There are many things that can make an engine knock, and Journey Auto Repair is going to list those things below. In some cases, it may not be safe to continue to drive your automobile if the engine is knocking. If you continue to operate the vehicle, you could cause serious and irreparable damage. As such, head straight to our shop if you hear your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine knocking.
Incorrect Octane Rating
You may be able to resolve the issue yourself by putting the correct fuel in the gas tank. For example, if you drive a high-performance automobile, the engine will knock if you use fuel that has a lower octane rating than 91. Filling the tank with the proper fuel will stop the engine from knocking. Check your owner’s manual to make sure that you are always using the octane rating recommended for your vehicle.
Air-Rich Fuel Mixture
Another thing that will make the engine knock is a fuel mixture that has too much air in it. This is called a lean fuel mixture and it can also cause engine performance problems such as hiccupping and sputtering. Things that cause a lean fuel mixture include a faulty fuel pump, clogged fuel injectors, a clogged fuel filter, clogged fuel lines, and problems with either the mass airflow sensor or the oxygen sensor.
Misfiring Spark Plugs
The knocking sound that you hear coming from the engine could also be the spark plugs misfiring. The spark plugs are controlled by the engine control module, your vehicle’s main computer chip. If the module is malfunctioning and firing the plugs at the wrong time, the engine will knock. The engine will also knock if the spark plugs have worn out and it’s time to replace them.
Faulty Knock Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a sensor that is called the knock sensor. As you can figure out, this sensor is designed to notice when the engine is knocking. It reports the knocking to the engine control module so it can make adjustments in the combustion chamber to prevent the engine knock. For example, it can add fuel to the lean fuel mixture to restore the natural balance.
Worn Rod Bearings
Finally, as we mentioned above, you could damage your engine if you continue to drive it while it is knocking. If the engine is knocking because the rod bearings have worn out, you are driving an automobile that has pistons colliding against the cylinder walls. As you can imagine, this can damage the cylinder block and break a rod.
Journey Auto Repair in New Hope, MN, can help with your engine knocking problems. Give us a call today.