Can You Still Drive with Engine Valve Leakage?
2 Answers
It is recommended to perform repairs and adjust the valves as soon as possible. Effects of Valve Leakage: Valve leakage causes the vehicle to lose power. The air-fuel mixture being too rich or too lean leads to incomplete combustion in the combustion chamber, resulting in increased fuel consumption. Valve leakage also causes slow acceleration. Engine valve leakage can lead to difficulty starting the engine, reduced power, incomplete combustion, severe carbon buildup, and even cause individual cylinders to stop working. Causes of Valve Leakage: Valve leakage occurs due to valve erosion, which reduces the sealing between the valve and valve seat; the valve clearance being adjusted too small, causing the valve to not close tightly; carbon buildup on the valve and valve seat cone surfaces; debris getting stuck during valve installation, leading to poor sealing; pitting, scratches, marks, burns, or dents on the valve working surface; improper grinding of valve sealing rings during maintenance; excessive runout of the valve and valve stem; misalignment of the valve guide hole and seat hole exceeding standards, etc. Leakage between the cylinder head and cylinder block can also occur due to warped or uneven mating surfaces, scratches, or damaged cylinder gaskets.
When I was young and driving a taxi, I encountered a situation where the engine valves were leaking. At that time, I thought I could manage to drive for a few days, but the car's power became very weak, the acceleration was delayed when pressing the throttle, and the fuel consumption nearly doubled. After driving less than 50 kilometers, the engine started to overheat and almost broke down on the road. Later, inspection revealed severe carbon buildup on the valve seats, leading to seal failure and causing more issues, resulting in a major repair that cost several thousand dollars. The lesson is: never force it. Leaking valves cause insufficient cylinder compression, poor combustion efficiency, and a rapid rise in engine temperature. Driving under such conditions for a long time can lead to high fuel consumption and slow acceleration at best, or damage to pistons or cylinder liners at worst. It is strongly recommended to stop driving immediately and seek professional repair to avoid regret like I did.
