Engine knocking starts out innocuously enough. You might not even hear it a lot. But as the knocking gets worse, there’s actual damage happening in the engine and that’s not good news. Here’s what The Auto Shop of Chapin wants you to know about engine knocking and your car.
Spark or Fuel Problems
Spark is what the fuel needs in order to keep your car’s engine running, and if there’s an issue with either of these vital pieces, your car’s engine is going to misfire. In terms of the fuel, if the fuel system isn’t getting fuel to the engine at the right time or in the right amounts, that’s a problem. Spark plugs do go bad, but many people don’t realize that because they have such a long lifespan.
Air Issues
There’s a third critical factor in your car’s engine. If there isn’t enough air getting to the engine, spark and fuel could be perfect and there would be engine knocks. This is one reason that it’s a good idea to check your car’s air filter periodically and make sure that nothing big is clogging it up.
Trouble with Knock Sensors
Your car has a few different knock sensors scattered about. These sensors have a very important job. They listen specifically for engine knocking and other sounds and then report that data to the car’s onboard computer, also called the ECM. If these sensors aren’t detecting anything, they also aren’t reporting anything.
Incorrect Gas
You probably know that diesel is the wrong gas if your car uses unleaded fuel, but the octane level could also be wrong. Your car’s manufacturer recommends specific octane levels in order to protect your car’s engine and to keep it running optimally. If you’re putting lower octane levels in the car on a regular basis, that’s going to cause engine knocking.
ECM Issues
Even if everything everywhere else is perfectly fine, you might run into other problems that cause engine knocking, like a faulty ECM. If the engine control module isn’t working properly, it could be making adjustments that aren’t necessary. That can lead directly to issues with engine noise and eventually engine damage.
Hearing a lot more engine knocking than usual? Don’t just let it keep going. Contact us today at The Auto Shop of Chapin in Chapin, SC. We’ll figure out what’s causing the extra noise and get a solution in place for you.