RomRaider

I appreciate that!

The knock sensor is the oe sensor. I honestly did not remove it when I did the heads. It is clocked correctly, but not sure on torque, which is ironic because I was very precise with torquing every fastener to proper spec, I just didnt remove the knock sensor, so I didnt think to check it. I actually have an Sti top mount coming tomorrow, so when I have the intercooler off, I'll remove knock sensor, clean the area it sits and reinstall it torqued to 17.4lbs.

I try to exclusively run the car on exxon 93 octane.

I had gone through the timing map again last night, and fueling slightly as I was overly rich. Since then the car has started to feel better. I know you guys keep talking about the det cans, but I have a severe hearing impairment in my right ear, I can't localize because of it and suffer from tinnitus, so I am not 100% that'd work for me, however I am willing to try if the next few steps dont get this sorted. So far as the car sits its running much better than its been so far. I basically lowered timing more in the mid range and smoothed it alot. On the way home I'll log again and see where it stands.

I tried several times to open your file but I cant open an rar file on my computer, and ecuflash is asking me to create a definition to do so. Any way that can be converted to a zip file? I'd love to be able to compare it to where I'm at now!

Thanks a bunch!

Trey

go get yourself a copy of 7zip it will open a rar file no problems:
https://7-zip.org/download.html

Thanks for the link Bludgod and the file AMTuned! I finally got it opened, and just compared it to what I was at after I had made some alterations this morning, and it looks really close to where I've landed with my changes. Differences of course, in the scaling out to 3.00 load and 7200 rpm, and I think I am even a bit more conservative on timing even with the different knock correction advance maps. Also, after logging and making changes with the testes file, and using his 8.0 knock correction advance values, is there an advantage to using the stepped kca values like you used AMT? Does the no advance in the lower load areas and the lower advance across the board have benifits for smoothness at all? Just trying to gather info!

Thanks guys!

My weeked starts this afternoon, so I'll try the changes sometime in the next few days.

Here's my current file. I made some fueling changes, and made the changes to lower and smooth the timing and I adjusted the w/g duty and target boost very slightly.

Trey

Yes the advantage is that in a situation where IAM drops to zero it will not reduce timing globally. What I have found is when logging EGTs in the low load/cruise areas pulling this much timing will induce high egts under sustained load conditions and is unecessary because typically you have to do something very wrong in the timing tables to get a car to knock at low load/rpm so that table needs to get set up correctly where knock is more likely to occur where the ecu can pull timing the fastest when it drops IAM. Having a flat value in that table is ok but only if it never knocks and we dont live in a perfect world where things can happen.

If you study most subaru timing tables you will see that most of them dont have any values in the Knock Correction Advance Map table under 1 g/rev. Having a static value across the board is a lazy way of setting it up and I dont recommend it. Try the map I attached and post some logs.

So I managed a couple pulls on the way home. First was a second gear pull and the car felt great. Proceeded onto the short highway section of my commute, I'd normally be able to get a 3rd gear pull and a highway load varying log, but it was a bit to congested for my taste. So what I got instead was a small cruise log and a 4th gear stab and it started pulling timing pretty quickly, advance multiplier dropped to 10 then back up a point and I got off the highway. I wanted a better portion of a 3rd gear pull, but knowing the multiplier dropped, I didnt want to push it however, I also knew I wouldnt have a place to do a full pull anyway, so I pulled over, reset the ecu and got a partial 3rd gear pull which you see it dropped DAM a point and I pulled into my neighborhood anyway. So no idea, down low this map works well, but mid timing is too much.

Thanks

Trey

Something is definitely out of place, this is conservative timing for 93 octane in the first place. In fact I have tuned cars in Africa and South America with terrible gas but even then was still able to run as much timing with more boost.

I would definitely check the knock sensor and replace it with a new factory unit torqued to spec. Add IAT (intake air temperature) to your parameter list as well.

Pull your plugs out and check for oil, if oil is getting into the combustion chamber it will be VERY knock prone regardless of how good the fuel is.

Oil getting into the combustion chamber could be coming from the turbo, cracked ringlands, also pcv system dumping it into the turbo inlet can cause it to get into the intake system. You said you are upgrading to an sti intercooler, check the stock one to see if there is a puddle of oil. Its ok to see some oil but it shouldn't be puddles of it.

