Car starting to ping :(

[Jesus]

Hi Guys,

My car has started to ping a bit now that the weather is warming up. How long should it take fir the car to "adjust" to the weather change. Also, will swapping the stock air induction system back in help? Can I use the stock air box (with a K&N drop in filter) with the K&N air tube? I was thinking that the FIPK might be sucking in hot under hood air, or be causing the car to run lean due to the absence of the little metal screen (I read once in a magazine that removing the screen can cause the engine to run lean) I have taken to the car to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. I also know its not the gas either, since I have filled up like 5 times since I had the car looked at.

Thanks

 

[blackstalion666]

theres a few things that can cause your problem. the first things to check are for is fuel pressure, vaccum leaks. simple stuff first. also what grade fuel are you running and spark plugs. spark plugs can cuase all kind of havek.

 

[bdcardinal]

are you running 91? my 98 was pinging under WOT, and i went from 87 to 91 and the pinging went away. i changed the plugs today and to my dismay at the 102,075 mile mark, my mustang still had the factory plugs. if i ever find the previous owner i will kick their ass.

 

[joshheat25]

clean the MAF sensor!

 

[csledd]

Isn't that little metal screen only used for filtering? How could that make your car run lean?

 

[Jesus]

Well, I am running 87 since I no longer have the timing adjuster and am not currently using the Diablo tune. The plugs are the original plugs (I have 33,500 miles on the car) The fuel pressure is supposedly good, they claimed to have checked it when I had the car looked at. The car definately pings more as the weather gets warmer. It doesnt ping at all in the morning on the way to work, but always ping on the drive home from work. It doesnt ping so much that I have to avoid full throttle or anything like that. It mainly pings when I shift at low rpms, right when I catch the next gear.
As far as removing the little screen causing the car to lean out, I dont fully understand why it would cause this, but thats the result the magazine got with a Mach 1.
One more thing: the car doesnt ping in situations you would expect it to, like flooring it in 4th going up a hill at like 35 mph, or flooring it off the line. It just really weired. Like i said, the only time it does it predictably is when shifting at low speeds. Its almost like the car is suffering from heat soak, as the car onlly tends to do it after sitting in stop and go traffic.

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

 

[LI98GTStang]

You list a Preditor chip in your sig so why not set the timing back a little?

 

[blackstalion666]

when you took it in the shop did you go for a test drive with them? or did they hear what you where hearing.

 

[Jesus]

Well, the i cant seem to get the tune to work with 91 octane gas. I have tried retarding the timing, but the ammount of retard required seems to cause the car to perform worse than with the stock tune. Also, I think the car should run properly on 87 with the factory timing. I just want the car to run like it is supposed to, that is why I am wondering if removing the FIPK will help it. I am pretty sure that the stock air system will cause the car to run richer, which should help with the pinging.

 

[blackstalion666]

ligth bulb went off in my head. lol When was the last time you changed your fuel filter. it can be partially clogged cuasing what sounds like your off idle ping.

 

[Jesus]

when you took it in the shop did you go for a test drive with them? or did they hear what you where hearing.

they claimed to hear the sound, but said they couldnt find any reason for it. They put the car on the scope and everything that tool shows (ignition and fuel system stuff I guess) came up normal. They wouldnt do anything with the MAF because I had the FIPK on (I had it looked at by the local Ford dealer)

 

[blackstalion666]

installing the stock intake is worth a shot. doesn't cost anything wich is always good. then go from there.

 

[Jesus]

ligth bulb went off in my head. lol When was the last time you changed your fuel filter. it can be partially clogged cuasing what sounds like your off idle ping.

I actually had the fuel filter changed not more than 5000 miles ago.

 

[Jesus]

Does anyone know if I can use the stock air box in conjunction with the FIPK air tube?

 

[blackstalion666]

they claimed to hear the sound, but said they couldnt find any reason for it. They put the car on the scope and everything that tool shows (ignition and fuel system stuff I guess) came up normal. They wouldnt do anything with the MAF because I had the FIPK on (I had it looked at by the local Ford dealer)

if they had put it on the scantool like we have at my ford dealer i work at . they should have been able to check the sensor without even touching it.
they sound like lazy people there and didnt want to spend the time to figure it out.

 

[ADRENLN]

why did the car start pinging all of a sudden, like it didnt do it last summer? what did you change since then. at least then you can narrow down if its a mod or change that you did, or some type of mantinence you should do.

also what does the pinging sound like exactly?

 

[Mel96GT]

I read in a recent magazine article that K&N recommends a tune if you install other mods (such as cat-back) along with their FIPK. I have a K&N FIPK with a cat-back and I noticed my stang pings at WOT at approx 2.5k-3.5k rpm. I've used 91 octane which helps but I don't see the point of using 91 octane on an otherwise stock turd engine. BTW, if you re-install the stock intake, let us know how it works out.

 

[Jesus]

Well, the only things I have done since last summer are: re install the stock h pipe (I used to have a Pro Chamber), switch from 2 chamber Flows to Borlas Stinger cat back, and remove timing adjuster. The pinging itself doesnt quite sound like the severe pinging I used to hear in my Chevy; instead of sounding like marbles in a coffee can, it sounds more like sand or little rocks in a coffee can, with maybe a marble at the high point of the pinging. It sounds almost like its just on the edge of pinging. Also, the pinging doesnt last long, it is not a persistent pinging. And once again, it really only seems to be a problem if I have been in traffic for a while.

 

[bdcardinal]

when was the last time you flushed your coolant? did you change when your fan comes on?

 

[tjm73]

My '98 does the exact same thing. I'm waiting for some extra money to buy new plugs, fuel filter and maybe plug wires. My car is 100% stock except for the stock replacement K&N filter and a MagnaFlow cat-back. It has about 70,000 miles on it.

After reading this I'll check/clean the MAF meter too.