The paper analyzes the possible cause of self-ignition of air-fuel mixture in spark-ignition internal combustion engine loaded with maximum power during tests on the engine dynamometer stand. It leads to incorrect engine operation and may also occur during the flight of an aircraft or helicopter. In order to explain the cause of incorrect engine operation, a non-linear analysis using the finite element method was applied. A discreet model of a simplified engine cylinder assembly system comprising a cylinder body and the liner was determined. The numerical analysis includes both the mechanical force resulting from loading the cylinder liner clamp in the body as well as the pressure of the working medium pressure and the load on the non-uniform temperature field taken from engine test-bed measurements. The results of nonlinear static analysis of stresses and strains for the cylinder body-liner connection have shown that in the area of TDC where outer piston ring turns back, high stresses and plastic deformation of the cylinder liner occurr, causing a lack of contact between these elements. This disrupts the heat transfer from the cylinder liner to the cylinder body and creates the possibility of uncontrolled ignition of the fuel-air mixture.