Comp or leak down test?

[Chrisc]

Having a slight pinging noise on load at 2-3k. So want to get it checked asap. Not happy, as i heard it on the test drive, but thought nothing of it really.

Got a compression tester, but leak down tests seem to be better. So trying to see if i can borrow one! But wondered if usually HG signs will show in hopefully early stages. Unless it could be anything else? Plugs, coil packs all new.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Chrisc

Having a slight pinging noise on load at 2-3k. So want to get it checked asap. Not happy, as i heard it on the test drive, but thought nothing of it really.

Got a compression tester, but leak down tests seem to be better. So trying to see if i can borrow one! But wondered if usually HG signs will show in hopefully early stages. Unless it could be anything else? Plugs, coil packs all new.

How many miles has your's done Chris? Regardless of that if you have any doubt get it checked asap.

Compression test will show something if the HG has gone, cylinder leakage is a definitive test though. Pull the fuel pump fuse with the car running, wait for it to stall. Remove all the plugs, then do compression test. Look at the values relative to one another, this will tell you if your HG is gone. If it is you can normally hear blowback from the spark plug hole on the cylinder next to the one you are testing. You can normally hear a slight misfire in the exhaust note on idle at the back of the car too.

As I say, cylinder leakage test will not only give you a definate answer, you will also be able to tell where the head gasket has failed. This is nearly always between cylinders though.

Hope that helps, good luck finding the issue.

[sjb]

Sorry to say it sounds like the HG. I too heard a pink with mine but still bought it thinking it could be plugs. I changed plugs, coils and even the lambda sensors luckily covered in the warranty but James (monkey) later confirmed my HG was spectacularly fucked! You have to be careful no head or block face damage happens too. Didn't you buy it from NJ? If it turns out to be the HG it might be covered in the warranty if he supplies one...I would have thought a specialist like him would be able to spot HG symptoms. James is spot on about the uneven lumpy idle and at low revs, mine sounded like an impreza until ML fixed it

[Chrisc]

Yeah it is pointing to the HG, and not sure where I stand with Nick Johnson, as will probably end up getting legal. He is a trader so minimum 3 month warranty. Been this road before, not with one of my cars, but went through it with a mate on his M3 vert. So well verse in what to do, as HG should be something he would have spotted, and probably did.

To be fair I should of thought more into it, but as the car has a much better sequence to warn people when they are cold, and only 70k on, I didn't think much of it

Driving to work it does do it under load, but does not get any worse. But again I have not seen many to compare to.

Compression test I will get done today, and go from there. Don't want to have to fork out £1000 ish for a head gasket!

But not sure what else if anything it could be. Compression test will be first, and just hope the head is ok!

[Chrisc]

What other symptoms would you have with the bridge going between cyl 1-2 or 5-6 etc?

As I'm getting no power loss, and in6th at 2k and pedal fully down, there is no pinking. Just more when it's in 3rd and just applying load. So could it be injector or knock sensor? Nothing on the diagnostics though, like no fault codes at all for the engine. Will check again later, but dry good.

[sjb]

Sounds exactly like mine. At the beginning it was hard to get it to pink on demand when I took it back to the seller. It was only on very light throttle at a certain point in the rev range and load, it did start to get worse though to the point when I had a little race with an apparently lightly tuned '55 plate golf gti and was hard pushed to leave it. After the work driving home with full compression again it was like a different car, thing is if you've bought it already with the HG issue and subsequent lower compression (if my memory is right my cylinders should read 150psi and mine were around 70-90psi ! Luckily no head or block damage. Out of interest does yours idle 100% smoothly? Mine didn't before but now does and is noticeably smoother than before.
Give NJ a call and let him know what's up so he can get prepared to fix it for you
But get it leak tested ASAP

[Chrisc]

It runs perfectly, but did idle a tiny tiny bit rough, was sorted after new plugs and coil packs though. The rev needle stays perfectly still, but I could hear the engine a tad. Could be me though

Comp test and leak test are being done tomorrow, so go from there. Does give me the opportunity to do vanos bolts etc.

And sent Nick Johnson an email, so will wait and hear. I've only had it a few weeks, and was evident before. So ultimately he should of got it done before IMO. Not like he does not make enough out of them is it!

[shane@mbtech]

Give nick chance to respond first though before you publicly hang him.

He gets some stick from people but I've yet to hear an bad after sales stories about him fobbing customers off.

[Chrisc]

It's more what Nick said right at the end, that he does not offer a warranty, and advices to get a BMW warranty instead.

It's not a major setback, as shit happens. And can replace head bolts with ARP bolts, plus do the cam bolts just in case.

[Chrisc]

Just a bit of an update, as 99% sure what the problem is. But heard from Nick Johnson, and he has said he will pay for it, or have it transported up to him and have it done up there.

To say I'm amazed is an understatement to be fair. Pretty much every garage I've dealt with has been a nightmare, well when a problem arises , and this seems to be a professional approach! So watch this space, but I will pay for cam bolts and ARP head bolts though.