Why Is My Car Not Accelerating Properly?

The car is sluggish and not accelerating like it once did, now what to do? This situation is not only aggravating but can be dangerous, especially when in heavy traffic, pulling up a steep hill, or merging into traffic. Typically, there are four reasons for slow acceleration or slugginess in your vehicle.

1. Bad or Faulty Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

To maintain proper engine performance, the TPS continuously feeds data to the engine. The data contains information for the engine to maintain peak performance on valve settings, among other critical performance information. Therefore, the TPS has to send accurate data to the engine for peak performance.

2. Clogged Fuel Filter

The fuel filter is crucial in providing combustible fuel to the engine. However, the filter cleans dirt, sludge, and debris from the fuel line and can eventually become clogged and severely degrade fuel delivery. This situation may impede engine performance and can be corrected with a fuel filter replacement.

3. Faulty Mass Air Flow or Oxygen Sensors

When the gas mileage drops or engine performance seems sluggish, it could be faulty airflow or oxygen sensors. To ensure proper engine performance, the monitors work to deliver the correct fuel-air mixture for the engine. Typically, our certified technicians can often clean mass airflow filters, and the oxygen sensor will usually require replacement.

4. Dirty Air Filter

An inexpensive item to replace, the air filter is essential for engine performance. If the air filter becomes clogged or dirty, airflow is constricted and can affect the engine performance. This condition can manifest itself at the worse time, especially when rapid acceleration is required. We recommend referring to the owner's manual for the suggested service intervals for replacing and servicing the various filters.

If you have any of these engine performance conditions, make sure and visit Reliable Subaru and have one of our technical team members inspect your vehicle. They will quickly identify engine performance issues and provide the necessary repairs to ensure the vehicle performs according to your expectations.