Road Tuning: Knock Detection
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Knock Detection
02.20
| 00:00 | Detecting knock is just as important as tuning your fuel tables correctly. |
| 00:05 | If you use too much ignition timing, you can cause destructive detonation to occur, and this can damage your engine very quickly. |
| 00:13 | Knock detection equipment allows us to find the knock limit of the engine, and make sure that we're not encountering detonation. |
| 00:20 | There are a few options here that you can consider. |
| 00:23 | Personally, I use an audio knock detection system, so that I can hear everything that's happening inside the engine, and Detect knock this way. |
| 00:32 | I use the Link G4 KnockBlock to do this job, as it's an affordable system that incorporates a digital signal processor to remove a lot of the background noise. |
| 00:43 | The KnockBlock is a portable device, which suits me, as I tune a lot of cars, and quickly can move it from one car to the next. |
| 00:51 | Some ECUs can also interface directly with a knock sensor, to log knock levels, and retard the ignition timing automatically, in the event of detonation occurring. |
| 01:01 | While you don't want to be relying on this system during the tuning process, it is valuable to log the engine noise profile to help optimise the knock detection system, and prove it's working effectively. |
| 01:14 | Lastly, there are also some very cost effective visual knock warning systems available, such as the KnockLink G4. |
| 01:23 | These interface with the knock sensor and self-calibrate to display a bright visual warning if knock is occurring. |
| 01:30 | While these are surprisingly accurate in most instances, they can give false knock detection on noisy engines. |
| 01:37 | For example, they can trigger when the VTEC mechanism engages and disengages on Honda engines. |
| 01:44 | I prefer to use audio detection so that I can personally decide what is knock, and what is just engine noise. |
| 01:51 | This does take a little experience to learn what knock sounds like, though. |
| 01:55 | And some engines are easier to distinguish knock on than others. |
| 02:00 | Here are a couple of examples of what knock sounds like through an audio knock detection system. |
