The last thing you want to hear coming from your engine is knocking sounds. Righter’s Auto Repair can inspect your engine to determine the reason why it is knocking and repair the problem. Depending on the issue, the knocking sound could be an indication of engine damage.
Bad Engine Timing
The most common reason why an engine makes a knocking sound is a detonation problem. When the spark plugs set the air and fuel in the cylinders on fire, they should detonate one time only. Multiple detonations make the knocking sound. If the spark plugs are not timing the fire incorrectly, this will cause your engine to knock. The spark plugs may be worn or the engine control unit may be bad.
Bad Knock Sensor
Another thing that will make your engine knock is a bad knock sensor. This sensor detects knocking sounds and reports them to the engine control unit. This allows the unit to assess the situation to see if it can repair it and stop the knocking. If the knock sensor is malfunctioning, it may not alert the engine control unit of a problem and your engine will continue to knock.
Lean Fuel Mixture
A lean fuel mixture does not fire quickly. The reason why is that the mixture has more air than fuel in it. Unfortunately, this will cause more than one detonation in each cylinder. Again, when the tiny fireballs go off multiple times, they make a knocking sound. You may have a lean fuel mixture in the combustion chamber because there is a problem with the fuel delivery to the engine.
Low-Octane Fuel
Speaking of fuel delivery, it’s always crucial to put the recommended octane in the tank. In other words, if your owner’s manual recommends 91 octane for your automobile and you use anything less than that, your engine is going to knock. It will continue to knock it until you put the correct fuel in the tank.
Worn Rod Bearings
Finally, worn rod bearings can damage your engine if you continue to drive your automobile with the engine knocking. What you hear is not multiple detonations in the cylinders. Rather, the worn bearings are jiggling the rods as they move the pistons up and down. The pistons are banging against the cylinder walls. This can cause serious cylinder block damage.
Righter’s Auto Repair is the best auto service shop in Grand Ledge, MI, and the best auto service shop in Lansing, MI, so give the shop closest to you a call today if your engine is knocking.
