Car Doctors Auto Repair can get to the bottom of the reason why your European automobile’s engine is knocking all the time. It’s important that we do so in order to ensure that the cylinder block is not being damaged. One thing that can make a knocking sound in the engine is a loose accessory belt. Aside from this, here are the other causes of a knocking engine.
Low-Octane Gasoline
If you drive a high-performance European automobile and you put fuel in the tank that has an octane rating of 87, the engine is going to knock. Any time you fill the tank with a lower octane rating than what the engine requires, the fuel burns slower in the combustion chamber. Consequently, instead of one quick firing in each cylinder as required, you will have multiple firings in each cylinder.
Faulty Knock Sensor
These firings make the knocking sound coming from the engine. The engine is equipped with a sensor that will alert the engine control unit that the engine is knocking. This allows the unit to resolve the problem and prevent the knocking. In the case of the low-octane fuel, however, the unit cannot change the fuel that you have in the tank.
Lean Fuel Mixture
The unit can, however, add fuel to a lean fuel mixture. This fuel mixture type will also make your European automobile’s engine knock. This is because there is too much air in the mixture and, again, you end up with multiple firings in the cylinder. If the knock sensor is operating correctly and notifies the unit of the problem, the unit can add more fuel to the mixture.
Misfiring Spark Plugs
Another problem the unit cannot resolve is misfiring spark plugs. In fact, the engine control unit may be causing the spark plugs to fire out of order. Another thing that causes them to fire out of order is wear and tear. Either way, your European automobile’s engine is going to knock if the spark plugs are misfiring. Replacing the worn spark plugs generally resolves the problem.
Worn Rod Bearings
Finally, as we mentioned above, you could have an issue in the cylinder block that could be causing the engine to knock. In order to help produce combustion, the pistons are moved up and down in the cylinders by rods and rod bearings. If the bearings are worn, the rods cannot move up and down without crashing the pistons against the cylinder walls.
Call Car Doctors Auto Repair in Athens, GA, today if your European automobile’s engine is knocking all the time.