Not long before I pulled the motor I had installed new NGK bkr6eix plugs, when I reassembled it I reused them because they still looked fine. That being said with the KC issues I began to brainstorm and plugs were my first thought. On Monday I had picked and installed a set of bkr7eix gapped to .025, still had the issue although a tad better, and the hotter plugs honestly didn’t look bad. I’ll put a picture in here.

So i pulled the pcv nipple out of the inlet and don’t see any oil inside, nothing I’d be concerned about visible on the suction side which is good.

Then I pulled the intercooler off, and there’s a bit of oil in it, and it looks like I’m getting an oil swirl out of the compressor snout. I had this before I did head gaskets and had cleaned it pre reassembly. Never any oil consumption issues, but it’s not really my daily, I have a truck but drive the wrx as often as I can. Will include pictures…

After looking at that tell me if you think it’s bad enough to cause my issues? I honestly think I’ve seen more oil in some of my other turbo Subarus intake tracts, but I could be wrong. This is my 4th turbo Subaru.

I’m about to check the knock sensor now.

Thanks

Trey

Knock sensor looks corroded but other wise tested fine with a multimeter. 566k ohms which falls within the 4-700k I found online. Cleaning it up and reinstalling it torqued correctly. Pictures are before I cleaned it up of course. We shall see.

I ended up putting a new knock sensor on the car just incase, reset the ecu and I’m still getting some fine learned knock in the 2-2500 1-1.15 load areas. I never heard back about the light oil coming from the turbo area. Just wondering if you guys have thoughts? I’m running my tune on it right now as it’s got a tiny bit less timing than what you sent and I didn’t want to alter 2 maps. The advanced multiplier on it still stays at 16, but again I’m not beating on it, just trying to make sure it’s driveable, which it is and to the average passenger I sure it feels great, but I know better. The new knock sensor bench tested very similarly to the old one, and I’m guessing performs similarly in the car just looking at the logs, so I’m considering that a wash. Aside from an oil in combustion chamber issue, I guess the motor is just not healthy? I hate to keep changing parts, but I was considering a new maf sensor but at some point I just want to call it good enough and leave it. If it’s not getting worse and not showing any outward symptoms I’m just going to roll with it as is. I mean last ditch, would to little timing cause these corrections? Thanks guys.

Trey

ok so easy test then if you're seeing knock correction and you can't use det cans to listen for it, use romraider logger and do the timing adjustment in it to pull 5degrees out. then go for a drive if its still showing knock correction then its more than likely not timing related and more likely to be something jingly rattling around in the engine bay (or your fuel sucks because its mixing with a load of oil in the combustion chamber)

Ok, will give that a try. I wasn’t aware that I could do a global timing removal in romraider logger? Is that something new?

And so in your experience, the oil residue amount I’m seeing out the turbo, could that potentially be enough to cause my issue? Also as a side note, there’s zero oil residue out the turbine side of the turbo. I’ve never had a turbo fail on me, partly because I’d generally upgrade before they had a chance to. Just didn’t know if the oil seal could fail on the compressor side only. Thanks, and I’ll try the timing drop as soon as I can.

Trey

So I half know the answer to this already, but I want to hear the response directed to my inquiry. I’m sitting here racking my head trying to come up with anything I could possible have rattling around in the car. I know I never left anything, and I know since I had it apart, I am very meticulous…but, thinking now, on my drivers side factory manifold, the heat shield had a bolt broken off in the manifold and that part of the shield is slightly rusted and not fastened, but pulled tight from the other attaching points…could that be my issue? The shield had been like that since I purchased it, and I have had this issue ever since I did my upipe, that was before I ever had the entire motor out. I’ve heard of people getting fantom knock from heat shields, so here’s my dumb question, is that real??

Trey

no its been in there for ages just rarely gets mentioned for the oil levels, really you'd need to put fresh plugs in - do a pull then whip them out for a nosey and see what kind of discoloration you're getting on them. If it helps i would always recommend a good catch can setup as well.

yeah heat shield rattle is a pretty common one, remove them all and see if there's any improvement.

All noted! Will update tomorrow hopefully.

Thanks sir!

Trey