Can You Continue Driving with Engine Knocking?

[BrooklynLee]

Once engine knocking is detected, you must not continue driving, as it may lead to seizure at any moment, damage the crankshaft and connecting rods, and affect the engine's lifespan. Here are the reasons for engine knocking: 1. Severe piston knocking noise occurs when the engine is cold-started, and the noise diminishes after the engine warms up. This phenomenon is caused by excessive piston clearance or piston deformation. When the engine is cold, the piston clearance is larger, resulting in more pronounced knocking noise. As the engine temperature rises, the piston expands, reducing the clearance and thus lessening the knocking noise. 2. The engine operates normally when cold, but knocking occurs during acceleration when hot. This issue might seem contradictory to the first type of piston knocking. As the engine temperature increases, the combustion speed of the air-fuel mixture also accelerates. If the ignition timing is too advanced, the peak combustion pressure in the cylinder will occur earlier, increasing the force on the cylinder walls and causing knocking noise.