Knock retard at low rpm / light load

[xxxxxx]

Mk7 / 6sp / EQT OTS v2 / CTS factory location IC / 91 gas

I’m consistently getting up to 4ish degrees of retard over all cylinders at highway speeds whenever the load slightly increases. Example: cruise control at 70 in 6th (~2k rpm), at the base of a hill where the turbo needs to go from a steady manifold vacuum to a couple psi above ambient, I’ll always get this knock. Now it’s cooled off (northern NM, 70F) I’m getting just over 2 degrees but it never goes away. Is this low speed pre ignition? I can’t see needing to downshift to maintain 70 on a slight hill. WOT runs are always clean, it’s just this cruising / spool up situation.

Is this harmful, and is there a solution?

 

[Agray]

Post logs.

 

[Diggs24]

tune needs refining

 

[billbadass]

sounds like tune needs work, but can try adding some torco unleaded and see if it goes away then it is for sure an octane/tune issue

 

[Supermoto]

I run EQT Stage 2 OTS tune and have had knock issues since day 1. Someone at 5150 heard about my issues and sent me their Stage 2 file to try out, knock is significantly better so far. Its a shame cause I really liked EQT's tune.

 

[Agray]

I run EQT Stage 2 OTS tune and have had knock issues since day 1. Someone at 5150 heard about my issues and sent me their Stage 2 file to try out, knock is significantly better so far. Its a shame cause I really liked EQT's tune.

How much knock and where were you seeing it? Idle or WOT? Plugs and which octane?

 

[StorableComa]

Is there an updated file for you tune out? Not sure how EQT handles updates, but might be worth checking.

 

[Supermoto]

How much knock and where were you seeing it? Idle or WOT? Plugs and which octane?

It stays around -4.5 across all cylinders, regular driving and at WOT. Running NGK Rutheniums gapped to 0.024" and 91 octane. I did some testing with the 5150 tune tonight, getting pretty much the same results, the knock is just a bit less (-3.75ish).

 

[RTFM]

It stays around -4.5 across all cylinders, regular driving and at WOT. Running NGK Rutheniums gapped to 0.024" and 91 octane. I did some testing with the 5150 tune tonight, getting pretty much the same results, the knock is just a bit less (-3.75ish).

Hardware maybe? Sometimes down pipes can just be a hair out of alignment and cause false knock by tapping on something. Some people saw false knocks with discharge pipes. Just some ideas on where to start looking.

 

[tommygun1]

@RTFM How exactly do you identify false knock?

OP, I had the same issues running eqt stage 2 ots tune. With high IAT’s and 93 octane gas I would sometimes see -6 degrees of knock retard on some cylinders. After adding a few gallons of ethanol knock was almost nonexistent. Being that this was my only experience with ots tunes I just assumed it was normal.

 

[marc5800]

@RTFM How exactly do you identify false knock?

OP, I had the same issues running eqt stage 2 ots tune. With high IAT’s and 93 octane gas I would sometimes see -6 degrees of knock retard on some cylinders. After adding a few gallons of ethanol knock was almost nonexistent. Being that this was my only experience with ots tunes I just assumed it was normal.

Why not get an E30 tune at that point?

 

[tommygun1]

Why not get an E30 tune at that point?

Pretty sure the e30 ots tunes are only a recent development, they weren’t available at that time. And since then ive upgraded to is38 and custom Etune.

 

[marc5800]

Pretty sure the e30 ots tunes are only a recent development, they weren’t available at that time. And since then ive upgraded to is38 and custom Etune.

Gotcha. I just find it odd that E85 should be mixed to keep knock at a minimum if its 93oct designed tune.

 

[JerseyDrew77]

@RTFM How exactly do you identify false knock?

OP, I had the same issues running eqt stage 2 ots tune. With high IAT’s and 93 octane gas I would sometimes see -6 degrees of knock retard on some cylinders. After adding a few gallons of ethanol knock was almost nonexistent. Being that this was my only experience with ots tunes I just assumed it was normal.

You identify false knock by doing what you just did, splash 3 gallons of E into your tank to see if it reduces/goes away or not. If it doesn't, then it's false knock and you have something banging around in the engine bay.

 

[RTFM]

You identify false knock by doing what you just did, splash 3 gallons of E into your tank to see if it reduces/goes away or not. If it doesn't, then it's false knock and you have something banging around in the engine bay.

^that. I only brought it up because he had roughly the same knock on two different tunes. If you have a 91 tune, using 93 should be similar to adding ethanol