So after I installed my Alta 15% and aFe CAI, I have a noticable ping when driving at full throttle under load in the 3800-4200 RPM range. Very disconcerting at this point because my intention was to mod this car lightly as a daily driver and was assured through many hours of research that the 15% was safe and reliable with the stock fuel system.

I plan to slowly replace potentially faulty parts in order to fix this problem.

The car is a 2005 MCS with 85k, with a Alta 15%, NGK 1-step colder, Alta tensioner stop, gatorback belt, afe CAI and Eibach 19mm RSB. Car gets 93oct fuel and I have changed stations 2 times to rule out bad gas. I also seafoamed the PCV to rule out carbon build up. It smoked like crazy but no change.

Both my stock and 1-step colder plugs ping so I think I can eliminate bad plugs as the culprit. Next step will be replacing the coil and plug wires. After that I will try the fuel filter and fuel pump. If it is STILL a problem I will have to take it to a professional.

Anyone have any advice or can suggest anything I haven't thought of?

 

I seriously doubt it's your coil. These corrode at one terminal in particular, but I don't think they fail in ways that could cause pinging. I have an MSD on mine, and it was a total waste of money. I'd happily sell either my 45k mile stock coil or my MSD for pretty cheap, if you're interested...

 

Check your plugs (gap) wires and the coil pack terminals. What you have installed is minor and shouldn't cause a problem.

 

what is the proper gap? I just used the NGK BKR7EIX-11 out of the box.

Coil pack terminals seemed ok but the #3 looked a little black. Is there away clean it properly w/o replacing? Still not sure a corroded terminal would cause a ping.

 

I gapped mine to .037 but be very careful with those plugs as you can break the tip.

As for the coil pack, a little steel wool and then some dielectric grease on the terminals will fix that problem. Lastly, if those are original wires, replace them as they are likely worn.

 

You have a 'pinger' like mine. Mine had some ping intermittently throughout the rpm range. More noticeable when warm and at WOT. Similar setup too, JCW intake, 15% pulley, JCW injectors and JCW plugs. Went and got a tune on a dyno.

First pull was 184 whp. When all said and done, had 189 whp with less (not gone but much better) pinging.

 

you put in JCW injectors w/o a tune and still had pinging?

My pinging isn't all over the powerband, its only in the 4k rpm range.

I won't accept that my car is a 'pinger'. Pre-ignition is not something that you just accept and continue beating on. I wouldn't have paid that shop a dime if they tuned my car so the detonation was 'not gone but much better'.

 

Had the JCW tune with the JCW injectors and there was still some pinging.

I suggest a tune at this point.

BTW, my car runs fantastic after the tune.

I guess I should elaborate when I said, 'not gone but better'. It is virtually gone. But did notice something maybe when it was 70F outside and had air conditioning running. Before the tune, it was pretty obvious. Now I am cannot till if I 'pinged' or heard a rattle from something else. After all, my car has got 150K on it.

 

If its pinging now, something isn't right, whether it is the fuel or the ignition system, something needs to be fixed. Getting a tune may band-aid the problem, but the issue will still be there. I also won't accept that I need a tune for a 15% pulley that everyone and their brother runs on the stock fuel system just fine.

 

 

You need to see what the AFR is during the event. $150 is cheap compared to bad engine problems. At least you will know you are safe and it will eliminate fuel from the troubleshooting leaving bad carbon and timing left to rule out.

 

With 85k I would def start with some plug wires, then continue from there.

 

This is the kind if story that scares the hell out of me, and gives me pause when I start considering the 15% upgrade on my 05 MCS. My car runs great, but sure, I would love another 30 or so hp. But I would crap in my pants if after all that work, it started pinging.

 

As for the coil pack, a little steel wool and then some dielectric grease on the terminals will fix that problem.

 

A pulley will manigify any PREEXISTING issue....
so make sure the car is running good first....a simple compression check might be a good thing to do first to ensure the motor is healthy.
Sometimes a simple thing like changing brands of fuel (still getting 92-94 octane), maybe geting a bottle of techron to clean injectors is enough to fix a ping....

 

I would start off with a new batch of fuel personally then look at plug wires after.

 

New batch of fuel has been done and done again. I have changed brands and stations. The has 93 octane in it and still had the issue. I also seafoamed the engine through the PCV, so I know its not a carbon buildup issue.

This weekend I put in a new fuel filter and still no change.

I have been working with Jeff Perrin on the issue and he is confidant that it is a fueling issue, not a ignition issue, as the problem occurs at full throttle only.

I am working now on the theory that it is a bad FPR or a clogged injector so I guess that is next on the list.

