Engine knocking, or detonation, occurs when fuel in the cylinders ignites unevenly, causing metallic pinging sounds, reduced power, and potential engine damage. Key causes include low-octane fuel, ...

A knocking sound from the engine often triggers worst-case assumptions, but piston slap is a far more common—and usually less dangerous—culprit. It occurs when a piston lightly contacts the cylinder ...

You're tooling along on your way home from a cruise night or a car show when you pull up to a stop sign. As the engine drops down to an idle, you hear astrange sound from under the hood. It's not a ...