Glossary / General

detonation

16 Episode Mentions

Too Afraid to Ask

Detonation is when the fuel in the engine explodes at the wrong time, which can make a knocking noise and hurt the engine. It can happen for various reasons, like using the wrong type of fuel.

Technical Definition

Detonation, often referred to as 'knocking', occurs when fuel in the engine ignites prematurely, causing a knocking sound and potentially damaging the engine. It can be caused by factors such as incorrect fuel octane, overheating, or engine timing issues.

Hear It Discussed

"That's important to prevent detonation and stuff, but you could take advantage of running E30 to get the best performance"
Can A Flush Kill A Transmission? and More Calls Under The Hood Under The Hood show 03:25

"[378.1s] There wasn't crap in it. [379.8s] There wasn't anything. [380.7s] It smells exactly like race fuel. [383.5s] When it was detonated, it smelled like race fuel coming out of the out of the..."
CarCast - Reacher star Alan Ritchson’s motorcycle altercation. Dodge’s 2026 Durango R/T 392, Nissan Z NISMO gets a manual transmission and more. CarCast 06:20

"I'm just worried about the kind of running good, you know, detonation and stuff like that."
Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - October 4, 2025 - Hour 2 - Busy Phones & Great Conversation Ron Ananian The Car Doctor 08:45