The answer is yes. As you read this article, you will see the possibility of driving a car with one less cylinder.
The way cylinder deactivation works reduce fuel consumption, particularly at low speeds. In this case, the still active cylinders must balance the torque of the deactivated cylinders.
This improves the engine’s efficiency since the same engine power can be generated with fewer cylinders.
The ideal efficiency level is in the medium speed range, depending on the engine design.
Since there is no gas exchange within the deactivated cylinders, the engine requires less fuel and thus emits fewer CO2 emissions.
Fuel consumption can be reduced in this way, especially at low speeds. The savings can be up to 30 per cent, depending on the vehicle model and driving style.
However, one disadvantage of cylinder deactivation is the reduced performance it causes. Anyone who is used to driving a six or eight-cylinder and prefers a sporty driving style will feel the loss of performance.
An important condition for cylinder deactivation is that the driver should not notice it if possible.
However, this is more difficult to achieve with a four-cylinder engine. Balance shafts are therefore used in some engines to prevent imbalance.
However, this has the disadvantage that the motor becomes heavier and produces more expensive. If the reduced fuel consumption cannot compensate for the additional costs, series production does not make sense.
Thus, there is always a cost-benefit ratio when it comes to cylinder deactivation. The smooth running can be impaired if a cylinder is switched off for diesel engines with four or fewer cylinders, which have a high torque.
A higher speed would have to compensate for this, which would again cause higher fuel consumption.
Finally, it should be mentioned that cylinder deactivation can make sense, especially in large engines with more than four cylinders. In such cases, it has a positive effect on the fuel consumption of the respective vehicle.
In addition, reduced fuel consumption reduces CO2 emissions and the amount of fine dust emitted, which positively affects environmental protection.
What Will Happen If Car Not Running On All Cylinder
With an in-line engine, individual cylinders can be switched off alternately, with a V-engine, even an entire engine block.
The very clear advantage of this process is the fuel consumption, which can be up to 30 per cent, depending on the model.
And this saving is only achieved by not using part of the displacement. Some drivers say that the disadvantage is that you can’t drive as sportily.
With this point, it should be noted that the vehicle automatically activates all cylinders within fractions of a second when accelerating sharply, which means that a sporty start and strong acceleration are also possible.
Modern hybrid engines offer a special form of cylinder deactivation. Here, the entire combustion engine is switched off, and the electric motor only drives the vehicle. It offers the advantage of reducing fuel consumption to zero, especially when starting, which puts a heavy strain on the engine.
Once the acceleration has ended, and a constant speed has been reached, the combustion engine switches on automatically and takes over further propulsion.
Cylinder deactivation for individual cylinders can theoretically be carried out in diesel and petrol vehicles.
To do this, the vehicle manufacturer must only adapt the engine software. In a diesel vehicle, it is sufficient not to inject fuel into the deactivated cylinder.
In the case of a petrol engine, on the other hand, the spark plug should not receive an impulse either. It is precisely here that the service life and, thus, the change interval increase. The driver of such a vehicle notices this directly in their wallet.
Manufacturers speak of “automatic downsizing”, especially in large-volume engines with a displacement of more than three litres. It is simply the deactivation of one or more cylinders.
Finally, it should be noted that cylinder deactivation makes sense, especially with a large engine and especially with more than four cylinders. The vehicle’s fuel consumption will benefit from this as well.
The reduced fuel consumption also reduces the number of nitrogen oxides emitted and the amount of particulate matter emitted.
This reduction is currently on everyone’s lips and should be achieved at any price. It is a good path to pursue if the goal can be achieved with a partial engine shutdown.
What Can Cause A Cylinder To Dead
The cylinders are tubes designed to house the pistons and to withstand almost the unspeakable, but they can also be damaged.
They withstand extremely high temperatures and continuous fuel explosions, and a group of cylinders in an engine constitutes the nucleus of the engine, known as the engine block.
Depending on the car we have, the number of cylinders may vary. The power or displacement of our vehicle depends on its size.
If we have one of the cylinders that fail, has broken, is defective or is rubbed by the piston, the car will not go well. Fuel burn will also not be correct.
So watch out for these signs:
- The engine loses power when accelerating.
- When you step on the accelerator all the way, you notice a tremor.
- The car stalls regularly.
- The revolutions go up or down above normal.
- And if the thing is already serious, you will hear that the engine becomes increasingly noisy, emitting a metallic sound similar to the ringing of bells.
Why does it fail?
There are several reasons why a cylinder can fail and cause an engine failure, but they are easy to prevent as long as we carry out good maintenance
Generally, because the entire engine block may have poor lubrication may be responsible for a cylinder not working
A low engine water level or a broken cooling system can also cause poor cooling.
Failure of the compression section causes the lubricating layer to crack or catch between the two components, increasing friction.
Connecting rod imbalance: If the crankshaft is not balanced properly, the cylinder will wear more quickly on one side of the piston.
To protect our engine, it is convenient to avoid sudden accelerations when cold, control the ignition advance to avoid overheating, good cylinder and piston play, checking the condition of the crankshaft bearings.
In summary, these can be the cause of a dead cylinder :
1 . wrong engine timing
2. damaged injectors
3. Bind piston rings, valves incorrect adjustment, damaged sleeve
4. Loss of air
5. Low compression
6. A rich air-fuel mixture
These are the causes of a dead cylinder. How to fix the dead cylinder to make it work again is listed below.
How To Fix A Dead Cylinder
Apart from a single-cylinder engine, many engines have multiple cylinders. And sometimes, it is possible that one of the cylinders is not working or is dead.
Below I will explain how you can fix a dead cylinder to help your engine to perform efficiently.
In a four-cylinder engine, if a cylinder is not working, 25% of the engine is not performing, which will eventually affect the engine’s overall performance.
You need to identify the faulty cylinder and the cause before you can think of fixing the fault.
1. Ensure your timing is correct: in the course of fixing the camshaft, if the timing mark is not aligned with the crankshaft timing, correct it to ensure accurate engine timing.
2. Replace the spark plugs: If you notice that the spark is bad, you can change the spark plugs. Check what is the cause of the poor spark and correct it.
3. Correct any air leakage: If there is air leakage in a particular cylinder, which can cause loss of air in a cylinder and cause incomplete combustion
4. Replaced damaged Injector: A malfunctioning injector of the particular cylinder should be replaced if it is the cause of it.
5. Ensure the compression is fixed. If low compression is the problem, use a peak pressure gauge to ascertain the faulty cylinder. If the piston rings have bound, you can replace them to achieve maximum compression
In addition, another simple method is not good for your electronic distribution: disconnect the cylinder’s coil (if it is independent) or the spark plug cable (if it is not independent).
The cylinder that is not working well will be noticed because the variation will be less or non-existent.
The correct way is the same but unplug the fuel injector in this case. As mentioned above, the specialized way is with a compression gauge to check the cylinder balance.
If a cylinder is malfunctioning, you have to know why (valves, tappets, rings, rocker arms, valve seats, chamber gasket, injectors, etc.)
This article has explained how a car can run with fewer cylinders and how to fix a dead cylinder after knowing the cause of it.