Just curious, does anybody else get significant spark knock on hard acceleration from below 3400 RPM? Dealer tells me this is normal. I don't think so. I use only 92 octane Chevron gas. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Spark knock -- better known as pinging is absolutely not normal and will damage your engine over the long term.

Few things you can do first. You might have gotten some bad gasoline:
1. Goto another gas station and brand and run through a couple tanks of gas. Make sure it is a good brand.
2. Make sure your air filter is not plugged up with leaves or dirt.

If you still have pinging file a case with Nissan and try another dealership if possible. It WILL destroy your engine over time.

 

Good advice. Don't wait to put a different brand of gas in your car. Start right away and don't use the brand the car knocks on again if you can help it. Your dealer is a jerk, change them too, if you can. That was crap advice and if he doesn't know it, your engine will last a longer time w/o his help.

 

I always use Chevron, although from numerous different locations. I even tried Texaco for a two week period a few months back and nothing changed. I also have a cyclical drop in idle and a boomy exhaust sound that coincides with the idle drop. Sounds suspiciously like a miss to me, but I am told that these traits are also normal. Mind you, not one other Z that I have since test driven has exhibited these traits.

 

A couple people on the forum have reported injectors failing and bad idle. That would certainly account for the pinging.

Get the car to another dealer, or go back to the one you were at and don't accept anything but a full diagnostic of the engine. Get the service manager involved and rip his a$$ a new one.

 

That's not normal at all, and it needs to be fixed. Dump that dealership.

 

reneedalady,

I too live in Washington and have been experiencing what the dealership "Master Tech" described as detonation upon acceleration. I only use Chevron supreme and have since I bought the car.

Did you ever get this problem resolved? If so, I'd like to know what was done to fix it and if you recommend working with a particular dealership or mechanic.

Thank you in advance.

Terry

 

If you are truely detonating, then you might consider having the service department at your local dealership pull some timing out with the Consult II.

There is an adjustable window of -2 through +2 degrees. This provides Nissan service departments with the ability to make minor adjustments for your climate.

I myself would try to determine why you are "detonating" before I go any further. Have you tried another source of fuel? I myself have gotten some bad fuel before and it can really have an impact on this.

 

I've been running into the same thing. It started when I had to put 91 octane in on a trip. I've burned through that many months ago though and it's still pinging pretty bad. I resorted to adding Lucas octane booster on-top of the local 93 octane here. The pinging has significantly reduced, but is still faintly there. I took it to the dealer and drove around with them to let them hear it. Well, the idiot that they through in the car with me didn't even know what he was looking/listening for. He wasn't even a mechanic. I think it was the porter or something. So, needless to say...they "didn't find anything wrong". I'll be taking it back if it continues after this tank of gas. I know it can't be good for the engine and it sounds like a piece of crap too.