The truck has great power and acceleration, good mileage, no leaks, clean engine....

I noticed a very slight engine noise when I accelerate between 20-40 mph. Im not sure the best way to describe it, but I'd say it sounds almost as if a very small pebble were bouncing around like a lottery ball in the cage? make sense?

I'd appreciate any advice....this is my first truck and I have a lot to learn.

 

Is this what they call 'pinging'?

 

more than likely, yes its pinging caused by pre-detonation of fuel. Very Very Very common problem in the 4.6's Im currently narrowing down my pinging problem in my 4.6
Ive done:
Plugs
Throttle body cleaning
MAF sensor cleaning
fuel filter
octane sensor

It still pings and i cant figure it out. Do a search on this subject in the engines forum and you'll find lots of stuff to read about. This is an excellent website with information on everything about your truck.
Good luck! Keep us posted!

 

if it is pinging ....just for ****s and giggles...throw some 104+ octane booster in your fuel and see what happens after that ...zap!

 

Green_98, have you cleaned the injectors yet? I mean the type you hook up to the fuel rail. I had some pinging on my 01, with some lose of power, and this helped.

 

Hi. Just an fyi...

Do a search and you will find that continued usage of octane booster can lead to premature failure / degradation / contamination of your o2 sensors, even though the label may state that the product is 'sensor-safe'.

As a quick 'ping' diagnostic, fine, but not as a long-term fix, unless you enjoy spending time and money on even more frequent o2 sensor changes ;-)). As it is, they should be changed frequently already if you value keeping your truck performing as well as possible.

They get 'lazy' with age... just like people!

Cheers

 

I get a very noticeable "ping" when using 87 octane in my 4.6L. It runs fine other than a knock/ping during acceleration. It runs best on 89.

 

I had the same problem with my truck not to long ago, except my engine noise was VERY loud.

Here is what I did to fix it.

After a long drive (30 miles) I pulled into my driveway and left the engine running. I popped the hood and took the air cleaner off the intake. I then fed a half inch hose through the mass airflow sensor, throught the intake, all the way up to the throttle body. I then hooked that hose up to my garden hose. Then....

I put the throttle to the floor and turned on the watter.

Tons of stinking, white smoke poured out the tail pipe. I shut the water off after about 10 seconds, waited about 1 minute, and did it again. After the eighth time, the exhause gas was back to normal, even when the water was on.

I put everything back to gether and went for a drive. Wouldnt you know it, no more engine sounds!

-Things to keep in mind while doing this-
The mass airflow sensor and the O2 sensor must remain on the intake system or the engine will not run.
Make sure your engine is as hot as it can naturally get.
The water will cause the engine to hesitate. This is ok. Add as much water as you can, but watch it carfully. Dont add so much water that the engine stalls.
Make sure you rev the engine up or it WILL stall.


Good Luck!

 

Don't use crap oils and cheap fuels... and that usually keeps fuel system problems. Fuels like shell have high detergents to keep that carbon out of your motor, and synthetic blend oils (also keeping in mind to change your oil often as it breaks down) will keep moving parts lubricated to avoid wearing and causing 'pinging'.

 

you put water through your engine?!!!

or am i missunderstanding?

 

Ok...seems like Im just a bit paranoid.....I've talked to so many people about the minor ping and they all laugh....no bigie. Considering I only hear it when I hit the gas hard goin uphill, I guess so!


Im going to try some good gas today...fillin up at BP...no more Kangaroo!!! Also dumpin in my Seafoam with it. Thanks for all the help!

 

Different fuels are not doing to change anything. Nor will a high octane fuel.

Like so many other cases, you probably have carbon buildup on the valves which is igniting the fuel before the spark does. Because the carbon is just as hot at the spark from your plugs, there is no amount of octane boost that is going to solve anything.

Try the water. When the water enters the combustion chamber, it vaporizes instantly and brakes loose the carbon buildup. Essentially you are steam cleaning the inside of your engine. As long as the engine is at full operating temperature, there is no danger to your engine.

Like I said before, it worked for me!

 

please please tell me you didnt run water thru your motor....oh gosh, people cant be that stupid!


I havnt cleaned my injectors, i just did the throttle body cleaning. Do a searchon it, youll find lots of info and pics!

 

Can you show me where running water through your engine in the way you describe is ok? It may clean it, however, cold water hitting 200 degree metal can cause it to crack, bad idea imo, use seafoam through the brake booster line, cleans without the risk. You might want to check your oil for water.

 

pull ur plugs out make sure ur trucks not running rich. check make sure ur EGR is not clogged that is often the problem. u will want to clean the injectors. clean the MAF with denatured alcohol nothing else!!!. clean the throttle body and try to get the intake as well. dont run that high of octane on ur stock motor u will melt ur cats and can fry ur rings from the excessive heat. ur problem might also be high intake temperatures. also test ur plug wires make sure there is no resistance... u can do so with a voltmeter. also check makre sure ur coil packs are fireing properly.