Z4 ALPINA Pinking or so i'm told!!!

[mark gee]

I recently purchased a Z4 alpina with 20K on the clock.
In first and second at low revs when you accelerate you can hear a noise like an exhaust heat sheild vibrating. It only happens slighty but is annoying.
Sytners of nottingham say it is to do with low quality of fuel we get in the U.K. ie not the octane it's ment to be and it causes the engine to play up and make this noise. They say it's called "Pinking".
Does anyone know what this is or are sytners bulling me with excuses! Any advice or info on what it may be.And how to fix it, I'd be grateful.Even if it gives me info to take back and argue the point.

Many thanks in advance. Mark

[busa_rush]

Could be, sounds plausable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_k

It will damage the engine if it isn't stopped. To stop it, adjust the timing, use higher octane fuel or add octane booster if you can find one that actually works as it should.

I'd take it back to the dealer you bought it from and get them to fix it unless you fancy some big bills.

[Ashok]

Try a couple of tanks of Optimax and see it that cures it.

[DoctorD]

I wouldn't trust anything Sytners said to be honest. My Alpina has always been fine and is the very epitome of a bulletproof engine. I usually feed it with either Tesco 99, Optimax or BP Ultimate and it's never displayed any tempremental behaviour..

What fuel are you using?

p.s. it's for sale in the classifieds section btw. www.pistonheads.com/sales/85182.htm

Edited by DoctorD on Sunday 6th August 10:32

[roop]

Surely these engines have electronic ignition with anti-knock...? I'd be getting it back to the dealers and asking why the anti-knock does not appear to be working.

[stevesingo]

I would expect that the Z4 Alpina has knock sensors and therefor the ECU should retard the ignition if pinking is detected. It may be worthwhile having the fault codes read by a dealer. In the meantime try some Optimax and/or octane booster.

Steve

Doh, beat me to it Roop

Edited by stevesingo on Sunday 6th August 11:11

[swisss]

Be amazed if it was pinking. If it is, they ned to sort it. I'd check the exhaust all over for danglies. My old man's z3 was making a bit of a racket at certain revs - a well hidden exhaust bracket had a loose nut (the bracket, not my old man).

Worth trying placeboptimax I guess. Might make you feel better. :wink:

Let us know what it is.

[Gimlet]

I struggle to find high octane fuel within a reasonable distance from home and therefore use a variety of normal unleaded fuels including Tesco's, Morrisons, Esso and Total.

Never had any issues with mine "pinking".
As previously stated ... The ECU should monitor/adapt to changes in fuel.

[khushy]

Super Unleaded will cure it - I would run my ///M on anything else - otherwise it pinks!!!

All 3 of my ///M's have done that!

Khushy

[Andrew D]

Yeah, sounds like bull to me. The engine has knock sensors, and the manual says it can run on anything over 93RON IIRC, so it shouldn't knock with any unleaded available in the UK.

A knock sensor might be faulty, which would prevent retardation of the ignition and allow knocking with fuels of less than 98RON. Either that or a cowl, shield or guard is loose and rattling when the exhaust vibrates at a certain frequency (i.e. rev level).