You know your car, and you've done everything you can to take care of it. But recently you've noticed strange noises emitting from your car. The sounds resemble pings or knocks, yet you don't know what they mean. The following guide might shed some light on the issue.
Could It Be Your Mass Air Flow Sensor?
The mass air flow sensor helps your car's computer understand how much air is needed for combustion. The amount of air tells your car's computer the amount of gasoline it should push through, which allows your engine to provide the power you need. One of the common signs that you have a faulty mass air flow sensor is a ping- or knock-like sound coming from your engine, along with the following:
- The check engine light might be triggered.
- There may be times when your car hesitates, especially when you try to accelerate too quickly.
- You might see erratic idle speeds.
- There might be black smoke coming from your tailpipe when you accelerate.
- Your engine might use up a little more gasoline per mile than it should.
Talk to your auto care specialist if you notice a combination of these symptoms along with the knocks or ping-like sounds.
The Issue May Be Your Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter helps reduce harmful emissions from entering your engine, which is a vital part of your vehicle's overall functionality. But, just like any other compartment, it can fail, and one of the signs that it is going bad is a ping-like sound. What makes the ping-like sound different from others is that you will hear this coming from under the passenger seat.
You might also notice the following signs:
- There is a chance that you could experience misfires.
- The back pressure might force your car to stall.
- You might feel your car jerking when you try to accelerate.
- There may be strange smells coming from your car like gas or a rotten egg smell.
- It is possible that your car won't pass an emissions test.
- You might not be able to go uphill as easily as you could before.
Talk to your auto care specialist about replacing the catalytic converter as soon as you can because it will only get worse.
As you can see, those sounds you are hearing are more than just a mere nuisance; they may be warning you of serious problems with your car. But these issues shouldn't be too hard to deal with if you take your car to your auto care specialist in time.
For car repair, contact a business such as Dean's Automotive Service Center.
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