Re: Why do so many new cars ping...

Hahahahahaha.

Because of possible pinging damage already done to an engine without a knock sensor. It doesn't always show up immediately. Cracks can take time to grow. Shrunk-in cylinder liners can have begun to move (I speak from experience on that one).

John

Craig's Saab C900 Site wrote in news:dtg49t$gnk$ snipped-for-privacy@yoda.apana.org.au:

Craig,

You don't get it, do you, mate :-)

The guy was talking about pinking cars, I said don't buy a second hand premium fuel car!

Why? If it ran long enough "pinking", there is a high possiblity of damaged valves, burnt piston tops, etc, etc...

I'd check with SAAB to make sure that the car actually needs the "lead". Leaded fuel was recommended in the past for all sorts of engines simply because of the Octane Number Requirement (ONR).

Additives may not just be a waste of money for the additives, but may also impair combustion.

The only way for them to be given that rating is if they have at least that rating. It's probably ULP with ethanol. Back in 1960's, alcohol was added to boost octane by 3 to 5 points.

Of course, the energy content of the fuel is reduced; and could be less than that of *-98. But the higher RON can allow the engine to run more aggressive timing for perhaps even slighty better power characteristics.

For most drivers, the torque at low to medium revs is much more important than peak power.

John Henderson wrote in news:461o25F916b4U1 @individual.net:

Well done John :-)

Leaded fuel was recomended in the past because the lead provided lubrication for the valves. When the move was made to unleaded gas, the metals that went into the valve stems had to be redesigned.

I would NEVER buy a pink car.....I think the color is ugly....lol

Fwed

Why do so many new cars ping????? What makes you think they all ping.....

Different manufacturers began fitting hardened valve seats at different times, so that unleaded could be used (RON permitting). The writing was on the wall for tetra-ethyl lead long before emission standards requiring catalytic converters were introduced in Australia in 1986.

I remember the workshop bulletin from VW in 1971 (air-cooled engine days), saying that only hardened valve seats would be used in future.

John

Throw that gutless and asthmatic 8V engine away and install a 16V engine with the APC (Advanced Performance Controller). The APC listens for knock and bleeds off boost accordingly. APC equipped engines happily run on all the grades of fuel available, all you notice is how far into the red zone the boost gauge goes when you hammer it depending on the octane and ambient temps.

I don't think your engine was designed to run with oxygenated fuels.

It means more turbo boost, less driving range.

exactly.. however i built my 289 with factory valves and ran on unleaded for 15 years and 200,000 miles with no problems in the valve area, tore it down and speced it last year. Chip

"fweddybear" wrote in news:_8PKf.168514$WH.34035 @dukeread01:

"Pinking, a tinkling noise when you accelerate in a high gear"

John Henderson wrote in news:461v68F8t92tU1 @individual.net:

Most engines with alloy heads have hardened valve seats, and that goes back a long way :-)

Yeah, "pinking" is the correct term though most prefer to use "pinging" in Australia.

Not the valves or stems, the valve SEATS had to be hardened. Induction hardening works fine (no change of the metal at all). Its not a lubrication issue so much as it is a sealing/cooling issue. The lead film enhanced thermal contact between the valve and seat so that the valve was cooled better. Without the lead, local hot spots would result in "micro tack-welds" and roughness, allowing blow-through of hot combustion gasses which would gradually (or not so gradually, once the process got rolling) erode the valve seat.

Since the US phased out leaded fuel in 1975, pretty much any make/model that was also sold in the US should already have hardened valve seats, even if it didn't have a catcon and ran on uleaded most of its life. US carmakers started producing "unleaded ready" engines with hardened valve seats in 1971- four years before catcons made unleaded mandatory.

You mean "pinging." I think "pinking" is a sewing term for a pair of shears that cut a wavy line (got that from my wife...)

Steve wrote in news:GeOdnWvSnfTXMGHenZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@texas.net:

Pity your wife was not engine savvy :-)

:> :> "Pinking, a tinkling noise when you accelerate in a high gear"

: You mean "pinging." I think "pinking" is a sewing term for a pair of : shears that cut a wavy line (got that from my wife...)

"Pinking" (U.K.) is used to replace the word "Pinging" (U.S.). Similar to a "bonnet" being a "hood" of a car and the "boot" being the "trunk" of a car in comparison.

b.

It was a joke, ah say, it was a JOKE, son. Nice kid, but doesn't hear a word ya say to 'im.