This is what riding with bad piston rings can do to your engine – Jalopnik

There’s no need to disguise what bad piston rings can do to your engine. Those rather thin cast iron or steel rings may look small and irrelevant to the untrained eye, but they play a crucial role in sealing the combustion chamber, supporting adequate heat transfer, and maintaining adequate lubrication between the piston and cylinder wall. They also regulate oil consumption, which helps reduce toxic emissions.

With a long to-do list, bad piston rings will cause the engine to shake, shake, stutter or stall. Worn rings cause gaps to form between the piston and the cylinder wall, allowing combustion gases to seep into the oil pan. The loss of compression robs your engine of horsepower, acceleration and fuel efficiency.

Meanwhile, the blowing gases entering the oil pan can cause oil pollution, which can damage the engine. At the very least, more frequent oil changes will be necessary to prevent sludge build-up. Worn rings also allow oil from the crankcase to migrate into the combustion chamber and cause excessive carbon deposits.

If that sounds like bad news, it is. Internal combustion engines normally burn a little oil during the combustion cycle, but burning too much oil will not do the engine any good. All that shaking, stuttering and premature stalling is usually accompanied by a puff of blue-white smoke from the exhaust, and the engine may be difficult to start or refuse to wake up at all.

In short, forcing an engine to run with bad piston rings is not good. Not only is the experience quite unpleasant and choppy, but it will destroy the engine and result in epic repair bills, especially for a complete engine rebuild or an engine replacement.

If one of the two or three rings fails, breaks or wears out, the seal needed for compression and oil control is compromised, and many things can cause this. Infrequent oil changes, low oil levels, using the wrong oil type or a clogged oil filter can increase friction and heat in the engine, and this can prematurely wear out the piston rings.

Additionally, an overheated engine causes the piston rings to expand unnecessarily, eventually causing them to lose their shape. If that happens, the seal won’t be as tight anymore, and the blow-through will start to ruin the fun. That can cause detonation or pre-ignition, both of which can damage the pistons and piston rings if left unchecked.

Apart from noticeable symptoms such as poor engine performance, stalling, excessive oil consumption and billowing exhaust smoke, you cannot visually inspect the piston rings unless you take the engine apart. In most cases, your mechanic will need a compression or leakage test to diagnose bad piston rings.

The least you can do is adhere to periodic or timely oil changes, change the oil filter when you change the oil, and use high-quality motor oil. In addition, make it a habit to clean or replace the air filter every 12 months or 12,000 miles to prevent dirt from entering the combustion chamber. Your piston rings will love it.