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sebastiansteel79

Malibu engine knocking sound

I'm having a strange issue with my 2005 Chevrolet Malibu with a gasoline engine. It has about 150554 kilometers. I hear a knocking sound I think is from the combustion chamber. Engine power is down, and it jerks when I accelerate. Plus, it smokes when I accelerate, and there's an error code. Could this be combustion chamber deposits causing detonation or pre-ignition?

Summary of the thread

A 2005 Chevrolet Malibu owner reported a knocking sound from the engine, reduced power, jerking during acceleration, and smoke, suspecting combustion chamber deposits causing detonation or pre-ignition. Suggestions included checking the knock sensor and considering piston slap as potential causes. The issue was diagnosed as excessive deposits in the combustion chamber, leading to pre-ignition, and was resolved by cleaning the combustion chamber and related components.

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4 comment(s)

alfred_schneider3

Sounds like detonation. Have you checked your knock sensor? That could throw things off. Or it could be something nastier like piston slap. When was the last time you had your cylinder heads checked?

sebastiansteel79 (community.author)

I haven't checked the knock sensor or the cylinder heads recently. Could a faulty knock sensor actually cause these symptoms? Also, what does 'piston slap' mean for the knocking and loss of power?

alfred_schneider3

A bad knock sensor can definitely mess with your timing and fuel mixture, leading to knock. But if it's piston slap, that's a mechanical issue inside the engine – worn cylinders, basically. Either way, those symptoms combined mean you should probably get it looked at by a workshop before it gets worse.

sebastiansteel79 (community.author)

I took your advice and went to a workshop. They said it was excessive deposits in the combustion chamber, leading to pre-ignition. Cleaning the combustion chamber and related components cost 425€. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

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CHEVROLET

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MALIBU