Pinking under load?

[sjb]

On the journey home after picking up my new CSL I noticed that when in a low gear (probably too low a gear-I was taking it easy) there is a 'pink' or 'pinging' depending on how you say it. It only does it for a second and at a certain load I guess. It only happens when I probably should be in one gear higher and when there's a load on the engine like a hill. No matter if I should be in another gear it obviously shouldn't be doing this anyway....even if it is slight and very brief, I can remember my Dad's old cortina 2000E pinking all the way up hills :hahaha: it's not like that. The seller put a quarter of a tank of fuel in so I initially thought he may have put supermarket crap in there so brimmed it with v-power and it's made a difference, does the ecu have ro re-adjust to different octane fuels over time? a long shot I know :hahaha:

What should I do next? I'm taking it easy and not loading the engine now anyway and keeping the revs up so I don't get it. It would be nice if it was something simple like plugs or the coil but I think it's going to have to plugged in and diagnosed???

It does a rather comprehensive 6 month warranty but it would be s shame if I have to go that route already.

Cheers in advance, Shawn.

[sjb]

Forgot to add there's no engine management lights on whatsoever to say it's showing a fault:(

[sjb]

Well after speaking with the seller he did indeed have 95 octane standard fuel put in to give me a bit to get home with. He also says to run through the tank and then brim it again with super unleaded and hopefully it will sort itself out.
Does anybody agree with this?
Don't make me have to ask the 'professionals' on cutters :-D

[Bounce]

Any pinking and I would get a compression test done,a few on here have had the HG fail.on rare occasions when I have had to use 95 fuel I've had no pinking issues,maybe coils but management light usually comes on.

[sjb]

Bugger. I must admit I chucked a bit of el cheapo fuel in the old m3 to get me to the seller and it didn't pink.
I will take a look in the expansion tank for oil and the oil filler cap for white condensation too.
Is it a relatively simple task to do a compression test? Main dealer I guess?
Thanks for the help

[Bounce]

Don't know that it shows as water in the oil in the filler cap.somone will be along shortly who has had it done and help you out.

[Bounce]

If its from a dealer he should put this right for you anyway.

[_Nathan_]

"It only happens when I probably should be in one gear higher and when there's a load on the engine like a hill"

But a lower gear would be less load on the engine?

[dave wilkinson]

the vanos unit does alter timing slighty when running low octane fuel. it could cause pinking but its unlikely. fingers crossed for you tho

more than likely head gasket, get a compression test done. from my experience they normally go between cylinders 1 and 2 or 5 and 6. its important you get the compression test done but someone who knows what there doing. for example if they don't remove all the plugs and do a compression test one by one it will still show good compression because the gasket blows between the cylinders. there not a bad job to do if taking a indie budget about a grand.

if you've just bought it have a word with the seller as i'm quessing he may know about this already :whistle:

[sjb]

Cheers all, I got the low/high gear wrong, if im in 4th and it pinks i change down to 3rd etc!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v709/shawn63deluxe/photo44-1.jpg

Emissions light now on...... dealer is aware and says he is willing to help.....:mad:

[outnumbered]

That's a bummer - hope it gets sorted quickly.

[digi]

is the petrol cap on properly? I know I know, but try to cover the easy bits first. :-D

[sjb]

is the petrol cap on properly? I know I know, but try to cover the easy bits first. :-D

I will check but I'd say yes. I've put fuel in and it hasn't changed.

The seller is having it checked by a guy with some diagnostics gear tomorrow morning so now the emissions light is on there will be a fault logged.
I just want to drive it !!

[digi]

reason I ask this is that if the cap isn't on properly and gas vapor is leaking, according to the manual, it will light up on the dash as per your photo. :)

[sjb]

Just checked, it's on ok.

[cantfind1]

Compression test is useless, you need a leak down test......

Should not ping at all in any gear, under any load, with any normal unleaded fuel in it.....

The ecu adjusts timing so fast its unbelievable, the knock sensors are very sensitive and will pull timing immediately to protect the engine....

If its pinging then there is a mechanical problem and the ecu has retarded timing as far as it can....

I would guess as above Head gasket has split between the cylinder walls, only way to check is with a leak down test...

[sjb]

Well it's not looking like a great start to my ownership. Two test drives certainly didn't show up any pinking or lights. Immediately on picking it up I noticed it. I thought the same about the octane / ecu in that it would adjust to compensate.
Why would the emissions light be on though??

