Can a bad harmonic balancer cause engine damage?
Products Mentioned in this Guide One automotive part that frequently gets overlooked is the harmonic balancer (also known as a vibration damper or crankshaft damper). Although the component is often forgotten, when it fails, it can cause major problems—including severe engine damage.
What causes ignition timing to go off without a harmonic balancer?
Without a functioning harmonic balancer your vehicle’s ignition timing will be thrown off. According to the automotive diagnostic website AA1 Car, bad ignition timing is due to an erratic signal from the camshaft sensor caused by harmonic balancer’s inability to stabilize the component.
What is the purpose of a crankshaft harmonic balancer?
The crankshaft harmonic balancer is a device connected to the front of an engine’s crankshaft, usually built into the crankshaft pulley. Its purpose is to absorb and reduce harmonic vibrations from the engine as the crankshaft rotates, as harmonic vibrations at high engine speeds can…
What happens if you separate the harmonic balancer?
If the layers separate or slip, the timing marks, which are usually stamped into the front of the pulley, can shift and thus throw off the placement of the timing marks. This will make it difficult, if not impossible to properly time the engine with a timing light. 3. Separated harmonic balancer
Can a bad balancer cause an engine to make a clicking noise?
In some cases, the noise is bad enough to be mistaken for an internal engine problem. Also, a balancer that’s beginning to fail can cause abnormal movement from the drive belt or automatic drive belt tensioner, resulting in clicking or squealing noises when the engine is running.
Products Mentioned in this Guide One automotive part that frequently gets overlooked is the harmonic balancer (also known as a vibration damper or crankshaft damper). Although the component is often forgotten, when it fails, it can cause major problems—including severe engine damage.
What happens when a crankshaft balancer goes bad?
The most obvious bad crankshaft pulley symptom is a violent shaking of your car engine. This happens because as the crankshaft balancer starts to fail, it will lose its harmonic performance. Your engine will shake violently and will be most common during high speeds.
Without a functioning harmonic balancer your vehicle’s ignition timing will be thrown off. According to the automotive diagnostic website AA1 Car, bad ignition timing is due to an erratic signal from the camshaft sensor caused by harmonic balancer’s inability to stabilize the component.
In some cases, the noise is bad enough to be mistaken for an internal engine problem. Also, a balancer that’s beginning to fail can cause abnormal movement from the drive belt or automatic drive belt tensioner, resulting in clicking or squealing noises when the engine is running.