3sgte detecting knock! Options

[toyotacrazy]

Ok, so I installed the "Easy Knock Detection System for the 3sgte". It works great. My car is fine when its cold or cool outside. But if the temp. outside gets to be above 70*F Sometimes the red light will stay on while under boost, thus detecting a knock issue. Usually this happens after sitting at a light for a few minutes. In my profile the picture under the hood, I dont have any heat protection on the intake pipe going over the exhaust manifold. I did however wrap it with header heat wrap several months ago.
Im still running the stock exhaust. Im working on ordering a 3" mandrel exhaust. Could the exhaust be contributing to my knocks? My car wont boost normally with the stock exhaust hooked up. I only hit 7 psi and during the rev to redline, I drop to 4 psi. When I disconnect the exhaust Im boosting to 9-10 psi. and it doesnt drop pressure.
Any advice would be greatly appriciated. Thanks
-toyotacrazy

[lagos]

ill try to explain this as best as i can.

its important to remember the the tvsv led is not always going to just show knock. the idea behind it is to tell you when the stock ecu thinks its ok to boost and when it thinks that boost should be reduced. if you have any cel codes, or the outside temp is too low (about 40f or less), the ecu will keep you in low boost mode and the led will stay red under acceleration.

if you dont have any codes, and its warm out, then your tvsv led should turn green under normal driving, within a few min of the engine warming up.

now, say your driving along normally ,you have no codes, its not too cold out, and the motor is up to temp...and you decide to go for a WOT boost pull. the green led should stay on the whole time. if half way during the pull you see it change to red, you should back off the gas. you will probably also feel a loss in power as soon as this happens. it will also stay red for a certain amount of time after the knock even happened. so if you did a pull, but didnt watch the led, you can later just give it a little gas to make sure its not staying red, to know if everything was ok.

thought i would explain that, so that you know that not only knock will cause the problem.

if your only hitting 7psi, then there is a problem. either your tvsv vac line is not hooked up, or the ecu is keeping you in low boost mode because of a cel or some other issue.

what octane gas do you use?
have you check your timing to make sure its at 10tdc?
is tvsv hooked up to the turbo?
how big is your intercooler?
what spark plug and what gap?

This post has been edited by lagos: May 1, 2007 - 10:14 PM

[toyotacrazy]

ill try to explain this as best as i can.

its important to remember the the tvsv led is not always going to just show knock. the idea behind it is to tell you when the stock ecu thinks its ok to boost and when it thinks that boost should be reduced. if you have any cel codes, or the outside temp is too low (about 40f or less), the ecu will keep you in low boost mode and the led will stay red under acceleration.

if you dont have any codes, and its warm out, then your tvsv led should turn green under normal driving, within a few min of the engine warming up.

now, say your driving along normally ,you have no codes, its not too cold out, and the motor is up to temp...and you decide to go for a WOT boost pull. the green led should stay on the whole time. if half way during the pull you see it change to red, you should back off the gas. you will probably also feel a loss in power as soon as this happens. it will also stay red for a certain amount of time after the knock even happened. so if you did a pull, but didnt watch the led, you can later just give it a little gas to make sure its not staying red, to know if everything was ok.

thought i would explain that, so that you know that not only knock will cause the problem.

if your only hitting 7psi, then there is a problem. either your tvsv vac line is not hooked up, or the ecu is keeping you in low boost mode because of a cel or some other issue.

what octane gas do you use?
have you check your timing to make sure its at 10tdc?
is tvsv hooked up to the turbo?
how big is your intercooler?
what spark plug and what gap?

Ok,
Im only hitting 7 psi now. But when I unbolt my exhaust I hit 9-10. I think when I get a better boost gauge Im really running more like 10-12psi with the exhaust uncapped.

I use the highest octane fuel avalible at the stations. 92-94 octane.
My timing is correct and I checked it just as the book describes.
Yes my tvsv seems to work. when cold I boost lower than when it warms up. I also monitor the leds and it changes as soon as the green led lights up under boost.
my intercooler is 27"x 5.5"x2.5"
my spark plugs are whatever came in it from japan. I think they are platinum. I'd have to pull one to be certain.

[lagos]

but is your tvsv vac line hooked up from the wg actuator? do you have any cel codes stored?

[toyotacrazy]

but is your tvsv vac line hooked up from the wg actuator? do you have any cel codes stored?

Ok,
My best guess is that the intercooler piping is heat soaking. Maybe this is raising the intake air temp and causing detonation????? I have problems when its hot out and/or Im setting at a light. When I grab my t-pipe where my bov hooks into, Its burning hot! Im in the middle of clocking my turbo and re-routing my IC piping. Im also thinking that my exhaust is contributing to the problem. I think the exhaust isnt letting my turbo breath and the air being held back is getting hotter. I pulled one of my plugs and I think they are iridium. Ill post some pics a little later.