What makes your car lose power?
Ever had your Corolla, Mazda Demio, or even the odd SsangYong just not want to get moving up State Highway 3, or it’s struggling up hills around Te Awamutu or Tamahere? Maybe the family Outlander barely makes it over the Dinsdale speed bumps, or you feel like you’re crawling away from the lights by The Base. That’s a classic case of lost engine power. It’s pretty common here in Hamilton, with all our stop-start city traffic, potholes on the back roads, and those muggy summer days or thick winter fog mornings making things worse.
There’s a bunch of reasons why your car might feel a bit gutless. Sometimes it’s an easy fix. Other times, it needs a bit more elbow grease. Here’s what we usually see in the workshop.
Common reasons your car feels sluggish
Ignition dramas
Got a late-model Honda Jazz that keeps misfiring by Rototuna roundabout? Or a VW Polo that’s rough starting on cold Chartwell mornings? Ignition bits like spark plugs or coils can wear out, especially with all the short trips, cold starts and idling in city traffic we do around Hamilton. If your car isn’t firing right, it’ll use up more fuel and struggle to pull away, especially up hills or with a couple of kids in the back.
Fuel pump on the fritz
Modern or classic, if your fuel pump’s tired, the engine can get starved for petrol or diesel. We see this quite a bit on older Toyotas and the odd Peugeot 308 or Suzuki Swift coming in from Morrinsville or Cambridge. Hills suddenly feel like a mountain, even on Hillsborough Terrace. A weak fuel pump means your engine just can’t get the juice it needs, so power drops off hard.
Clogged fuel filter
Bit of a classic, this one. The fuel filter keeps grit and gunk out of your engine, but eventually it blocks up – especially if you’re topping up at sketchy petrol stations, or if it hasn’t had a decent car service in Hamilton for a while. We had an Audi Q3 drop in from Whatawhata that just couldn’t get up to speed on the expressway – swapped the fuel filter, good as gold.
Knackered catalytic converter
The “cat”, as we call it, is often the culprit if you start smelling rotten eggs or just can’t get past 80k on Ohaupo Road. It’s there to clean up the exhaust, but once it’s blocked, the engine can’t breathe. Kia Sorentos and Nissan Bluebirds can be prone to this, especially if they’ve done a lot of short trips or town running.
Blocked or dodgy fuel injectors
Not getting enough fuel through? We see this a bit with late model Subaru Imprezas and the odd Lexus hybrid. Fuel injectors can get clogged, especially here with the mix of short trips, traffic, and open road. If your car’s down on power, injectors might need a sonic clean, or sometimes replacing if they’re too far gone.
How worried should you be?
If your car is slow off the mark or can’t accelerate properly, don’t leave it. It can end up costing you heaps more if you ignore it, and it’s dodgy when you need to zip into traffic on Peachgrove Road or when merging down at the 3/1 on-ramp. Serious engine damage can happen if the problem drags on, and that’s never cheap.
Every week, drivers from Huntly to Matangi bring in cars that’ve lost their get-up-and-go. Sometimes it’s a simple filter or plug swap. Other times, it needs a bit of proper diagnosis. Whether it’s for a WOF Hamilton check or just your daily runabout acting up, don’t wait until you’re stranded.
Lost power? Let’s sort it in Hamilton
At Grimmer Motors, our team uses top scan gear and a heap of local experience to find out what’s gone wrong fast. We’ll chat through your options, sort a fair repair, and get you back on the road – whether you’re driving a Euro, a hybrid, a ute or the faithful old station wagon.
Ready to get your car checked? For honest diagnostics, repairs and great service around Hamilton, book in now and we’ll look after you.