I have a 96 integra GS-R
Mods: AirFilter, Catback exhaust, and header.
Problem: Sounds like the car pings ever so slightly under acceleration.
What I have tried: reset the timing, new plugs, injector cleaner, octane booster.
I live in the high desert California, and thats 2800-3600 above sea level.
Now nothing I have tried really seems to effect or change what I hear.
I need some other ideas on what could cause the ping/detonation I keep hearing. Could something be dirty? bad sensor? Need your thoughts.
Thanks

 

like valve-tick?

 

Not not really like valve tick, because it seems to come and go during med/light acceleration under load.

 

Sounds like detonation. You said you reset the timing, so that would rule out detonation to an extent

 

Im not saying this to be funny, but does it sound like a midget is inside your engine going nuts with a hammer? If so go read your spark plus now. You are either lean or something to that effect. I say check timing but you already did that.

 

Oh and your lma's might be going out. Just a thought. That would be coherent with pinging. How many miles are on the motor?

 

Well...... yeah kinda, but its very very faint.



If I pull the valve cover to check the LMA's, how can I test or check to see if they are wearing out? Will it be obvious?


I just pulled my plugs out an took a few shots.

 

Your number 3 plug looks like its been brutalized by oil. I'd say its time to do your valve guides, as well as a good lash adjustment. Because of the high reving nature of the engine, these parts are prone to wear quicker than say a b18a/b. While youre at it, get a new cap, rotor and make sure that your igniter is within spec. Hope I could help, good luck oh also try fuel from another company.

 

Okay thanks for the input doily noted.

 

Plug one has slight ash but no big deal thats normal. Plug 3 however has a little bit of ash build up. Usually thats caused by oil in the combustion mixture. How many miles are on the motor? Have the lma's ever been replaced before? If it has high miles and they have never been replaced they may be starting to go on you. I dont know of a way to check them but I think earlier you had a post about rebuilding a motor if im not mistaken. So I wouldnt worry about them until you rebuild it unless they go out before then. You will know when they go out. It will be a loud metal to metal sound from the head. Just make sure they get replaced when you rebuild it. I would also do a compression test on the motor. That will tell you if you have some oil getting past the rings on cylinder #3. If it reads low then do a wet test and see if it comes up. If it does then rings are your problem.

 

My engine has 236,000 miles on it, and as far as I know it has never been re-built. But I don't know that for sure because I got the car about 6 months ago. In my opinion the engine runs good. No smoke,no real noticeably loud sounds coming from the motor. Burns about 1 qt of oil every oil change 3,000-4,000 miles. It idles smooth even with the A/C on. It passed smog after changing out the OE cat converter about 6 months ago.

 

Well it is possible that it has never rebuilt. It isnt to uncommon for a gsr engine to last that long before it needs a rebuild. Usually around the territory your in an exhaust valve will frag because of oil build up on it. It gets heated up and then blows appart. Its just so hard to say with out being there to check it out. Its typically hard to diagnose a not overly common problem over the internet as well. Your best bet is probably just to disregard it for now. Unless it gets bad. That would probably be the lma's going out. The older style is just a spring in a cylinder closed on either end and they go bad when the spring loses its springyness for lack of a better term. Just make sure to replace everything that needs to be replaced when you rebuild it. I mean your valve guides could be worn excessively and so on and so on. You could throw a lot of money at it and still have the probelm. Unless your bent on fixing it just take care of it at the rebuild. Like I said its just hard to fix over the internet. I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

Cool thank you for the input, And more than likely i'll do just that, (wait until I rebuild the engine) at a later time.

 

Like mentioned above, I'd check the compression too just to make sure one cylinder isn't off from the others.

The spark plugs don't reveal there are any major problems there.

 

buy a new set of plugs install in motor go from first gear at about 3000 rpms to fith gear ... do not **** into any gear inbetween you could go to fourth gear to it dont matter just shift from bottom of first into fourth or fith ... this is a way where you can hear if your car is detonating or pinging because the car will be under alot of load going from 1st to 4th or 5th... after driving in 4th or 5th for acouple seconds pull over shut the car off then let it cool a bit if its hot then pull the plugs , look at the white part of the plug right near the electrode if there is chips missing or lil black specs then your car is detonating if the car is burning alot of oil in the combustion chamber it will be hard to get a good reading from the plug .

 

also i just noticed your car is a 1996 which means its a odb2 , are you running the stock ecu ? if so it should pick up detonation or random missfire and show it as a code and your check engine light would be on .. im pretty sure it would send the ecu into safe mode also so you would deff know if it was detonating

 

a easy way to check if the lma is going out is to push it down with your thumb if it sticks or sinks down easy then they are going out

 

Thank you 95skunkedgsr, I will check all you just mentioned. And yes the car is OBD2 and never had the ECU throw a code yet. I'll try a new set of NGK's in there real soon. Thank you again!!

 

Nice info. I personally have never come across an instance where they were kind of going out. I always knew by the horrendous sound they make when they do go out. Now I know how to check them as well.