Engine knocking is always a troubling sign for your engine. The knocking is a result of your car burning fuel unevenly. As a result, it leaves a considerable amount of unburnt gasoline left in the cylinder. Whenever you experience knocking, it's time for a systematic search of your engine's fuel systems.
1. Make sure you haven't filled your tank with low octane-rated gasoline recently. As some of us may know, the wrong fuel octane for your vehicle can lead to irregular combustion and knocking. Next time you refuel, fill your car with gas that has an octane rating at or higher than what's recommended by your car's manufacturer. You can also supplement the existing fuel with an octane booster to hold you over until you can make it to the gas station.
2. Buildup on valves and spark plugs can create problems. Carbon can build up a layer on these parts. Consequently, it reduces the available volume inside the cylinder, increasing pressure. Usually, fuel-injected cleaner or additives can correct the issue.
3. Inspect your spark plugs. You should make sure you have the correct spark plugs for your car. If they are the right ones, you should rethink when you last had them replaced. They may be due for a replacement. Overworn or damaged spark plugs may be too weak to generate a spark.
4. Your engine may be experiencing poor ignition timing. A faulty ignition timer can cause the combustion to start too early. As a result of bad timing, it causes the engine to knock. If you have an older vehicle, you can modify the timing yourself with an ignition timing light. However, timing is fully automated in newer cars, so you can not fix the problem.
5. Lean air/fuel mixture means the gasoline entering the combustion chamber is too lean to cool the chamber. The lean air-fuel mixture may be a result caused by faulty fuel injectors or a bad oxygen sensor. As a result, the chamber is at risk of overheating. Combustion may occur before the spark plug sends its spark, and it is a serious matter. Replace your fuel injectors or oxygen sensor as soon as you can.
If you require engine repair or maintenance on your vehicle, we welcome you to bring your car to Scruggs Automotive today!