Have you ever heard a sharp ‘chattering’ or rattling sound from your car engine upon accelerating up a hill or steep incline? Chances are, what you heard was ‘knocking’ or abnormal combustion. This occurs when the fuel inside the combustion chamber ignites uncontrollably, causing a knocking or pinging sound. It usually only lasts for awhile but it can be harmful to your engine in the long run.
The fuel octane level required by a brand new engine is determined by its design and the quality of its manufacturer. The engine's octane number requirement (ONR) generally increases as combustion chamber deposits form during the first several thousand kilometres of operation. If the octane appetite of an engine is higher than the fuel being used, knocking occurs. And since sustained knocking is harmful to an engine, most modern cars are fitted with devices called knock sensors.
A knock sensor is designed to detect knock, often even before the driver does. Upon sensing knocking or pinging, the engine’s computer control system adjusts the engine’s operation by retarding the spark timing to avoid the knock. These adjustments can reduce power and acceleration, particularly during heavy throttle, just when you need power the most!
Since excessive combustion chamber deposits can promote knock, they can also suppress your engine’s full potential by contributing to more frequent knock sensor-induced ignition timing retardation. Caltex with Techron® is unbeatable at cleaning vital engine parts and minimising contribution to harmful combustion chamber deposits, helping your engine maintain the maximum performance for which it was designed.
Research shows that precursors for combustion chamber deposits come from fuel, some fuel additives, and the engine oil. Furthermore, the data revealed that certain fuel and engine oil components form more deposits than others.
Deposits form on intake valves and ports because they operate at high temperatures in a very reactive environment. Heavy deposits reduce engine power by restricting and altering the flow of air and fuel into and within the cylinder. In some sensitive fuel-injected engines, even low levels of intake valve deposits can harm performance.
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