Giving up place in line due to detonation

I've not heard one complaint from anyone I know who actually owns the car, only from people online.

Even if this issue is a serious problem, which I don't think it is, I would still buy the STi and not drive it slowly uphill in 6th gear, which seems to be the way 90% of people who say they hear pinging are hearing it.

Treat the motor with respect, and hopefully a new map will be released shortly that resolves the issue.

mist

I don't think the issue is whether we would get a new engine under warranty....I'm concerned that the damage done now will cause engine issues/failure later on down the road AFTER warranty coverage is up.

CloNeGTS said:

...I'm concerned that the damage done now will cause engine issues/failure later on down the road AFTER warranty coverage is up.

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assuming the problem is real and it happens under real-world conditions, then you're right. my feeling is that if this is a real problem, subaru will know about it inside of a year and have a solution shortly thereafter. until then, if your car pings, downshift or get off the gas.

even if subaru doesn't have a fix within 3yrs/36k, i think the best advice is to document pinging and send your complaints to subaru. it's not guaranteed, but at least it is some kind of defense to get them to fix after warranty.

finally, if our cars are pinging 3yrs from now and subaru hasn't acknowledged the problem, then i'd invest in an extended warranty; it would cost a hell of a lot less than a new engine.

these are my strategies given that i've already taken delivery of the car. for those still waiting, these are likely of little help to you.

Hey I was just giving a scenario that would guarantee pinging at 4k. I've had pinging with less extreme loads on the engine. You ask for a method you get one. 8)

I've also had pining in 4th and 5th gear. 3rd is a good gear since you won't be breaking too many speed limits. In 5th gear I was on the freeway when I experienced pinging.

Oh and for all those high and mighty people, the ones who state "I know what pinging is because I'm a rocket scientist, and I haven't had it so no one else has." good for you. Congratulations. You win. :lol:

I can't believe how dogmatic this whole thing is getting.

Re: SO who's up for a plug and play extension for the ECU?

darwood said:

Hey I was just giving a scenario that would guarantee pinging at 4k. I've had pinging with less extreme loads on the engine. You ask for a method you get one. 8)

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darwood said:

Oh and for all those high and mighty people...I can't believe how dogmatic this whole thing is getting.

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i hope you're not counting me among that crowd. i would just like us to take a more scientific approach so we can get to the bottom of this. subaru will believe us if we can report precise conditions, and as a result, we'll get a fix a lot soon. this only benefits us in the end.

i know what pinging is; i can get my older cars to ping and knock practically at will. if it's in my sti under *real-world conditions*, i wanna know about it so i can start documenting and complaining to subaru.

4MLA1FN said:

i hope you're not counting me among that crowd. i would just like us to take a more scientific approach so we can get to the bottom of this. subaru will believe us if we can report precise conditions, and as a result, we'll get a fix a lot soon. this only benefits us in the end.

i know what pinging is; i can get my older cars to ping and knock practically at will. if it's in my sti under *real-world conditions*, i wanna know about it so i can start documenting and complaining to subaru.

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Nope not you 4MLA1FN, I was somewhat referring to people that I have seen on other boards. I just find it interesting when people state that the tuners are full of crap and there is no problem. :roll:

I agree that we need to get some good data as to why this is happening. When I go out to lunch today, I'll get some good speeds, and rpms for a ping test. I don't usually look at the speedometer so I never really know what speed I'm going... it's so small and in the corner. :wink:

I've been meaning to go to the dealer as well, but I've been waiting to go till they call me about a part I ordered... um just know it's not a good idea to install a head unit in the dark. Also the cup holder costs about $35.

darwood said:

...um just know it's not a good idea to install a head unit in the dark. Also the cup holder costs about $35.

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yes my son...and how long has it been since your last confession?

4MLA1FN said:

darwood said:

...um just know it's not a good idea to install a head unit in the dark. Also the cup holder costs about $35.

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yes my son...and how long has it been since your last confession?

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:lol:

So I just got back from lunch and found out that if I hold the throttle steady at 2.75k to 3k rpm and then go wide open throttle I can get the car to ping. The pinging always occurs at 4k rpms. I did this in both 2nd and 3rd gears today, and even once unintentionally while accelerating from turning right. The car told me it's about 78 degrees out side. Weather.com tells me the humidity is 46% today and it's only 75 degrees outside.

No incline?

BHODGES3 said:

No incline?

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Opps sorry, thought I had my bases covered, stupid me.

Yes no incline. It was actually in a business park that I did this. I even tried using the ic spray but that didn't affect anything.

That really points out that the problem is probably the timing. If you look at the timing data at Turbo XS, there is a HUGE peak right at 4k...and no one is sure why.

I'm assuming the STi's are OBD-II... I have a datalogger cable/program I used to use for my DSM... anybody know where the connector port is on the car?

Yep -- all 2004 cars are OBD2. The connecter is above the footwell on the driver's side. I plan to buy a SECS monitor ($500) which displays all the OBD2 data, including timing and knock correction.

As for the ping issue, I predict there will be an ECU recall, whether it's needed or not. SOA needs to kill this talk one way or the other.

Can't they just flash the ECU instead of recalling it (assuming that's the problem)?

and maybe i should change mine from 026TN46 to 026TN52

I don't think that the solution to the detonation would require the loss of any power. As can be seen on the graph Rob posted, there is a strange timing spike that seems to cause the detonation. It's around 4k rpms which is the peak torque range but max hp comes on later. I think/hope it's just a bug in the ecu mapping.

I can't remember where I read it but apparently the boxer engines don't like timing spikes. They tend to cause detonation.

4MLA1FN...whats wot? lol: that sounds funny)

Also, those cali folks who got their STi's what are you doing about our 91 octane? I don't know of any gas stations that sell anything higher.

SnowbordrWRX said:

Also, those cali folks who got their STi's what are you doing about our 91 octane? I don't know of any gas stations that sell anything higher.

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Right now I'm just trying to live with 91 octane. I've been looking around for something better but can't seem to find it. I even had a dream I found 107 octane racing fuel at a gas station. Yes I know that's just sad