car surge without any warning lights.
5. Can my car’s engine get seized due to the surge?
If you have identified the engine surging issue in your vehicle, you must take it to the mechanic as soon as possible to get it rectified. If not done on time, a faulty car will automatically lead to an engine seizure in some time.
Quick Links For You
- What is car engine surge?
- Causes of an engine surge
- Symptoms of car engine surge
- Diagnosis and troubleshooting process
- Our verdict
- Used cars for you
- FAQs
No matter what car brand you own, despite the top maintenance practices, mechanical issues are bound to happen over time. One such major mechanical issue is the car engine surge. It is a fault that is generally related to the car’s ECM or fuel system, leading the RPM levels to fluctuate and causing the vehicle to gain and lose speed repeatedly. Such an issue is not just bad for your car’s health but also life-threatening. However, the good news is that in most cases it is an easy fix with little cost involved.
If you are also experiencing this issue with your car, read our detailed guide about the car engine surge, the reasons behind it, and how to solve it.
Also Read: Car Registration Process in Dubai 2024: A Complete Guide For Used Car & New Car Registration
What Is Car Engine Surge and How Does It Affect My Car?
Before we proceed with the diagnosis and remedies, it is important to understand what an engine surge is. Any internal combustion engine relies on the simple fact that a free flow combustion will take place. Therefore, multiple sensors, combined with a fuel delivery system, make sure that the engine rotates at different speeds via rotation. These rotations are also called rotation per minute or RPM, which identify the number of rotations the pistons are doing to move the car.
During an engine surge or engine knocking, the RPM levels fluctuate and the car involuntarily gains or loses speed. This can either happen during driving, or even at idle conditions. The engine surge might be caused by a reason or two, but if it is unattended, it can further damage the crucial engine parts. Some early symptoms of a bad engine can be a long start timing as well.
Also Read: Dubai Traffic Fines 2024: A Complete Detailed Guide
What are the Reasons or Causes of Engine Surge?
Now there could be multiple reasons why your car’s engine is surging. However, there are a few general parts that are usually found culprits. Checking these engine parts can quickly tell you the exact cause of engine surge and you can further rectify it. Your car might experience a surge for various reasons, such as bad injectors, a faulty MAF sensor, a faulty fuel pump, a faulty emission system, vacuum leaks in the intake manifold, clogged air filters, etc.
Some of the usual causes of car engine surges are as follows:
- Bad Injectors: Faulty or bad fuel injectors can cause your car’s engine to surge. Leaking injectors can lead to this problem. Injectors need to be clean and working properly to feed the proper flow of fuel.
- Fuel Pump: A faulty fuel pump or fuel pump sensor can also cause engine surge. In most cases, sensors are found working improperly. Replacing a fuel pump is a costly affair.
- Faulty Emission System: In some cases, a faulty emission control system or faulty emission control sensors like the EGR, can lead to engine surge.
- Clogged Fuel Filter: One of the most common issues behind an engine surge is a clogged fuel filter. Replacing it with a new filter usually resolves the problem.
- Vacuum Leaks: Any sort of leakage in the intake manifold of the engine can cause an engine surge. Vacuum leaks on the intake manifold are also usual culprits.
- Faulty ECM: The electronic control module of the car is responsible for managing the air-fuel mixture flow. A faulty ECM can have bad timing and further lead to rich or lean air-fuel mixtures, further leading to engine surge.
Apart from the above-mentioned causes, there can be extensive and more serious issues that can lead to engine surges. Hence, a detailed diagnosis of your car is necessary to rectify it.
Car Engine Surge Symptoms: How To Detect?
Detecting an engine surge on a vehicle is relatively easy. However, it is important to understand that an engine surge is different from misfiring. A car engine surge would generally be witnessed when the engine starts smoothly and drives smoothly for a few minutes, before involuntarily gaining and losing speed by itself. Once it is in surge mode, the RPMs will continue fluctuating. In an engine misfiring, one or more cylinders of the engine are not undergoing combustion properly, and hence the car will jerk. Under a surge condition, the car will feel rough to drive and lose power and gain power in a fluctuating manner.
Also Read: Car Ownership Transfer Process In Dubai: Read Detailed Guide
Car Engine Surge Diagnosis and Troubleshooting Process
To diagnose the actual problem related to the engine surge, multiple parts need to be checked. As this problem can arise due to multiple factors, a thorough inspection of the below-mentioned parts needs to be done.
1. ECM Tuning Check
The ECM or the electronic control module is responsible for the control of the air-fuel mixtures going inside the engine for combustion as per the throttle inputs and altitude changes. ECM is the brain of modern engines, and it needs to be in a proper working condition, to ensure a smooth operation and less emissions. A bad ECM tuning can either lead the engine to run rich or lean. This means that the engine will either starve on fuel or get too much fuel with less air. Both of these conditions are harmful to the engine and lead to the engine surge.
Troubleshooting: Get the ECM properly tuned at the authorized FNG or the company workshop.
