I have a problem. I installed a K@N air filter in my stock box, and the superchips micro tuner, about 6 months ago. I noticed a roaring sound coming from the engine. I took the tuner out and it still made the sound. My first thought is that the roaring sound was the restriction of the factory air box. Now i have and airaid cold air intake. It is still making this roaring sound with the tuner in and out. I also belive there is a slight ping going along with this roaring sound. RPM's are 4 grand and up, when i notice this sound.
I run 93 oct gas and was just wandering if this roaring sould is the engine sucking in air when i get to high rmp or do i have a more serious problem? Do you think the slight ping is detonation? It is not very loud, can bearley here it over the blower, and only notice it occasionly. Do you think that I am running to lean? Oh yeah temp is around 50-70 degrees when i notice this.

Thanks
brian

 

Hi Brian,

Well, if we had the vehicle here we could help you - but since it's not, we really can't - neither can anyone else on the Internet, it would only be *guessing* - and your Lightning deserves better. It's a 2003 (judging by your screen name here), right? So it's under warranty - go have it serviced under warranty

I can't hear it from here, nor can I see the vehicle from here. Thus there is no way to diagnose what the problem is just by typing on a message board - which is never the way to find out if you have a detonation problem (which could be *very* serious), and if you do, just what that problem actually is. The only way to do that is to have the vehicle diagnosed by someone local to you who is actually qualified to do that. Anything else is just guessing, pure and simple.

Briefly...........

"Pinging" is generally pre-ignition - a form of detonation, and NO detonation is good on an on-going basis in a supercharged engine - if that is what is going on, that has to be cured. There are many different things that need to be checked to do that, but since the sound is the same no matter if the tuning is installed or not, obviously that has nothing to do with your problem.

You could just have a dirty MAF that needs cleaning due to an over-oiled air filter, or you may be using poor quality gas (that's one of the mistakes some Lightning owners make, trying to get by on cheap premium gas thinking all gas of the same octane is the same - it's not), or it may be a shot O2 sensor, or an EGR problem (DPFE sensor, which do fail prematurely quite frequently on Lightnings), etc. - it could be *many* things.

I have no idea what your "roaring" noise is - that could be a failed fan clutch or one of many other things - but no, you generally don't have any significant increase in intake "moan" just from a simple drop-in K&N air filter in the factory airbox in *Lightnings*, though you do in other F-150's & many other vehicles - that usually only happens with a completely open air filter system anyway - but in the Lightning, you usually don't even hear that as the supercharger generally makes far too much noise.

I suggest that you immediately take your Lightning to a Ford dealer and have them diagnose this properly - don't take shortcuts with this when you suspect detonation, that's just begging for trouble - nor do you want to waste time asking people in the Lightning section what the problem is - *nobody* can diagnose this for you properly on an Internet web site (that's just guessing), that can only be done in person, by a qualified technician that actually knows these Fords specifically - your local Ford dealer, whether it's under warranty or not.

Whether it's under warranty or not, for now get that K&N air filter & tuning out of there & return it back to stock - and clean the MAF properly first before taking it into the dealer, as that alone could be the pinging problem from an over-oiled K&N air filter element - it happens, and it's easy to fix. Use the search feature here to search the Lightning section for tips on how to clean that MAF properly - and make sure you DISCONNECT the battery before touching that MAF, OK?

That's really all I can tell you here, my friend - but don't let this go on undiagnosed and keep driving it, as no detonation is acceptable on an on-going basis in a supercharged engine, OK?

Good luck!