Is Detonation common with P5's?

[leica]

I have an '03 with 36k, and the other day I noticed pinging under acceleration. It was a fairly hot day and I had the A/C on so that could have something to do with it, but with under 50k, I was surprised to hear detonation this soon. There were two owners before me and I have no idea how it was driven. It's possible it was never really revved enough and has developed some deposits over time.

Does anyone else have detonation issues? And how does the P5 respond to Seafoam?

 

[Don Juan]

The gas has really started to suck lately, mine has done the same thing.
What I found that helped was to get some sort of fuel additive like the cheep STP stuff they sell it at Wall-mart in a three pack for like $3. The pinging stopped and I get better gas mileage, not much better but enough to notice.
If that does not work, when is the last time you had a tune up? Check your air filter, spark plugs all those things can be a factor. You may even have to go up a grade of gas, or even change gas stations some places dump extra crap in there tanks.

 

[shane02pro5]

I use the seafoam run thru a vac line for my BOV in to the intake and gas tank. I would check the plugs first but after you use the seafoam it is definately recommended to change the plugs. I could definately see getting some bad gas with as high as prices are going. There have been a few cases of stock motors blowing so definately monitor your oil levels!!

 

[shane02pro5]

Also inspect your plug wires!

 

[leica]

I've put new plugs in already, and I just got new NGK wires in the mail today.

I know that a higher grade of fuel would get rid of it, but I'd rather solve the problem than just mask it with 91 octane. I want to keep running 87 if I can, especially with the gas prices going up.

I'd like to seafoam it, but I just changed my plugs And bad gas is sure a possibility. Hopefully the new wires will help.

 

[shane02pro5]

I have a J&S safegaurd with a knock sensor and every time I go to this one Shell I get a little flickering of the LED showing knock in 5th with high throttle. I quit going there!!

 

[delguini]

I've used seafoam on over 6 cars and not once have i fowled the plugs, so i wouldn't be worried about that!

 

[thejetman]

does it feel likeits almost the clutch giving? i am having the same problem, onlyin second and third gear at high rpms does it do it. i dont know if its a clutch slippage problem or mis-firing or what

 

[Mr.Ames]

i used seafoam on new-ish plugs with no problems. switched to long reach ones tho so im using high octane now. runs alot better

 

[Kansei]

You don't need high octane fuel with the long reach plugs, plenty of us ran 87 octane on them no problem.

 

[bazooka joe]

Detonation can be prevented by:

• The use of a fuel with higher octane rating
• The addition of octane-increasing "lead", methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT), isooctane, or other antiknock agents.
• Increasing the amount of fuel injected/inducted (resulting in lower Air to Fuel Ratio)
• Reduction of cylinder pressure by increasing the engine revolutions (lower gear), decreasing the manifold pressure (throttle opening) or reducing the load on the engine, or any combination.
• Reduction of charge (in-cylinder) temperatures (such as through cooling, water injection or compression ratio reduction).
• Retardation of spark plug ignition.
• Improved combustion chamber design that concentrates mixture near the spark plug and generates high turbulence to promote fast even burning.
• Use of a spark plug of colder heat range in cases where the spark plug insulator has become a source of pre-ignition leading to detonation.

 

[PimpSmurf]

i'm recommend just going up to 89... i think that the gas is just getting crappier... no harm in running 89 anyways... no need to go to 91 unless you have severe knocking though... the last thing you want to do is to let it keep knocking until you figure it out... me personally, i'd switch to 89 and do all the stuff they recommended checking and then i'd switch back to 87 and see if it comes back... if it doesn't come back ur clear, if it does then i'd just switch to 89 permanently

 

[Mr.Ames]

is shell v-power 89 or 91? cuz thats wut i use

 

[thejetman]

v-power is 91 and it works great in my bike, my onlyconcern is that who is buying higher octane gas on a regular basis? in theory the gas you are putting in, if above 87 octance, has possibly been sitting in the tanks for a long time, or not really higher octane because of the length of time it has been sitting. I dont know this for sure, but i am going to try it my next fill up. Driving across atlanta everyday gives me plenty of miles to test stuff in.

 

[kevcouto]

so do you think that the octance dies down with time??

 

[pass the peas]

You don't need high octane fuel with the long reach plugs, plenty of us ran 87 octane on them no problem.

My car knocks ever so slightly when coming off the clutch with long reach plugs on 87. Switching to 89 made it stop. It never knocked with the standard plugs.

 

[leica]

My car knocks ever so slightly when coming off the clutch with long reach plugs on 87. Switching to 89 made it stop. It never knocked with the standard plugs.

Hmmmm. This makes me wonder because I went with NGK platinum rather than the standard plug. And I never noticed any pinging before I changed the plugs. Interesting.

The weather here has been cool lately, so I won't know if the new plug wires helped until it gets warmer and I have to use the A/C again. I could experiment by swapping standard plugs with the platinum's to see what happens. This motor seems pretty temper mental towards small changes.

 

[P5inder]

Hey,

Both my wife's Pathfinder and my P5 ping at lower RPM's using 87 octane...especially in warmer weather. And you're right these cars do seem a whole lot pickier when it comes to minor changes than other vehicles I've owned...

I've been able to find no permanent answer to this except using a higher octane rating. In the late Fall, and throughout winter I use 87 octane whilst in the Spring, and Summer I use either 89 from Chevron/PetroCan or 90 Octane from Husky/Mohawk (10% Ethanol).

I've been looking into brewing my own gas...as has been suggested in other threads a mix of 87 Octane fuel and Toluene or such, instead of spending for a full tank of gas at higher prices due to the higher Octane.

Here, 89 Octane can be as high as 10 cents more/litre than 87 Octane.

 

[Mr.Ames]

Hmmmm. This makes me wonder because I went with NGK platinum rather than the standard plug. And I never noticed any pinging before I changed the plugs. Interesting.

The weather here has been cool lately, so I won't know if the new plug wires helped until it gets warmer and I have to use the A/C again. I could experiment by swapping standard plugs with the platinum's to see what happens. This motor seems pretty temper mental towards small changes.

I had the platinums before my long reach and i didnt notice much difference from stock. Apparently they have a slightly weaker spark (cuz they dont conduct as good as copper) but they're supposed to last longer. The iradiums (sp?) are supposed to be best of both worlds, but alot more expensive

 

[leica]

Hey,
I've been able to find no permanent answer to this except using a higher octane rating. In the late Fall, and throughout winter I use 87 octane whilst in the Spring, and Summer I use either 89 from Chevron/PetroCan or 90 Octane from Husky/Mohawk (10% Ethanol).

I may just have to do this. Here in Florida it just gets too damn hot, and most cars will have detonation with 87. I just need to go to quality gas stations too......No more BP or Shell. Not many Chevrons around here though.