2. Vacuum Leaks
Any engine is supported by a network of pipes and hoses responsible for different inlet and outlet duties of the air. Over time, these pipes and hoses tend to get cracked and open up from different places, leading to leaks. Any such leak on your car can easily lead to depressurization and further damage to the engine. For example, a faulty MAF or mass air flow manifold can lead to a rough idle while a faulty MAP or manifold air pressure system can lead to an engine surge.
Troubleshooting: Check & replace the leaking hoses or pipes.
3. Bad Fuel Injectors or Fuel Pump
The fuel injection system of your vehicle must be checked thoroughly for an engine surge problem. Any sort of leak in the fuel pump can lead to the engine taking extra air through the fuel system and leading to a jerky ride with an engine surge problem. Moreover, any leakage on the fuel injectors can also lead to the same issue. While the fuel pumps are usually solid and reliable, it is the pipe or hose system that might get cracked over time and develop leakages. In such cases, you will find your car dripping fuel on the floor when parked. A bad fuel injector will usually lead to misfiring but it can also be diagnosed by the naked eye, only if there is a leakage.
Troubleshooting: Replace the fuel injectors and the fuel pump if necessary. The fuel pump timing should match the timing belt rotation of the engine when installing a new pump.
4. Clogged Fuel Filters
If your car is running on a clogged fuel filter, there are high chance that you will experience an engine surge constantly. A clogged fuel filter will lead to the reduction of fuel pressure, further leading the ECM to open the fuel injectors wider to throw more fuel, and then closing them, resulting in a sudden drop. This process leads to the engine surge in a vehicle. The fuel filter is usually made of a very sharp and fine mesh material that usually gets clogged after a certain amount of use.
Troubleshooting: Fix the new fuel filter and replace the old one.
5. Engine Overheating
While it usually doesn’t happen if you take care of your vehicle and service it regularly, but, there is always a possibility that your car’s engine can run hot. There are multiple reasons behind it, including air in the cooling system, low coolant levels, and high operating temperatures. However, if this happens, the head gaskets of your car’s engine can get blown away, further leading to the mixing of the coolant with the engine oil and even engine seizures in extreme cases.
Troubleshooting: Get your cooling system flushed once every 100,000km to avoid overheating.
6. Weak Ignition System
If the ignition system of your car is weak or malfunctioning, it can lead to serious trouble. A weak ignition coil will lead to fewer sparks or weak sparks, thus, leading to improper burning of the air-fuel mixture. Moreover, if the ignition timing of the system is incorrect, it will lead to engine surge and even more damage than it does. Hence, it is necessary to get the ignition system of your vehicle checked thoroughly while diagnosing the car engine surge problem.
Troubleshooting: Replace the malfunctioning parts of the ignition system and adjust the ignition timing.
7. Malfunctioning Transmission
If you own an automatic transmission car, make sure that its gearbox is working properly. Any sort of malfunction inside the transmission will lead to jerky gearshifts and even wrong shifts at the wrong RPMs. This will cause the engine to surge in any automatic transmission car. While the CVT and torque converter gearboxes are usually reliable, it is the DCT gearboxes that usually go through such troubles.
Anyhow, if your car is a manual transmission, make sure that the clutch is engaging properly with the drive shaft. A worn-out clutch will slip and lead to occasional power loss, further causing the engine to surge on a vehicle.
Troubleshooting: Get the transmission checked by a professional.
Our Verdict
Any car can face the engine surge issue, even after being well taken care of. However, a consistent eye on the health of your car’s engine, and further diagnosis of it, can prevent the engine from surging and create more problems. In case your car is encountering an engine misfiring or engine surging issue, make sure to go through above mentioned steps, so that you can enjoy a peaceful driving experience.
Also Read: How to Check Salik Balance in 2024? - Read Complete Guide
Check Out High-Quality Used Cars at the Best Prices with CARS24!
Your Questions, We Answer!
1. Is engine surge bad for my car?
Yes, any vehicle’s engine surging is a negative symptom of its bad health. Engine surge will impact the crucial parts of your engine like its transmission, cylinders, head gasket, and more. It needs to be addressed immediately and troubleshooting should be done as soon as possible. In some severe cases, engine surge has expanded to engine failures or seizures, leading to a hefty repair time and cost.
2. Why will my car’s engine surge?
It is either because of the fault in its fuel injection system or the ignition system. There could be any part that has failed in these systems, leading to the engine surging.
3. How will I know that my car’s engine is surging?
An engine surge can be identified by its automatic or involuntary acceleration and deceleration at random intervals during driving. It can be either evident on the higher driving speeds or lower driving speeds (in case of extreme surging issues).
4. Can my faulty gearbox lead to engine surging?
Yes, you must get your car’s transmission checked while trying to diagnose the car engine surging issue. A faulty transmission can lead the clutch to slip and make the car surge without any warning lights.
5. Can my car’s engine get seized due to the surge?
If you have identified the engine surging issue in your vehicle, you must take it to the mechanic as soon as possible to get it rectified. If not done on time, a faulty car will automatically lead to an engine seizure in some time.