In the mean time I just keep from going full throttle :(

Are those 'fuel injector cleaner' additives effective or just a waste of money?

 

If it only happens at full throttle, you might have a partially clogged injector...
tossing in a $15 bottle of cleaner might help, but most premium fuel already have cleansers....might be time to send them out, but first i would do a filter (in the tank), and the regulator (i think there is a micro filter there too).....and if you can get access to a fuel preasure guage, check the psi...
the fact you don't have a specfic cylinder knocking/code makes me wonder if it is a more general issue (presure related than specfic injector partially clogged), but that is just a guess.
Any idea if the ecu has a nonfactory flash? Sounds like the timing is advanced a bit...maybe the prior owner got an extra tune (canned flash) , but usually a person gets a pulley first....a dealer would reflash the ecu as a first troubleshooting step to rule this out....

 

I guess my next step will be to try to replace the FPR and if that doesn't fix anything I will try to get the injectors professionally cleaned.

The chance that there is a tune on the car from the previous original owner I imagine would be minimal, the car was bone stock, female owned (no offense), and fully dealership serviced.

I am resisting the urge to take the car to a shop because I can install pretty much any of these parts myself.

If I could get my hands on a fuel pressure gauge, what would I want to look for?

 

I have used the services of this shop for injector cleaning.

http://www.witchhunter.com/

Great service.

Jim

 

I had a similar problem with my 06 r53. At WOT between 3000 to 6000 a noticeable ping. Mini Service said use better gas and all that. I upgraded to 94 octane religiously. Still pinged.

I cleaned the intake system, and rinsed a lot of nasty crap out of the IC, no joy.

I had signed up for an autocross class and spent the day bombing around in a manner that would be considered unacceptable on the street. Flat out around cones. After all that no pinging.

Occasionally the ping comes back. Usually after a month or two of responsible behavior and good mileage. So I blast off from red lights and redline thru first and second a few times. I find that cures the ping and it feels good. In fact I did this today. Fixed it again, no pinging.

Old school wisdom is that normal driving will build up carbon and stuff in the cylinders. It is this that pre-ignites the fuel charge as the timing will dial back quickly when the knock sensor sees it. This happens even in ECU controlled hi-techo cars. Nothing cleans so well as a highway blast. Its good for the driver too. And by blast I do not mean being an A%%hole. At highway speed passing or merging do it at WOT in 3rd gear. It takes a few seconds. Maybe 3 or 4 tries.

MINI service guy ( a friend ) called in the Italian tune up.

Cheers

 

interesting take on it. I have gone WOT a good bit because I just put a pulley and intake on the car and obviously wanted to feel the high RPM gains. It was during these WOT runs that I actually first heard the pinging. I ran sea foam through the system and have done a good bit of WOT runs since then and it didn't cure anything for me.

 

I got the ECU reflashed to stock last night just to make sure there wasn't a flash or prior tuning on the car before the pulley install.

unfortunately the problem is still there.

The shop where I had it reflashed is insistent that the car needs a software upgrade with a 15% pulley which is frustrating to say the least.

It is so frustrating to read all the of the 'go with a 15% pulley its bullet-proof' threads when I am having these issues.

Next step will be getting AFR data log, fuel pressure test and compression test.

 

hello.
lets begin with the story:
i have a fJCW 211.two years before i upgraded to a 17% pulley.
all things went good.after a year of the upgrade the car was reving up strangely when i had 3rd or 4th gear at 3500-4000+ rpm at 70%~ throttle.
then someone told me too see the coil.
checked it and see that one terminal was totally black.so changed to msd coil and some aftermarket wires but not so good.
problem continued...after two moths disapeared.
some months before started again.
last week checked the msd...too much rust on them and also in the wires.cleared the coil terminals with sandpaper and changed the wires to the old ones.pinging is smoother than before (barely noticeable).also i saw that on one of the wires that attaches to the spark plugs had some burnt marks on it. :Z
next step is to go for new msd wires new spark plus(problably platinum ngk) and i also will do a injector cleaning(i have done one at 80.000km now i have 135000km)
also i have an innovate afr and an ot2 for logging an everything is fine at the afr.
also last time compression was 161 170 169 171.good enough i think.

dont know if this^ helped you but i found it good to share.
if i have anything new i ll post.
sorry for bad english .

 

What?? ECU? Oh man....hell no. Now I KNOW I won't be getting the supposed "bullet proof" 15% upgrade either. I feel your pain man.

What I don't get is that the JCW runs a 14% pulley, with no problems like this. Is the ECU different?