Calculating Engine Firing Frequency

Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH)

Frequency Calculations

Calculating Engine Firing Frequency

Engine firing frequency is a term used to describe the pulses an engine creates from the firing of the cylinders. Engine firing frequency depends on how many cylinders an engine has. The number of times an engine fires a cylinder with each crankshaft revolution is equal to one-half the number of cylinders. A 4-cylinder engine fires 2 cylinders with each crankshaft revolution. Two revolutions of the crankshaft fire all 4 cylinders. A 6-cylinder engine fires 3 cylinders with each crankshaft revolution. An 8-cylinder engine fires 4 cylinders for each crankshaft revolution.

Calculate engine firing frequency by performing the following steps:

- Multiply the engine rpm where the vibration symptom occurs by the number of cylinders fired with each crankshaft revolution. For example, a vehicle with a 6-cylinder engine experiences a vibration concern at 2,400 rpm. The engine is firing the cylinders at 7,200 times per minute (3 multiplied by 2,400).
- Divide this number by 60 (the number of seconds in a minute) to obtain the engine firing frequency. In this example, the engine firing frequency is 120 Hz (7,200 divided by 60) at 2,400 rpm.