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Engine Detonation?

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Old Dec 26, 2009 | 01:29 PM
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Default Engine Detonation?

Well, i decided to drive my car today to run an errand and this was the first time starting it in maybe 3 days? Anyway, i turn the car on and it turns over. I let the car idle for a couple minutes to warm up and when i go to drive it, i give it some gas and let the clutch out. As i give it gas, i hear a faint ticking noise coming from my engine. It was as if something was "tapping" something. I did it a couple more times to see if it would still do it and to no avail, it continued. I didnt take it past 1500rpms. I was too afraid of the tapping noise. It was very faint, but i could hear it over my exhaust at lower rpms. again, i didn't take it up to higher rpms because i was afraid it was detonation.

Anyway, i took out my tuner and plugged it into the car. I unloaded the tune from the car, and now the tapping noise has stopped... Was it most likely detonation?

I dont get it. My car never used to do this. This is almost the 3rd winter with the canned diablosport tune loaded on the car and it's never done this before...

Any ideas? I really want to put the tuner back on, but not if this is what's going to happen. Gas is filled with 93...Temperature is 40 degrees and rainy...
Old Dec 26, 2009 | 01:59 PM
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bad gas maybe?
Old Dec 26, 2009 | 02:34 PM
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i dont think so. i've ran this gas for 50 miles so far and it wasnt until today that it wanted to be a b*tch to me...
Old Dec 26, 2009 | 04:49 PM
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sounds bad. Tapping isn't good inside an engine.
Old Dec 26, 2009 | 11:54 PM
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yeah i really dont know what the heck it could have been. But taking the tune off of my car fixed the problem. so maybe detonation? i really dont know. cliff get in here and give your opinion! and anyone else lol
Old Dec 27, 2009 | 05:30 AM
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Detonation rarely occurs at idle or light loads, or with a cold engine--and as the Brit's describe it, it's more of a "pink" sound that a tapping--"pink pink pinkity pink pink pink".

That said, significant carbon build-up in the heads¹ could conceivably cause the compression to rise such that it might ping (as we on this side say) under the conditions you describe. Without knowing what the canned tune is doing with the timing it's hard to say.

-------------------------------------------------
¹ - Do you typically run short trips a lot, say less than 5 miles?
Old Dec 27, 2009 | 05:47 PM
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Originally Posted by cliffyk
Detonation rarely occurs at idle or light loads, or with a cold engine--and as the Brit's describe it, it's more of a "pink" sound that a tapping--"pink pink pinkity pink pink pink".

That said, significant carbon build-up in the heads¹ could conceivably cause the compression to rise such that it might ping (as we on this side say) under the conditions you describe. Without knowing what the canned tune is doing with the timing it's hard to say.

-------------------------------------------------
¹ - Do you typically run short trips a lot, say less than 5 miles?
Hmm.. well that's good to know that it probably wasnt detonation. it was very light loads, but not during idle. it only happened when i hit the throttle...

Yes i do tend to run short trips a lot. to friends houses and home, to stores and home. Just around town. (usually 2 mile drives - 10 mile drives) Do i need to open her up? If there was carbon build up in the heads, then why would removing the tune cause the carbon build up to go away?
Old Dec 27, 2009 | 06:31 PM
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Removing the tune caused the advanced timing settings of the 93 octane custom tune to go away--less advanced timing caused the pinging to go away...

Last edited by cliffyk; Dec 27, 2009 at 06:52 PM.
Old Dec 28, 2009 | 01:15 AM
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really doubt it... load the tune back on and see if it pings again, if it does then you know, but I just dont see it pinging on a canned tune.
Old Dec 28, 2009 | 03:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Fobra
really doubt it... load the tune back on and see if it pings again, if it does then you know, but I just dont see it pinging on a canned tune.
Are you joking? They are so generic that its the reason why i WOULD see it being the problem. His timing is off.



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