Worrying

[197]

Just filled up with Texaco Techron (might have nothing at all to do with what happened next) and drove down the road to feel the car struggling, my first reaction was to look at the dashboard, the flamming engine management light was flashing!
After about 15 seconds it stopped flashing, but the car seems to be lumpy! as if its flooding itself??
Anyone experienced this? have looked through technical section and cant find anything.

 

[Ed...]

ive had a similar thing when booting from cold, goes away when its warmed up.

 

[197]

Cheers Woody's197. Only thing is that i'd been out all day and car was at top running temp. Only stopped to fill up.....................

 

[slime]

....could be a bit of dirty fuel, but I don't think that sort of thing happens these days! I would get it checked out at a specialist....

 

[Ed...]

as slime said, maybe dirty fuel, water in the fuel sometimes does this.

 

[197]

Cheers guys, will keep an eye on it

 

[ben_r1]

Just keep an eye out for detonation, or pinking. That'll kill your engine in no time.

 

[197]

Sorry ben_r1, detonation/pinking?

 

[197]

Blimey, just found this,

Pinking is actually the word used to describe the noise you hear when an engine is detting.
Detonation occurs after the spark fires and can be caused by several things:- too much ignition advance, octane rating of fuel too low, too high a compression ratio, too high a booost pressure and high inlet temperatures to name a few. Damage can occur if it isn't stopped and normally results in a partially melted piston or broken ring land.
Pre ignition is where the charge ignites before the spark. It's normally caused by a localised hot spot causeing the ignition wether carbon, spark plug or a sharp edge glowing. It can cause the charge to ignite even before the piston has reached bottom dead centre, damage in the worst case can be almost instant and often the result is a hole in the centre of the piston.


Cant be the octane level is too low as Techron is a supreme unleaded fuel, equivilent to V Power.

 

[slime]

...had a FIAT that got a hole in one of its pistons due to 'pinkin'...

 

[Foxspeed]

had this on a couple of times - stop switch off and try it again - i had a look on the diagnostics and it had a multi-cylinder mis-fire - but no long lasting cause

as for pinking/detonation - the 197 is protected by a knock sensor - it will retard the timing way before you hear it doing it - if it is pinking/knocking then it is something more serious on the engine

 

[Ed...]

what does pinking sound like?