Detonation

Detonation is an uncontrolled, explosive ignition of the fuel-air mixture within an engine cylinder. It is often caused by using a fuel grade lower than specified, or by the improper use of mixture control combined with high manifold pressure and low RPM.

Key Points

• •Detonation can be caused by using fuel with an octane rating lower than specified for the engine.
• •Improper mixture settings, or high manifold pressure combined with low RPM, can also cause detonation.
• •Higher grades of fuel are more resistant to detonation because they are more chemically stable.

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