Q: car shakes when idle and accelerating

asked by on May 19, 2017

My car shakes occasionally (when idle and accelerating). Every once in a while when I turn my car on it starts shaking and when I start driving, it is as if the car lost half of its acceleration power. Sometimes the idling starts in the middle of the highway at high speeds and other times its right when I start my car.

It accelerates really slow (while slightly shaking). Sometimes I pull the car aside and turn off and start the car 3-4 times and the engine somehow works itself out. I think there is a problem with one of the pistons. A few times the shaking did not stop itself so the car started smelling like rubber. I pulled it over and pulled the hood up, and a few seconds after the engine cooled down I heard a CLINK sound which sounded like a metal wire pulled on another metal piece. After the clink the car starts normally and I am on my way with no shaking. When the shaking starts both the inside and the outside of the car smell really bad. How can I fix this?Go to a mechanic?

My car has 167000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Oil/Fluid Leak Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

It is very possible that you have a valve cover gasket or spark plug tube seal leak on your vehicle. These type of leaks will allow oil to leak onto the spark plugs causing misfires. When the engine misfires due to oil getting on the spark plug, the engine oil will burn. Since oil and tires are both petroleum products, they will both smell similar when they are burning. I would recommend having an oil leak inspection performed by a qualified professional to determine if there is an oil leak. Consider YourMechanic as an Oil/Fluid leak inspection can be peformed at your home or office.

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