If you hear knocking come from your car’s engine, drive straight to our shop. Texan Auto Repair & Collision will determine why the engine is knocking. The reason why it’s important that you have the problem looked into right away is that one cause of engine knock can damage the cylinder block. Let’s talk more about this below.
Worn Out Rod Bearings
If the bearings that move the rods up and down in the cylinders have worn out, the pistons will bang against the cylinder walls. When this happens, you may end up with a damaged cylinder block that requires a partial rebuild of your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine to resolve the problem.
Air-Rich/Lean Fuel Mixture
Your engine may also be knocking if the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber has too much air in it. This is called a lean fuel mixture and it starves the engine of fuel. The knocking sound that you hear is multiple fireballs igniting at the same time. Too much air can create this detonation problem.
Engine Misfiring/Bad Timing
Your engine may also knock if the spark plugs are misfiring. The spark plugs need to fire in a specific order in order for the engine timing to be accurate and efficient. If the spark plugs are worn or the engine control module is malfunctioning, the plugs may fire intermittently and cause the engine to knock.
Incorrect Octane Rating
Another thing that will create tiny colliding fireballs in the cylinders is the incorrect octane rating in the tank. In other words, if your vehicle needs 91 octane you should only fill the tank with gas that is rated 91. A lower octane will cause detonation knock in the cylinders until you replace the fuel with the correct octane rating.
Malfunctioning Sensor
The engine may also knock if the knock sensor is malfunctioning. This sensor communicates with the engine control unit to alert it of knocking in the cylinders. This gives the engine control unit a chance to repair any issue that is causing the knock, such as an air-rich fuel mixture. If the sensor is bad, it will not alert the engine control unit of the knocking engine.
Loose Accessory Belt
Finally, a loose accessory belt can make it sound as if your engine is knocking because it will flap around inside the engine. Tightening the belt will stop the noise.
Texan Auto Repair & Collision in Sugar Land, TX, can determine why your engine is knocking and fix the problem. Call us today for an appointment.
