When you first bought your car, it ran like a top. Lately, you’ve noticed it struggles going up a hill. The minute you hit the incline, your vehicle slows down and you have to press harder on the accelerator to keep it moving along. There are a handful of reasons why your automobile is having trouble with inclines. Mechanic One Auto Repair & European Auto Repair lists them here.
Clogged Air Filter
You might think your air filter isn’t that important and if that is your mindset, you’ve probably ignored it. Car, crossover, SUV, and truck engines need air to run. Air is a crucial ingredient that the combustion system uses to mix with gas to start the engine and keep it running. If you haven’t had your air filter changed lately, it’s probably clogged or dirty which prevents the engine from drawing enough air.
Clogged Fuel Filter
The same holds true with your fuel filter. As with the air filter, a clogged fuel filter does not get enough gas to the combustion system to start the engine and keep it running efficiently. Your engine might have enough gas to run on flat surfaces, but it will struggle up hills if a clogged fuel filter is preventing the added gasoline needed to power the engine up the hill.
Fuel Pump
Your fuel pump can also affect your vehicle’s engine performance. If the pump is failing, which it might be doing if your automobile has over 100,000 miles on it, you might notice your vehicle lag up hills or when towing loads, sputter when you are driving a higher speeds, surge as if you’ve pressed down harder on the accelerator but you haven’t, or overheat followed by an engine stall.
Spark Plugs
Spark plugs will last 100,000 miles in most new vehicles. If you drive a classic, you’ll need them changed sooner. You’re seeing a theme to this blog post by now. If there is something going on with your combustion system, whether you aren’t getting enough air, fuel, or your spark plugs are worn or not adjusted properly, you won’t get the power you need to get up a hill.
Mechanic One Auto Repair & European Auto Repair is located in Canton, MI, and we maintain and repair engines on domestic, Asian, and European vehicles. If your automobile struggles to drive up a hill, call us at 734-237-6953 for an appointment. We’ll inspect your air filter, fuel system, and combustion system to find the problem and then recommend the best course of action to fix it.
