When someone is busy describing aspects of their car to you and you here the term flat spot used, (s)he could be referring to one of two things. Drivers of some cars experience a flat spot when accelerating which could be described as a momentary hesitation from the engine after the accelerator pedal is pressed down. Although perhaps most obvious in a carburettor engine, a flat spot in acceleration can be detected in other engine types. What’s the cause? There could, in fact, be many reasons, but the most common reason is that carbon has developed on the back of the valves. Water in the fuel, dirty injectors, fuel octane rating incorrect, vacuum leaks about the manifold area, the cam belt and valve timing being out or bent, slightly burned valves, the throttle body being very dirty, water in the computer or corrosion on the connectors, or the ECU random access memory being faulty are some of the possible causes for flat spots in a car’s acceleration. Hey, there are many other reasons as well, and perhaps the best remedy for that irritating flat spot might be for the car to be taken in to a mechanic.

The term flat spot, by some, may be used when referring to a badly worn section of tyre tread on a vehicle’s tyre. If a flatspot has appeared on a tyre tread, then I’m afraid that a new tyre needs to be purchased, as the tyre wall is probably damaged.We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is a Flat Spot?’!

Back to Car Glossary