Serious Knock issue

[Rallytimebitches]

First things first, I am very new to tuning turbo cars. Ive owned more than one vr4 but have never gotten around to heavily modifying one.

Anyway, Bought 659/1000 recently and have had the timing belt, water pump, balancing shafts, oil pump, engine seals, and drive belts, and some other minor things replaced. Since I got the car back from the shop, my idle has changed from 800 to 1050, and the car has NO power and the knock sensor (converted factory boost guage) is going nuts! I dont have a data logger yet, and am simply trying to get my car back to the way it was. I'm considering ECMlink v3 to start learning more about tuning, and possibly fix the car myself, as the shop I took it to screwed it up and cant seem to figure out how to reverse what they did to the car.

The base timing was set at 7 degrees, then to combat knock, was changed to 3 degrees base, and nothing changed.

Here's a list of current mods to the vehicle:

Recent new Evo III 16G turbo
Evo III high nickel exhaust manifold
Turbo back 2.5" custom exhaust with hi flow cat

Evo III turbo
Evo III exhaust manifold
socketed ECU with keydiver Stage II EPROM

The car used to reach peak boost of 13psi at WOT with little to no knock, now will start knock as soon as boost begins to build, even when I am only at 60% throttle.
Let me know if you need any more info. Sorry I dont have a logger yet I wish I could put up a log for everyone to see.
Thank you in advance for any help or input. I greatly appreciate it.


-Tyler

 

[Steve885]

Well to start base timing is 5 deg. With the timing plug (located buy brake master, single wire with a cap ) grounded with a paper clip...once u get base timing then u can adjust idle with the biss screw.go into the library and read and read and read...I took my car to a known Mitsi shop and they had no idea what they were doing on a galant..

 

[Rallytimebitches]

Thank you. I will adjust base timing to 5 degrees and see what happens.

 

[vr4play]

Almost sounds like whoever done the timing belt may have got it off a tooth. When I first got my first Galant I thought it ran like poo. It would always pull timing and if you didn't lift it would start to get hot. I finally got up the nerve to do the timing belt (this was long ago. I was a beginning mechanic) and it was off 2 teeth. The car ran awesome after getting the timing fixed.

 

[EMX5636]

It's easy to check cam timing. Just put the crank to the 0* mark (assuming the harmonic balancer isn't worn/slipped) and pull off just the upper timing cover. The marks should directly face each other, and line up. You can then have the shop fix it, or if you feel inclined, do it yourself.

 

[Rallytimebitches]

Thank you! I will check it out and report back. The car hits knock and starts pulling timing and loses power even at 1 or 2 psi as read on the guage.

 

[Rallytimebitches]

So base timing is set to 5 degrees, the gears line up perfectly. I am wondering if this knock issue has anything to do with the urethane engine mounts and vibration being read my the knock sensor. Also, the shop seemingly put the exhaust back together without gaskets (because they didnt have aftermarket replacements for 2.5") and its vibrating to an annoying extent now since they did the timing belt, oil pump, and balance shaft. The vibration is obnoxiously loud now and that may also be the culprit. What are your thoughts? Am i way off here? Thanks in advance!!

Tyler

 

[vr4play]

Is the actual engine vibrating or is it just a noise. If it is just a noise it could be the exhaust but if the engine actually vibrates they may have the balance belt out of time.

 

[Rallytimebitches]

This has become such a headache /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

I have lost confidence in their abilities as a shop in being able to fix what they've wronged. My car ran great when I brought it in and now it's totally whack. They pulled everything apart, and realized that the timing was off one tooth. After everything was reassembled, it STILL runs poorly. Now they're saying it has error codes even though the check light isnt illuminated /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hsugh.gif

The "error codes" he gave me aren't even listed as ecu codes in the vfaq. He said they were "e1h, e2h e5h e6h and e8h" WTF.

To add, theyve warrantied the brand new idler pulley because it had a groove in it that wrecked the timing belt, they warrantied the valve cover gasket because oil was shooting everywhere, they warrantied their oil pump because it was faulty.

This is the worst experience I've ever had. I will never bring my car to a shop again.

All of this work has cost me over 2300 and now this will be the third week it is out of commission.

Sorry just had to rant.

Carry on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[gmp]

My 2 cents have you checked the knock sensor its self? Sometimes they will be melted it gooey when they go bad its the little sensor under the intake mani. My other suggestion is check to make sure your keydiver chip is good and secured as well check out the ecu condition. I know these sound silly;however its the little things that can make it really sucky. I personally think the chips are messed up or have improperl configured settings every car is a little different.

 

[Rallytimebitches]

thank you i will dig in today. :cheers:

 

[prove_it]

I would also see if you can find someone local near you to help out. Another eye can make the difference.

Codes are bogus. Have you checked the plug firing order? Maybe they pulled plug wires and swapped the companion cylinders.

 

[Steve885]

 

[Rallytimebitches]

thanks :cheers: