I hope you guys can help me because this is kind of confusing for me.

I understand that you can add timing when you add mods to make the air cooler or use race gas, right? I bought a FMIC and installed it. Everything ok. Before bumping up the timings with Lemmi, i did a couple of logs with Vagcom to check block 20 and see if i was pulling timing for any reason. Well, cylinders 1 & 4 are pulling anywhere from 4.3 to 7.5 degrees on stock timing and with the FMIC. Sometimes cylinders 2 & 3 do the pullings, but mostly 1 & 4. That is with intake temps in the mid 30s and at stock boost.

I know carbon deposits can create hotspots in the combustion chambers and induce knocking, but my car has only 30k miles and had 1 previous owner. Can it be carbon inside the chambers? Could it be the spark plugs? (i'm running the stock plugs, which dont look bad).

The other question was, what makes more power: Timing or boost on the stock turbine? I tested a friend's car with a fmic running stock software and at 11psi and +7.5degrees his car feels faster than mine at 14.5 on stock timing.

I did search and couldnt find a satisfactory answer. I'm running stock software and stock everything.

Thanks in advance:O

Anything more than -6 is normally considered a bitt iffy so it looks like you are running a little bit too much timing. What is the timing you have set? Have you tried upping the boost by 1?

It's really a case of trial and error to find which suits your current setup best.

The ecu is pulling those degrees in the Stock timing, as if something like bad fuel or carbon deposits were causing relatively small knocking. I installed the FMIC but havent been able to advance the timings because if at STOCK values the ecu pulls the timing, once i advance it it'll only become worse. Or so i think...

You could try changing your plugs as you mention.

You have made changes to the airflow which can affect combustion and it doesn't always follow the higgher the timing the better the performance. I would see how you get on and if not try nudging it back one.

Are you using good fuel and are all of your coil packs ok?

I suspect it's down to fuel; what grade of fuel is available to you in the Caribbean?

Is mid 30s the ambient temp or temp at the inlet manifold?

With the note that I have no idea about fuel quality in the Caribbean, you can get carbon layering (exactly what it sounds like) in the combustion chamber and on the piston top in 12_000miles or so (original source Bill Blydenstein, and if you want to argue with him, feel free). I've heard of 30_000 mile engines needing decoked, but that's going back to the 1950s; again I'd be surprised if a modern engine would need decoking this soon.

As for the difference that swinging the timing makes, assuming the engine runs cleanly from idle to the rev limit, timing in isolation might make a difference of 2%, say 3 or 4 bhp on a 1.8t engine, which is less than the possible difference between 2 dyno runs, one on a cool damp morning, and the other on a hot afternoon.

With the note that I have no idea about fuel quality in the Caribbean, you can get carbon layering (exactly what it sounds like) in the combustion chamber and on the piston top in 12_000miles or so (original source Bill Blydenstein, and if you want to argue with him, feel free). I've heard of 30_000 mile engines needing decoked, but that's going back to the 1950s; again I'd be surprised if a modern engine would need decoking this soon.

As for the difference that swinging the timing makes, assuming the engine runs cleanly from idle to the rev limit, timing in isolation might make a difference of 2%, say 3 or 4 bhp on a 1.8t engine, which is less than the possible difference between 2 dyno runs, one on a cool damp morning, and the other on a hot afternoon.

There's much bigger gains to be had from timing on the 1.8T especially when using different fuels. The improvement in throttle response is even more noticable.

There's much bigger gains to be had from timing on the 1.8T especially when using different fuels. The improvement in throttle response is even more noticable.

I'm sure there are bigger gains observed, but with a full EMS, are you certain that swinging the timing doesn't affect other output parameters (I'm not suggesting that it will change the base map for other parameters)?

Down here the fuel quality generally not very good. Our premium fuel supossedly has 91octane, but i'd be surprised if it reached the 89oct mark. I'll try changing the plugs and using a couple of gallons of racing fuel.

What product do you recommend to clean combustion chambers? I've heard something about "seafoam", but i dont know what it is of if i can get it in the caribbean.

According to your personal experience, what makes more power in the 1.8t: Timing or boost? I've driven GTIs with aftermarket software pushing 21psi and they feel as fast as some skodas around here pushing 15psi but adding lots of timing, and the added timing greatly improves the throttle response. So what's the balance point between timing and boost for our cars?

There is a product over here called 10K Boost which I believe is a similar sort of thing.

Like I said, in my experience the greater the timing doesn't always make more power. It's a balancing act of boost and timing.

Logging with VAG-COM will reveal some clues and you may wish to try the Butt Dyno spreadsheet.

I'm sure there are bigger gains observed, but with a full EMS, are you certain that swinging the timing doesn't affect other output parameters (I'm not suggesting that it will change the base map for other parameters)?

Yes I'm sure providing you take logs and make sure you keep within recommended parameters.

Down here the fuel quality generally not very good. Our premium fuel supossedly has 91octane, but i'd be surprised if it reached the 89oct mark. I'll try changing the plugs and using a couple of gallons of racing fuel.

What product do you recommend to clean combustion chambers? I've heard something about "seafoam", but i dont know what it is of if i can get it in the caribbean.

According to your personal experience, what makes more power in the 1.8t: Timing or boost? I've driven GTIs with aftermarket software pushing 21psi and they feel as fast as some skodas around here pushing 15psi but adding lots of timing, and the added timing greatly improves the throttle response. So what's the balance point between timing and boost for our cars?

My experience won't really apply to your situation as I always ran a minimum of 98ron, given the quality of fuel available to you I'd concentrate on boost as it sounds like the factory timing settings are already higher than your fuel cope with.

Eddy, I was asking for information, cos I'm not entirely clear exactly how much computing (as opposed to just checking look-up tables) goes on in various EMS systems.

Max, I'd agree with Eddy to change boost rather than swing the timing, with the note that too much boost with low octane fuel will cause high speed detonation (like pinking but you can't hear it). This is really nasty because it can melt the pistons before you realise it's a problem on a long fast run.

So i pulled the plugs.....

First thing i see is this. Oily coilpacks are :(

Oily plugs

Good plugs (normal wear)

Cylinder 1

Cylinder 2

Plug comparison

The brand

Cylinders 1 & 3 appear to be dripping oil from the plugs, so i'm replacing all the valvecover seals tomorrow and installing new plugs. After cleaning the oily plugs, they show the same wear as the other ones, so i think it's dripping oil only when the car is parked. Pistons (as you can see above) look clean, showing no apparent deposits on top

Now, about the brand, is "Brisk" a spark plug brand or what?

Good call about the valve oil seals, esp if you're showing any trace of light blue smoke on start up.

"BRISK" means nothing to me as a spark plug brand (Europe or US). "BR 7 (seven) SK" could be a heat grade though. Unfortunately, I have no idea what heat grades petrol engine Skodas use!