I'm experiencing excessive pinking in low revs when accelerating. It's intermittent and only happened since the car was serviced 2 weeks ago.

I need it sorted before i get the turbo fitted next week as i don't want any further nightmares once it's on.


Can anyone suggest any remedies to resolve my problem?

Your help is much appreciated


Disclaimer:
Before anybody suggests taking it back to the garage that serviced it, Don't.
I'm not taking it back to those monkeys*, because they didn't do the sparkplug change properly. The plug was not tight and caused compression loss when the engine was running, this has since been sorted by me. Plus they made a mess of my nicely cleaned engine bay after i made a real effort for the Clubcento AlfaDay and they charged a fortune to service it.

*replace monkeys with any expletive you wish

That's really crap. Sorry can't help with the problem. Hope it's nothing
too serious and you can get it sorted pronto. Is there not another local
garage you could get to have a look for ya?

i've asked a couple of local garages but they want to charge me to investigate it!

I'll be running low on cash this month so a garage inspection is out of the question

Not good !

oo - just a thought - are they the wrong plugs?

I'm slightly hazy on plug physics and all that thermodynamics stuff - it's probably quantum - but think if you've got completely the wrong plugs in (i.e. too hot a grade, so the plug tip itself runs very hot) this could cause it I suppose.

I've changed to Champion eon1's on the turbo, after many hours of searching through comparison charts and plug info sheets I found they're the same physical size as eon2's but a grade colder.

Well, i did have EON's in there before the service and they've replaced them with Bosch Super+ plugs. I'll change back to the champion ones and see what happens for now

super4's made mine run rough, i had power loss with them in there and the first time the car went on the m'way with them in.. the head gasket blew - so i dunno if it was the plugs making it run rough, or the gasket leaking.. i know i wont be touching super4s again tho

Avoid the Super 4's if anything get the Splitfires which claim the same but don't require a hundred electrodes or whatever they call them as the spark always goes the shortest route.

Liam

Dunno...Timing belt in correct time Rich?

Plugs seem a good culprit! Did the monkeys gap them?, I havent done mine, and all is fine, but thats only because my head isnt staying on too long...hopefully

But id say timing or plugs!
Have yu changed fuel-grades recently? Eg: Using normal unleaded (95 RON) to using expensive unleaded (98 RON), cos it may be the ECU getting scared....

Timing seems spot on as it still pulls strong high end of the rev range like normal.

Fuel grades, i've had 1 tankful of 98Ron and it didn't resolve the problem, it always runs on 95Ron cos i'm a cheapskate and cant afford to fill with 98Ron all the time. Bottom line, fuel grades have made no difference

I'm gonna walk to work today and sort out the plugs when i get back

I've had pinking on my 899cc Sei for as long as I can remember, but still don't now what the cause is. The wrong plug gap made things worse. I've got new plugs, new ignition coil and new magnecor KV85 leads and the problem's not as bad now. I have also got pinking and the exhaust makes a funny/rough noise.

It's been to the garage and they said there was nothing wrong and blamed the cat heat shield for the pinking noise. If it was the cat heat shield, I can't understand how the Magnecor leads reduced the pinking so much though :-(

brickfoot said:

Timing seems spot on as it still pulls strong high end of the rev range like normal.
I'm gonna walk to work today and sort out the plugs when i get back

Click to expand...

First thing to do is see what has been changed.
If they've changed the plugs/leads etc it IS worthwhile trying the ones that were ok before just to check.
Assuming that you can effectively 'go back' to your previously working setup, if it's ok then replace everything one bit at a time until it misbehaves. I know it's a pain but it's arguably the best way to check everything.
If it's not Ok then it's a fair bet it's something else. It wouldn't be the first time that something had gone wrong completely coincidentally, however it is pretty unlikely.
I'd be interested to know which monkeys we should therefore avoid.....

Good luck with it.

Tosh

*cough*
wtf is pinking?

Detonation or pre-ignition, where the mixture in the cylinder ignites before it ought to. Causes damage to the engine if excessive, sounds like a tinny sort of rattly/clatter if you catch my drift.

ok ty