ame- Dharmendra kumar janghel
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Date- 13/08/24
Task- Inline 4 cylinder engine firing order and increase engine
efficeincy by change of firing order.
1. Fire and Order
hoosing the firing order is an essential part of engine design. Manufacturers carefully decide firing
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orders to tame vibrations and improve heat dissipation. The firing order also impacts ride quality
(smoothness of ride), engine balance and engine sound. All these factors, except perhaps engine
sound, decidedly play a role in extending an engine’s fatigue life. However, many piston heads
consider engine sound an essential part of engine design, understandably so!
ost 4-cylinder engines have a firing order of 1-3-4-2 although other firing orders such as 1-3-2-4,
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1-4-3-2, 1-2-4-3 are possible. Consider the inline 4 engine inFigure 1.
he cylinders are usually numbered 1234 from the front of the engine where the accessory drives
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(pulleys) are installed. Therefore cylinder 1 will be the cylinder closest to the pulleys and number 4
will be the cylinder closest to the flywheel or flex-plate as illustrated inFigure 1. Let’s assume the
engine in Figure 1 has a firing order 1-3-4-2, as is the case on a 2005 1.8 Liter VW Jetta. Since we are
assuming a firing order of 1-3-4-2, cylinder #1 will be the first to fire or generate power. Next up will
be cylinder #3 followed by cylinder #4 and then finally cylinder #2.
or every 720 degrees the crankshaft turns, the camshaft turns 360 degrees causing all cylinders to
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fire once. In a 4-cylinder engine such as the one inFigure 1, by the time the crankshaft turns twice,
the camshaft would have turned once, firing all 4 cylinders once. Therefore, for every 180 degrees of
crankshaft rotation one of the cylinders fire. This is obtained by use of the formula inEquation 1.
f=
720/n ……………………Equation 1
Wherefis the firing interval and is the numberof cylinders.
ased on the formula in Equation 1, in a V6 engine for instance, a cylinder would be fired every 120
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degrees. Note however that in some V engines, especially V8 engines and above, manufacturers or
engine builders don’t necessarily fire cylinders at regular intervals; this is a concept of engine design
called uneven firing. This is done to obtain an aggressive burbling and throaty engine sound. Uneven
firing orders will not be discussed in this article.
efore getting into the nuts and bolts of what happens when cylinders are firing, let’s explain the
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concept of companion cylinders. Companion cylinders are cylinders that move up and down as a
pair. While one cylinder is on the intake stroke, the other is on the power stroke and vice versa.
Additionally, while one cylinder is on the compression stroke, the other is on the exhaust stroke and
vice versa. In a 6-cylinder engine with a firing order of 1-5-3-6-2-4 for instance, the companion
cylinders will be cylinders 1 and 6, 5 and 2 and then 3 and 4.
igure 2shows the 4-stroke engine cycle in a sequentialpattern; intake, compression, power,
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exhaust. This will be used together with figures 3a through 3e to explain the firing process.
InFigures 3a through 3e, the 720 degrees of crankshaftrotation has been broken into 180-degree
intervals to aid illustration.In figures 3a through 3d, the first column contains the cylinder numbers
(not in the firing order).
In Figure 3a, cylinder #1 starts off with the power stroke. Since the firing order is 1-3-4-2, it means
the next cylinder to fire will be cylinder #3. It follows from Figure 2 that if cylinder #1 is on the power
stroke (p) and cylinder #3 is the next to fire, it should be on the stroke before the power stroke
because it is preparing to fire after cylinder #1. This is the compression stroke (c) – read figure 2 in a
direction opposite to the arrows’ direction, counterclockwise.
ylinder #4 which fires after cylinder #3 should be two strokes behind the power stroke on cylinder
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#1. Examining Figure 2 again should help deduce that cylinder #4 should be on the intake stroke (i).
ow cylinder #2 should be 3 strokes behind the power stroke on cylinder #1. That would put cylinder
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#2 on the exhaust stroke (e). All of this happens in the first 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation
(Figure 3a).
