Have you noticed knocking or tapping sound from the hood of your car? If yes, then surely your engine is making sounds and you should not ignore it. We know the engine is a vital part of an automobile that keeps our vehicle moving smoothly. The automobile experts never recommend anyone to ignore such problems. Rather one should take required measures to solve them on the prior basis.
Otherwise, repairing or complete replacement of a specific part may cost you heavy. The engine should operate smoothly from the point of ignition of a car. There are certain sounds that can knock the engine. But the difficulty is to locate it and reach the actual cause of the problem.
Well, we are here to help you out the actual cause of engine knocking sound. And how you can prevent it and repair your engine’s sound.
What is Engine Knocking Sound?
It is also named as spark knock, pinging, and detonation – all or one of them may occur when the car engine doesn’t get even supply of fuel and air. It lacks the flame that is produced from the spark plug when it comes in contact with the mixture. When the mixture of air and fuel strikes the cylinder of the engine, it starts in a normal way but when the engine’s cylinders get uneven mixture then it gives shocks and leads to annoying sounds. All these things damage the engine and pistons.
Common Causes of Engine Knocking Sound
- Faulty Spark Plugs
Let us discuss the work of spark plugs of a vehicle. Well, it ignites the mixture of air and fuel by delivering an electric spark. Without a spark plug, neither engine could not work nor your car could start. Just like other auto parts, this essential part also becomes faulty over time. A faulty spark plug often produces a knocking sound. A damaged spark plug needs a replacement and it’s not that costly. Besides, the time taken to replace it is too little.
- Poor Fuel Octane Rating
Fuel has an octane rating. If you are putting a poor octane quality fuel in your vehicle, it will generate engine knocking sounds. Octane rating is the ability to resist premature detonation of the air-fuel mixture in the engine. This can be prevented if you use high fuel octane quality.
- Whimpering Belt
Yes, it is another important part of the car. If you found a high-pitched sound then you might have a faulty belt. When a belt slips, stretches or coating with some kind of oil or dirt then it starts making sounds. It happens too often in extreme winters.
- Carbon Deposit
It has been seen that the terminals of an engine’s cylinder get clogged with carbon over time. The mixture of fuel and air deposit on the terminals that leads to annoying engine knocking sounds.
Preventions of Engine Knocking
Prevention can be made if you repair or replace problematic parts quickly and get your car serviced at the right time. If you are following the below-mentioned points, you could easily resist the engine knocking sounds.
- Always Use Premium Unleaded Fuel Your Car- Using low-grade gasoline for your vehicle is one of the main reasons that may crook your engine and results in engine knocking. The experts always recommend premium quality fuel with higher octane fuel. Besides, it helps in boosting the mileage of a car.
- Must Use Fuel Detergent- Although most of the mixture of gasoline and fuel includes fuel detergent. But if you feel your car is having engine knocking sound then you may require a better pungent to lower down the sound. The right fuel detergent that cleans up the carbon content that sometimes builds up on the fuel lines results in engine knocking.
- Change Faulty Spark Plugs- If your vehicle has been serviced recently then there is a little chance that the spark plugs were replaced actually. Some inexperienced people don’t bother to replace it while servicing the car. With time they might stop sparking and stop giving appropriate spark. Fitting the right kind of spark plugs is very important to prevent engine knocking.
In the end, I would mention that one should not ignore the engine knocking sound. Change the oil of your car regularly. Keep an eye on the low oil level and worn-out oil. As it may contribute to poor lubrication among various parts that worn out the engine and related-components completely.