Can you audiably hear det, and if so what does it sound like ?

 

Yes, you can but it depends on a lot of variables. I've been told it sounds like a bunch of pins rattling around inside a metal can.

I have a Knocklink on my Impreza and it's only spiked once into the Red and that was around 6,000rpm immediately on a gear change. I noticed the knock detector flash, but all I could hear was road noise, the engine and my stereo

If you have det cans, then this is the best way to detect it but you need the car on a rolling road or dyno bench for this.

Some people have heard it, but whether it needs to bad enough to be audible inside the cabin I don't know. I know my car has detted, but I've never actually heard anything like it.

Stefan

 

$hit, thats exactly what it sounded like. hadnt heard it until yesterday and seems to come on about 3k rpm (wrx with td04).
Looks like fitting knocklink tommorow.

Strange though im using optimax and wynns and it wasnt that hot yesterday

 

you most definately can. I just spent 2 weeks in Sicily where they have very average grade petrol ( 95 octane would be generous ). My STi7 at 1.2 bar started to det stupidly. Its the first time I have heard it but it was unmistakable. Like it says above it sounded like pins or stones in a tin can. I wound the boost totally off with the dawes until it was making 0.4 bar ( low as it would go ) and still anything above 4000 rpm and I could hear it. Car had a nice gentle 2 weeks driving after that though

 

As above, pins in a tin. But arguably the most damaging det is at high speed where it can be very difficult to detect by ear.

 

Any det is damaging!

 

A car can det and you would'nt hear it. As it can sometime fall out our hearing spectrum, and is also drowned out by the engine, ancilaries, sound proofing etc.

When it increases to the extent you can hear it...you are doing serious damage to the engine. So beacuse you can't hear it, does'nt mean it's not doing it!

As for what it does sound like. Sort of a rapid pingy/tingy noise. Thus why its also known as pinking

 

This person didn't hear det but certainly saw the white smoke and eventually the holed piston...........