In the next 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation (360 degrees), cylinder #3 enters the power stroke.
ylinder #4 is now on the compression stroke, cylinder #2 is on the intake stroke (i) and cylinder #1
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is, as expected, on the exhaust stroke (e) to expel exhaust gases produced from the power stroke it
just completed. See figure 3b.
I n the next 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation (540 degrees), cylinder #4 enters the power stroke.
Cylinder #2 is now on the compression stroke, cylinder #1 is on the intake stroke (i) and cylinder #3
is, as expected, on the exhaust stroke (e) to expel exhaust gases produced from the power stroke it
just completed. See figure 3c.
I n the final 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation (720 degrees), cylinder #2 enters the power stroke.
Cylinder #1 is now on the compression stroke, cylinder #3 is on the intake stroke (i) and cylinder #4
is, as expected, on the exhaust stroke (e) to expel exhaust gases produced from the power stroke it
just completed. See figure 3d.
In the final 180 degrees (720 degrees), notice that cylinder 1 is back on the compression stroke (c)
ready to start the entire process again as it moves from the compression stroke to the power stroke
(p). Figure 3e illustrates a complete firing order with the cylinders arranged in proper firing order this
t ime. This arrangement makes it easier to see how the cylinders fire every 180 degrees in
accordance with the designated firing order.
igure 4 illustrates the firing orders for a 6-cylinder engine with firing order 1-4-3-6-2-5. This is the
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firing order on the Mercedes Benz M272-E35 engine which has powered ML350 vehicles since 2006.
It also powers the R350 vehicle and other Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Fromfigure 4cylinder #1 fires in the first 120 degrees.
In the next 120 degrees (240 degrees), as cylinder #1 moves from the power stroke to the exhaust
stroke, cylinder #4 fires.
In the next 120 degrees (360 degrees), as cylinder #4 moves from the power stroke to the exhaust
stroke, cylinder #3 fires.
In the next 120 degrees (480 degrees), as cylinder 3 moves from the power stroke to the exhaust
stroke, cylinder # 6 fires.
In the next 120 degrees (600 degrees), as cylinder 6 moves from the power stroke to the exhaust
stroke, cylinder # 2 fires.
In the next 120 degrees (720 degrees), as cylinder 2 moves from the power stroke to the exhaust
stroke, cylinder # 5 fires.
The process repeats as cylinder #1 fires again.
igure 5is a tabular illustration of an 8-cylinderengine with firing order 1-5-4-8-7-2-6-3. An example
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of an engine that uses this firing order is BMW’s S65 which powers the 2012 M3 E90 among other
vehicles. Figure 5 will not be explained further as it follows a similar format to the order explained
previously in Figure 4. The only difference is that each cylinder will fire after 720/8=90 degrees.
o change the firing order of an engine, you would need to modify the engine's spark plug
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wiring configuration. This typically involves physically rearranging the spark plug wires that
connect the distributor (or coils) to the spark plugs in a different sequence. Here are the
general steps:
1. D etermine the current firing order of the engine. This information can
usually be found in the vehicle's service manual or on a decal under the
hood.
2. Disconnect the spark plug wires from the spark plugs, taking note of the
current order.
3. Rearrange the spark plug wires to achieve the desired new firing order.
Consult the service manual or manufacturer specifications to identify the
proper firing order sequence.
4. Reconnect the spark plug wires to the spark plugs in the new order.
5. Verify the new firing order by tracing the wires and ensuring they are
connected correctly.
6. S
tart the engine and check that it is running properly with the new firing
order. You may need to make minor adjustments to ignition timing or other
parameters.
eep in mind that changing the firing order can affect engine performance, so it's important
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to consult a service manual and understand the implications before making modifications.
In some cases, changing the firing order may require additional engine modifications to
maintain proper operation.
