EDIT see update post below:

First off this is a completely stock 99 D16Y7 with 76k miles on it.

I had my timing belt replaced on Friday as well as a new exhuast manifold and cat (it had cracked). Now I'm getting what sounds like a slight detonation at 1/2 throttle at around 3-4000 RPM. It goes away if I go WOT and it only happens in that RPM range. At first I thought it may be a rattling heat sheild or something, but I'm fairly sure it detonation. Yesterday I notices that the #2 & #3 plug wires were slightly popped up so I pushed them back down, bit it's still detonating.

I have put in some 91 octane gas (so it's about 60% 91 and 40% 89) to see if that helps (I'll find out tomorrow). It could be bad gas (I got gas at a station that I usually don't go to) but the 91 octane is good.

My question is, could it be something they did wrong with the timing belt? I would think that if it was off by a tooth the car wouldn't run right. I can't see why the would have done anything with the ignition timing (but not sure).

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
Steve


Modified by nonsense at 6:38 PM 9/22/2004

 

honda tech?

 

Hmmm sounds like timing is off , get the timing checked by adjusting the distributor , sounds more like your pinging , maybe the timing is advanced a little tooo much

 

the car would run fine if it was only 1 tooth off in either direction. i doubt they would have touched your ignition timing doing the timing belt so chances are its off a tooth. if its advanced the car will feel a bit peppier on the bottom end.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sohc_boy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the car would run fine if it was only 1 tooth off in either direction. i doubt they would have touched your ignition timing doing the timing belt so chances are its off a tooth. if its advanced the car will feel a bit peppier on the bottom end.</TD></TR></TABLE>

this would also change the ignition timing correct? Say the timing was set to 18 BTDC and they pit the T/B off by 1 tooth advanced, then the timing would also be off slightly (i.e. 16 BTDC) and this could cause a ping?

So, on to question two. How can I tell if it's off a tooth? I know if i take it back to the dealer they'll deny that it's wrong and probably just adjust the ignition timing back.

 

timing gun/light?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by murmur9 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">timing gun/light?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I can get one, but will that really tell me anything? It might show the ignition timing to be more advanced, but how will I know that it's from the T-Belt or that they changed the ign. timing? I don't want to just reset the ign. timing if it's off by a tooth. . . .

 

your right....you can't tell FOR SURE with it....thought it would help. I'll give you a bump, someone will know. y7....they dont have knock sensors ...right? just the y8

 

if it were me i'd just bring it back and tell em somethings not right. the work was just done on the car and its not running the same as when you dropped it off to them. you payed for them to do something they should stand by their work.

 

yeah I'll take it back to them if it continues . . . . thanks for the tips

 

UPDATE

I checked the timing and it was slightly off. I reset it back to stock and there's still a slight sound of pinging. The interesting thing is that the noise usually occurs at around the 3200-4000 RPM range, sometimes lower. I would think that under a load at 2000 RPM it would ping worse than at 3000ish.

Any other advice would be helpful. Maybe bad gas? Maybe fuel filter is clogged? There are no CEL's . . .

 

 

you checked your ignition timing or cam timing? to me it sounds like the cam timing is off a bit if u chk'd you ignition timing and its in spec but you are still getting some detonation.

 

lol Damn, this was from a LONG time ago, i forgot that I even posted to this thread....so your timing was off? honestly i donno WHAT ELSE it could be other than the cam....like the dude ^ above said....good luck bro, that **** started over a month ago...and your still dealing with it? sucks...good luck

 

Same thing happens to me. Changed a timing belt and still haven't gotten around to check of both are on TDC and if it hasn't skipped a tooth.

I detonate at 3,000-4,000 RPM, especially on 1/2 throttle. Timing is up to spec. It's definitely a skipped tooth.

So, timing is advanced and eating at my gas mileage like a ****. Only get 200-225 per tank with a STOCK D15B7...grr. Highway, 300-325. I should be getting at least 300 city and 400+ highway.

 

cool thanks everyone. Back to the dealer I go!

 

Are you sure youtr getting detonation, or is what you are hearing rod knock?? Two D16y's and both times I thought I was getting detonation, and it turned to be bearings getting punded from lean conditions, with a little too much space.

Eventual outcome was a spun rod bearing

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by civic-4-ges &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you sure youtr getting detonation, or is what you are hearing rod knock?? Two D16y's and both times I thought I was getting detonation, and it turned to be bearings getting punded from lean conditions, with a little too much space.

Eventual outcome was a spun rod bearing</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was (and am) worried about that. I took it to the dealer and as usual they call me a few hours later saying "uhh what noise I can't hear anything" I told them when it happens and the exact conditions to make it happen. The result was that they think it might be a very slight vibration and that it "shouldn't cause any problems"

I'm saving the invoice just in case. I'm thinking that the next oil change I'll send a sample of oil to be analyzed. That should tell me more than a tach driving my car around denying that he hears anything.

I'm hopeing that it's just something rattleing, but I think that's just wishful thinking.

maybe B18 time

Oh BTW civic-4-ges how many miles were on those Y7's when they took a dump?

 

bout 90k each, one y7 and one y8

 

if it were a rod knock i'd think you'd hear it all the time not just under certain conditions.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sohc_boy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if it were a rod knock i'd think you'd hear it all the time not just under certain conditions.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You would think so, but not true

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sohc_boy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if it were a rod knock i'd think you'd hear it all the time not just under certain conditions.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yea that's true... take it back and check up on the timming belt again...

hope everythign works out for you

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FeRioR$ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

yea that's true... take it back and check up on the timming belt again...

hope everythign works out for you </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well I took it back and they checked ignition timing and the cam timing and it all checked out. The Tech and the Service manager both drove the car and heard what I was talking about, but since it's such a slight sound they couldn't pin-point the cause. I think it has someting to do with the heat sheilds around the manifold.

I guess I'm just paranoid about blowing up. I'll see what happens after a track day in Oct. If that doesn't blow it up nothing will