5 Symptoms of a Bent Engine Valve
If you hear an unpleasant clicking or rattling noise under the hood, you may have a bent engine valve, creating an internal problem that needs repair. Although less common, bent intake or exhaust valves still occur.
Recognizing the symptoms of minor damaged valves early can help determine the best solution for whether replacement or repair is needed. Learn the most common signs of a bent valve and how much it might cost to repair.
Symptoms of a Bent Valve
Having one or more bent valves in your engine is usually accompanied by a number of secondary symptoms. Recognizing these symptoms will often help diagnose the problem at hand. Below are some of the most common symptoms associated with bent valves.
1) Misfire
Bent valves often cause misfires, primarily due to a particular cylinder being unable to blow air in and out as intended. When diagnosing this issue, any misfires observed will be isolated to the affected cylinder.
2) Backfire
Backfire is another common symptom that can result from damaged valves. This condition most commonly occurs when the exhaust valve for a particular cylinder fails to close as intended.
3) Loss of Power
Your vehicle may also appear to have reduced power if your engine has one or more bent valves. This is because the affected cylinder usually loses some compression, affecting the entire combustion process.
4) Abnormal Noises
If a valve is severely bent and stuck in the open position, you may hear a rattling or metallic clattering noise. This is the result of continued contact between the piston and the valve. If such noises occur, immediately discontinue use of the vehicle.
5) Oil Consumption
Excessive oil consumption may also indicate valve damage due to associated valve seating/guiding issues. Often this excessive oil consumption is accompanied by thick blue exhaust smoke, often with a distinctive burning smell.
What are engine valves?
Modern four-stroke internal combustion engines have intake and exhaust valves for each combustion chamber. These valves allow the supply of fresh intake air to each cylinder before combustion and the discharge of spent combustion gases into the engine’s exhaust duct.
