# Car jerks **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 14, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750 "2009-03-14T15:48:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sylvester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@sylvester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sylvester)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/1 "2009-03-14T15:48:31Z")
1986 ford ranger 4 cycl stick,. when I take off the engine begins to jerks until the engine warms up. comparable to learning to drive stick and useage of clutch.mechanic unable to solve.Last only for about i minute. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/2 "2009-03-14T15:54:33Z")
If, after 1 minuet, you stop the truck, and take off, again, does it take off smoothly, then? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/3 "2009-03-14T15:55:13Z")
Your car may be telling you it needs normal maintiance. Cold operation brings out the worst in a component that is reaching its service life. See if bringing your car to a current level of maintiance solves your problem. If maintiance is current there could be a condition that caused a part to fail early. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/4 "2009-03-14T16:21:59Z")
Very hard to tell whether this is a motor that needs a tune up issue, or a clutch that is chattering issue. If it has been awhile since you got new plugs, wires, dist. cap, etc. that is a good place to start. A cold engine out of tune could act this way. After the tune up if the problem persists check out the cold start system, what used to be the choke. The cold start circut may not feed the motor a rich enough mixture when cold. This is a bit more complicated to determine if it is a sensor failure, computer failure, or a dirty fuel system. So, start with a basic tune up and see what results. A chattering clutch that goes away and operates smoothly when warmed up is not a good sign. The clutch could be simply worn out and telling you it needs attention. The flywheel, pressure plate, and clutch disk could be warpped. Some springs in the clutch could be old and tired. A fluid that is not supposed to be there could be getting on the clutch disks and burning off when you use the clutch a few times. Figuring what it is and repairing it will pretty much mean a new clutch job. ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/5 "2009-03-14T16:28:14Z")
Did anyone else think sylvester was talking about us when they read the topic title? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/6 "2009-03-14T18:46:42Z")
I didn’t, but I could wear the title with pride. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/7 "2009-03-14T23:28:24Z")
It’s so nice when people come back to their post to answer questions pertaining to their problem! ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/8 "2009-03-14T23:37:10Z")
I know this is twisted, but that was my first thought & I was sort of looking forward to some kind of a rant about something or other. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-jerks/27750/9 "2009-03-16T18:07:27Z")
> If, after 1 minuet, you stop the truck, and take off, again, does it take off smoothly, then? Can I just use a stopwatch instead of waiting for the minuet to end? It isn’t a good idea to dance and drive at the same time.