# Is a violent shake on startup a safety issue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** accord, honda\ **Created:** [December 11, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648 "2018-12-11T14:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peggy01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Peggy01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Peggy01)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/1 "2018-12-11T14:36:03Z")
My 1993 Accord shakes violently on startup but runs fine once it gets going. Is this a safety issue? Please help. I’d like to sell it but am not comfortable doing that until I get this figured out. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/2 "2018-12-11T14:52:42Z")
Probably not a safety issue, but it’s definitely a “this could cost you money if it keeps up” issue. If the shake is caused by a cylinder or two not firing, then you’re dumping raw gas into the catalytic converter, which will eventually wreck it and you’ll have to replace it. There’s some other issues that could crop up depending on why the cylinder isn’t firing, but the cat is probably the big one here. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/3 "2018-12-11T14:54:08Z")
That, and it’s stressing out your engine mounts, which may already need attention. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/4 "2018-12-11T15:08:37Z")
Is the check-engine light on when this happens? ---
**Author:** ![Peggy01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Peggy01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Peggy01)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/5 "2018-12-11T15:10:39Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Peggy01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Peggy01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Peggy01)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/6 "2018-12-11T15:52:11Z")
Engine light is not on ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/7 "2018-12-12T04:41:40Z")
It could indeed be a safety issue, so good idea to have it looked at by a shop just in case. If they tell you it isn’t a safety issue, then you can decide at that point whether to defer the fix or not. No harm to come back here with what the shop tells you, maybe there are less expensive alternative fixes. ---
**Author:** ![donnaeastman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e0b2c6/32.png) [@donnaeastman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/donnaeastman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 7:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/8 "2018-12-12T07:17:20Z")
Could be the Mass-air flow sensors or just work out spark plugs. Nothing serious I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Peggy01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Peggy01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Peggy01)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/9 "2018-12-12T12:52:08Z")
Thanks! Took to mechanic yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Peggy01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@Peggy01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Peggy01)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-a-violent-shake-on-startup-a-safety-issue/130648/10 "2018-12-12T12:52:53Z")
Thanks - it’s at our trusted Honda repair shop now 🙂