The check engine and trac light came on on my car. Thecar engine vibrates a lot when I put it in drive and the engine sound like it is sputering what could that be

Asked by Robert Dec 12, 2013 at 09:17 PM about the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire GT

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I disconnected the battery and the lights
turned off.istarted the car and put it ln drive
and the loghts came back on pleas help

2 Answers

...well, first I'd take the black battery cable where it attaches to the frame/ground....take that bolt off and wirebrush the mating surfaces....lug and chassis both...bolt them together for renewed ground potential...then I'd get a NEW battery if yours is older than five because these tin/antimony batteries stop accepting a charge slowly, ten percent per year...get a NEW one~ with refreshed ground things should start to behave normally~

2 people found this helpful.
47,225

Although the battery may be in need of replacement, there's much more going on than that, IMO. Check out this article: http://www.carsdirect.com/car-repair/5-causes-of-engine-vibration ------> As you can see, the vibration could be caused by: worn out spark plugs, broken motor mounts, loose or disconnected hoses, Faulty or Poorly Adjusted Fuel Intake System (This may be WHY Check Engine Soon light is on), or even a Faulty Timing Belt. Also, if your Traction Control Light is on, that may be a separate issue which I'd recommend having a mechanic look at...Weather is getting bad (Here on East Coast anyway)...Disabled Traction Control System is not a good thing when there's snow, black ice, etc. to deal with.

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    John Saffrahn
    Reputation
    4,280
  • #2
    Joeyadams
    Reputation
    1,590
  • #3
    Warren0007
    Reputation
    1,390
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.