Not looking forward to tomorrow......although it does have a comprehensive 6 month warranty. Wonder how many get out clauses are in the small print :whistle:

[shane@mbtech]

You only just bought it, you have rights don't worry.

My guess is they will say its a misfire, replace a coil and send you on your way. Then it will happen again.

Stress to them you would like a compression test as a minimum.

Where are you based?

[shimmy]

Most common reason for emissions light is the post cat sensors, normally trips if you have 100cell cats
Faults codes will reveal this one thou

[billyboysm3]

As Lawsy said, let us know where your based and Im sure someone can recommend a decent garage/dealership.

[sjb]

Cheers all. I'm in Brighton although the car was bought from the Horsham (West Sussex) area. In 3 hours hopefully I will have some fault codes. I have read and re-read the warranty and because of the car I have as good as the top cover with a £2500 maximum claim. It's 'The autogroup' by the way. My cover is good for a new head, skim and gasket etc as well as diagnostics. I'm taking it calm right now, even though I have to lose as good as a days pay plus 100 miles of super unleaded for a round trip to the dealer.
Advice noted regarding the compression check and leak down.....
Vines in Redhill (Surrey) or Munich Legends spring to mind off the top of my head if any major work has to be done.
Thanks for the advice....

[Funkster]

I'd be extremely wary and deffinatley get a leakdown test rather than a standard compression test.

Mine did exactly this and it turned out to be head gasket gone........ It had lunched itself between all but 2 cylinders and actually managed to warp the block at the same time so a new engine was fitted under the BMW warranty :thumbs:

I was told by BMW that the head can't be skimmed or they won't do it anyhow.

Leakdown test a must !!

The car was running absolutley fine with the pinking for a while and then on the way to the dealers to get it looked at it started to misfire very occaisonally.

Matty.

[shimmy]

Mine was pinging, (2009) at Snett with Bealo and then over the day it actually lost a bit of power and Bealo started to catch up :bigcry:

Then on the drive down to Simpsons it go worse, so test and slight head shave and thicker gasket and it was alright for about a year till it blew up :thumbs:

[sjb]

Well the fault reader threw up completely dead lambda sensor(s) so this is being sorted on Thursday. I must admit the pinking is very light and intermittent, in fact it was hard to get the car to do it when the dealer came for a drive with me. IF new sensors don't fix it the car is going up to park lane BMW to be diagnosed and whatever the issue is, fixed under warranty.
I must say the seller has been extremely helpful and confirmed it won't cost me a penny. Can't really argue with that.
Update end of the week!

[Yanto]

Well the fault reader threw up completely dead lambda sensor(s) so this is being sorted on Thursday. I must admit the pinking is very light and intermittent, in fact it was hard to get the car to do it when the dealer came for a drive with me. IF new sensors don't fix it the car is going up to park lane BMW to be diagnosed and whatever the issue is, fixed under warranty.
I must say the seller has been extremely helpful and confirmed it won't cost me a penny. Can't really argue with that.
Update end of the week!

Good news :thumbs:

[karbonkid]

Not the start you want to see but sounds like it will be covered whatever. Interesting its not going to BMW Brighton/ Worthing being local to you. I'll look out for you as im Brighton based also.

[sjb]

Not the start you want to see but sounds like it will be covered whatever. Interesting its not going to BMW Brighton/ Worthing being local to you. I'll look out for you as im Brighton based also.

Yes Chandlers would have been good but the dealer has contacts in park lane apparently, as long as its done ! But I'm hoping its not going to come to that.
I'll look out for another local car then, I'm in Ovingdean but the car won't be about if there's a hint of rain :-D

[sjb]

Finally fixed! after two visit from the dealers 'technician' with new sensors and still not curing it, finding one wire to a post cat sensor almost split in half after being welded to the exhaust nothing fixed it. One visit to Chandlers BMW for a diagnostic check and all four new sensors showing as not working :banghead:
Cut a long story short, the dealer agreed to pay for 4 new genuine sensors fitted by them (existing new ones were 'outsourced') a large part of the connecting wires had been chopped too not giving a good signal back, all of these were replaced. I knew it had to be fuelling as the tail pipes were sooted up like a diesel! also when idling it was 'fluffing' as if the plugs were getting sooted up or fouled.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v709/shawn63deluxe/photo47-1.jpg




Anyway, car fixed and running better than ever :notworthy:

[digi]

good to hear that it was just some silly sensors and nothing that would rip a hole in the wallet. :smokin: