Volkswagen has been the ‘people’s car’ since 1937, and why not? Every driving person, professional, and enthusiast will definitely love to ride in this beautifully-crafted and technologically-engineered automobile. The VW is one of the major German-manufactured vehicles that is endowed with enviable exterior coupled with high end performance parts. And talking about performance, its main source of power, the engine, is well-engineered with the best devices to support it achieve its peak performance. One of these many devices is the Volkswagen knock sensor.
The Volkswagen knock sensor is among the many sensors present to support and protect the engine. It is installed to sense the point where knocking or ‘pinking’ is about to occur. This phenomenon in the engine is called knocking because of the vibrations and banging that it causes in the cylinders. This is due to the overtly advanced burning timing during the compression stroke between the fuel and air mixture. When this happens, the sensor sends a signal to the engine computer, which is analyzed.
A knock sensor consists of an electrical coil, coiling two ceramic rods centered by a magnet to form a magnetic field. These rods are directly affected by the vibration caused by the engine, which in turn disrupts the current passing in the electrical coil magnetic field and finally alters it. This disturbance returns to the engine computer as a signal pattern, where the vibrations are determined whether a characteristic of an engine knock and whether mild or severe. It then retards the timing until the signal returns to the reference signal.
Generally, there are two types of engine knocks, the mild knock and the severe knock. The knocking is determined by the sound that is produced. A mild knock sounds like marbles or small ball bearings bouncing on a piece of metal, while the severe knock sounds like someone is banging on a door. A mild knock can reduce power, waste fuel, and increase emissions, while a severe knock can destroy internal parts like the pistons, connecting rods, exhaust valves, head gaskets, and spark plugs.
Due to its vital function, it is always wise for you to check on your Volkswagen knock sensor for preventive measures. And when the need for it to be changed arises, you have Parts Train to help you get through the problem. Parts Train offers high quality and reliable Volkswagen knock sensors for your aftermarket replacements. Aside from this, you will also find here a complete line of auto parts and accessories for all vehicle makes and models. For even better results, you can reach us through our toll-free hotline numbers, where you will be assisted by our reliable customer service representatives.
