Car Shakes When AC is ON: Reasons and Fix

This article will show you what to do if your car shakes when your AC is turned ON.

When your car shakes when you put on the AC, it implies a more significant issue that needs to be attended to.

Most people misinterpret the shaky car signs as related to the Air compressor, but it doesn’t always work that way.

The primary function of the Air Conditioner is to provide an excellent interior for car users on a hot day; one of the symptoms of a failed AC isn’t a shaky car.

However, we will discuss other components that work hand in hand with the air compressor that might be responsible for the shaking response whenever the AC is ON.

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Car Shakes When AC is ON – Causes

Excess load on the engine, shaky engine mount, a faulty fuel injector, a bad throttle position sensor, or old spark plugs are the main reasons your car vibrates when the AC is turned ON.

Although a damaged Air compressor can exert excess pressure on the engine when turned on, leading to vibrations.

This doesn’t always happen. Instead, the leading cause of vibration is a bad throttle position sensor.

Without wasting much time, let’s discuss the causes of car vibration when the AC is ON.

1. Load on Engine

Depending on the number of electronics being powered by the engine, the AC tends to exert a small amount of pressure on the engine’s rotational speed, which often causes issues for manually controlled machines.

However, if the engine load is in excess and you turn on the AC, it’ll likely cause vibration or stalling before it stabilizes.

This occurs because the engine summons the air control motor, which acts as a mini engine when the AC is turned ON.

Also, frequent vibrations and stalling will make other components affiliated with the engine start wearing out.

2. Unstable Engine Mount

The function of an engine mount is to hold the engine and suspension in place despite any force applied to them.

If the engine has frequent vibrations, the engine mount foundation will wear out and lose its grip.

This will increase vibrations and noise from the engine bay whenever the AC is turned ON.

3. Bad Throttle Position Sensor

A bad throttle position sensor will shake your car when the Ac is on. This is primarily because of its inability to measure how fast the system is operating.

So, when the AC and Revolution per minute (RPMs) aren’t corresponding, there’ll be vibrations.

4. Damaged Spark Plugs

When the spark plug connector is filled with grime, broken, or worn out, they’ll be unable to create a proper connection to turn on the AC.

This will cause your car to shake whenever the AC is turned ON. You can rectify this by replacing the old spark plugs with new ones.

5. Problematic Fuel Injector

The fuel injector aids fuel supplies to the engine at the correct timing; if the fuel injector can’t do this, the engine won’t perform effectively.

This will cause the engine to stress itself to get the AC to start working, leading to vibrations and shakes.

You’ll either need to fix your fuel injector or get a replacement.

6. Dirty Throttle Body

7. Loose Hoses

8. Faulty AC Compressor

Car Shakes When AC Is On -How to Repair

As discussed above, many factors can shake your car when the AC is turned ON.

If the problem is from the engine’s excess load, try turning off some electrical components before you put on the AC.

Also, if the issue is from a dirty throttle body, you can apply a throttle body cleaner to get it fixed.

In some cases, you’ll be required to change the air compressor. You can take your car to a mechanic for a proper fix to a shaky car when AC is turned ON.

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