Piston rings are incredibly important when it comes to the smooth running of engines. However, all too often people forget about their condition until it’s too late. Here are some signs that you’re in need of some new ones:
Excessive smoke
If the smoke coming out of your engine is grey in colour and particularly thick, then it could mean your piston rings need replacing. The bad rings allow oil to leak and burn, resulting in incomplete combustion and smoke.
Using more oil than usual
If your oil consumption seems to have increased all of a sudden, then old piston rings could be the culprit. When rings are old and worn, they allow the oil to leak into combustion chambers, meaning you will be using more than you need. Over time, this can cost you a great deal of money, so it’s always best to check your piston rings on a regular basis.
Lacking power
Worn piston rings can also cause your engine to experience a reduction in power. There will be less compression, so your engine may struggle to accelerate as effectively. If you’re using the throttle and waiting increasingly long periods of time for your engine to speed up, then the piston rings may be at fault.
Decreased performance
When piston rings have really deteriorated, your engine may completely lose power, or its performance will be greatly reduced. You might notice very limited functionality and will need to fix the problem as soon as possible, as work won’t be possible when the engine is running this poorly. However, it’s unlikely that your engine will reach this point if you act quickly when noticing the other symptoms.