Why is My Chevy Losing Power While Driving? Common Causes and Solutions
There's nothing more frustrating than pulling out into heavy traffic only to discover that your vehicle simply cannot get up to speed as it should.
Here's everything Chevy owners should be aware of that could cause their Chevy to lose power, and the solutions to these issues.
What are the most common Chevy Power Loss Culprits?
Your Chevy, like all other vehicle brands, will lose power when regular maintenance is skipped, resulting in your engine experiencing combustion restrictions, or when the onboard computer or ECU enters a "Reduced Engine Power" fail-safe mode.
The failsafe setting is activated to limit engine output, helping protect your engine's vital components from potential severe damage when a mechanical or electronic failure is detected.
Thankfully, modern engines have a myriad of sensors and electronics that monitor your engine's health, warn you, and reduce power to protect it from damage, unlike in years before when an engine failure was only detected when the driver spotted smoke or steam coming from under the hood or their vehicle came to a grinding halt.
Let's take a look at the top issues typically diagnosed on Chevrolet models that will cause a power loss.
Throttle Body problems
The buildup of carbon over time, along with dirt, oils, or electronic failures in your Chevy's throttle body, can prevent proper airflow, causing the various sensors in the air intake system to detect insufficient airflow and send the data to your car's electronic brain, known as the electronic control unit (ECU).
Sensor malfunctions
The sensors themselves can cause incorrect data readings to be transferred to the engine's ECU.
Faulty readings from a damaged Mass Airflow (MAF) sensor or Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) will prevent the ECU from establishing the correct air-fuel mixture to be delivered via the fuel injectors, which in turn will cause the ECU to enter failsafe mode.
Fuel delivery issues
Your Chevy requires fuel to run unless it's an EV. Insufficient fuel or fuel delivery issues will severely impact your engine's performance.
A failing fuel pump or a clogged fuel filter can prevent your Chevy's fuel system from pressurizing the fuel in the fuel injection system, and, as a result, the injectors cannot function properly, causing a loss of power.
Dirty Fuel Injectors
Aside from insufficient fuel pressure to deliver the correct fuel/air mixture to your Chevy's cylinders, dirty or blocked fuel injectors will severely disrupt the required fuel spray pattern, causing a loss of power.
Worn-out spark plugs or failing ignition coils
Without regularly scheduled servicing that includes spark plug replacement, your spark plugs will eventually wear out and fail to ignite the fuel/air mixture optimally, causing engine misfires and severely degrading performance.
Similarly, faulty or failing ignition coils that deliver the correct amount of electric current to the spark plugs will result in a loss of power while driving.
Intake and exhaust restrictions
An engine in a vehicle is basically an air pump that takes in air, mixes it with fuel, and then combusts this mixture. The resultant expanding hot air provides the energy to turn the engine.
Any restriction in airflow through the engine, whether on the intake or exhaust side, will cause a loss of power.
A blocked air intake due to an old, clogged air filter will restrict airflow, and, similarly, exhaust gases cannot exit the engine when a blocked or melting catalytic converter traps them, robbing the engine of power.
How do I fix my Chevy that's losing power while driving?
Many of these fixes are within the scope of a capable home mechanic or DIY'er. Still, it's always advisable to seek professional help from your local certified Chevy Service Center, like Colonial Chevrolet, where trained, knowledgeable technicians know what's best for your specific Chevrolet model.
Throttle Body problems
An inspection of the throttle body for carbon deposits or other contaminants will reveal whether a proper cleaning is required.
The throttle body should always be cleaned with a cleaning agent formulated to dissolve stubborn carbon, varnish, and oil deposits that build up on the butterfly valve and inside the barrel over time.
Sensor malfunctions
Performing an onboard diagnosis using the appropriate OBD11 scanner will report any damaged or malfunctioning sensors.
If running diagnostics reveals any faulty sensors, then these will need to be replaced.
Cleaning the MAF sensor with the appropriate specialized aerosol cleaner is necessary if it is found to be dirty.
Fuel delivery issues
Owners will need to have their Chevy's fuel pressure professionally checked along with the fuel filter, and these parts replaced to ensure that their Chevy's fuel system is delivering the correct amount of fuel.
Part of your Chevy's fuel system is the injector system, which should be cleaned properly with a high-quality fuel injector cleaner or professionally cleaned at a Chevrolet Service center.
Any damaged or faulty injectors will need to be replaced to ensure your Chevy's engine runs optimally.
Worn-out spark plugs or failing ignition coils
Regular servicing of your Chevy will prevent spark plugs from failing. Replacement of your spark plugs at the factory-recommended maintenance intervals is important.
An immediate fix is to perform a visual inspection of the spark plugs to check for wear, tear, and carbon buildup that can compromise performance. Tired sparkplugs will need to be replaced immediately.
Intake and exhaust restrictions
A visual inspection of the air filter will quickly reveal if it's dirty and clogged. Replacement of the air filter is recommended at the manufacturer's recommended intervals.
Now, when it comes to exhaust inspection, it's highly recommended to have this done correctly by a certified Chevy service center, which has the specialized equipment to check exhaust pressures and perform the necessary cleaning of the Catalytic converter or replacement of the exhaust components.
Repair your Chevy at Colonial Chevrolet
To keep your Chevy running at peak performance and power output, it is best to have your vehicle repaired and serviced at Colonial Chevrolet's certified service center in New London, CT.
Colonial Chevrolet's team of highly qualified technicians offers owners a full range of maintenance and repair services to keep you on the road.