Since my MY99 had a new MAF sensor around 1000 miles ago, its started to pink at low rpms (<3000rpm) under high load. Think it may have had a new knock sensor as well.

Should I be worried and return it to the dealer before and next service in two months?

 

Hi Orbv,

How do you know it's pinking? Do you have a knocklink fitted to monitor the pinking? Or do you think you can hear it? You've got nothing to lose by going to the dealer, so go for it.

Cheers,

Wrexy.

 

You can hear it clearly. If it was cheap fuel I could understand but the car has only ever been run on SUL and the least 3 fills have been Optimax.

Reminds me of my first car a 1.3GL astra.

 

Orbv,

I'm no expert, but from what I have read on here from previous posts, if the pinking is that bad that it could be heard, you probably would have already blown the engine. It may be something else, but I could be wrong. It just seems funny to me that it can be heard, yet your engine is still alive. Go get it checked at your dealer, or better still go to a performance place with a dyno (RR) and get them to put on a set of det cans and they'll be able to tell if it's pinking. If it is, then go to the dealer.

The other thing you should get yourself is a Knocklink installed. BR Developments sell and install these. It will give you peace of mind. This is a monitor which allows you to see if your engine is pinking, from a sensor which gets installed on your engine and if the engine is pinking you can back off immediately and get the fault fixed.

Someone more technical could probably add to this, or correct me. I'm interested in this now.

Let us know what the outcome is.

Cheers,

Wrexy.

 

You can certainly have audible det', and still have an intact engine, but I wouldn't recommend running it that way........

It sounds like transitional det', where you get max' boost/torque. This is common, but needs to be addressed by the dealer.

Mark.