If you hear knocking sounds coming from your engine, something is wrong that should be addressed right away. It’s possible that the knocking can damage your engine if left unchecked. Primary Care Auto Repair would be happy to get to the bottom of the reason why your engine is knocking all the time. We are going to list the common problems that cause engine knocking below.
Bad Engine Timing
Most of the time your engine is knocking because of the detonation problem. The spark plugs generate a spark to detonate the fuel and air in each cylinder. If the fuel does not burn quickly enough, you may end up with multiple detonations in the cylinders and this is the knocking you hear. Another problem that can cause multiple detonations is bad timing. The spark plugs may not be timed correctly because they are worn or because the engine control module is malfunctioning.
Bad Knock Sensor
Your engine is equipped with a knock sensor to detect engine knocking. Once it determines that there is a knock, it notifies the main computer chip, the engine control unit, so it can make adjustments to the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Most of the time, these adjustments stop the engine knocking. If your knock sensor is faulty, it may not be able to notify the engine control unit of engine knocks.
Lean Fuel Mixture
A lean fuel mixture can also cause your engine to knock. This mixture means that there is too much air in the cylinders and not enough fuel. When this happens, again, you end up with multiple detonations in the cylinders that make the knocking sound.
Low-Octane Fuel
If you drive a high-performance automobile, you need to put high-octane fuel in it. If you don’t have the correct octane in the tank, there will be a delay and multiple firings in the cylinders and this will cause your engine to knock. Check your owner’s manual to see the recommended octane for your automobile.
Worn Rod Bearings
Finally, as we mentioned above, ignoring a knocking engine can actually damage it if the problem is worn rod bearings. These bearings keep the rods straight as they moved the pistons up and down in the cylinders. If the bearings are worn, the rods will vibrate and you will hear the pistons knock against the cylinders. If left unrepaired, this can seriously damage the cylinder block.
Call Primary Care Auto Repair in Warwick, RI, today if your engine is knocking all the time. We will find out why and fix it.