Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:56:14 -0400
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: waterboxer pinging
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed; delsp=no
So far as I can tell, my camper does not ping. But, having read the
vendor articles and some list posts regarding the greater likelihood
that a vanagon could ping with the driver unaware because of the rear
engine configuration, and suffering from a hearing condition called
"tinnitus" (I hear "insects" in my ears all the time, as do over half of
all geezers like myself), I began to wonder if I would know it if the
engine did ping.
And despite some claims to the contrary, the fuel in high altitude areas
in the west IS lower octane than VW recommends. Try to find regular
grade gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher in Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, West Texas, Western
Oklahoma. Ain't likely. If vanagons run fine on it in everyone's
experience, that helps some for me. Next time I'm out that way in my
camper, I'll try the lower octane stuff and see what happens.
Thanks, Dave Mc
On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 2:10 PM , Rob wrote:
> At 9/17/2009 11:17 AM,Dave Mcneely wrote:
>> Well, that sounds definitive. I was hoping for a reply that would
>> enlighten me a little more, however. VW clearly recommends minimum
>> octane 87. Gasoline in the West is clearly lower octane than that
>> (on
>> reasonable theoretical, and I suppose data driven, grounds).
>> Numerous
>> folks, including some with claimed technical expertise, state that
>> the
>> waterboxer is subject to detonation knock (ping) and that the octane
>> value of the gasoline used is iffy in that regard. Consequently
>> these
>> folks recommend higher octane gasoline. If they are wrong, I'd like
>> to
>> know how we know that. If they are right, I definitely don't want to
>> waste my money. I'd just like to understand it a little better.
>
> Does yours ping? If so, run a tank or two of the premium and see if
> the ping goes away. If the better gas helps then it's worth the money
> & if it doesn't change then go back to the regular gas and look for
> the (ping) problem.
>
>
>
>
> Rob
> becida@comcast.net
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