pinging on hard shifts

66x49 · Jul 1, 2007

I have an '07 GT with 5 speed. 2000 mi on it. I use 87 octane. The car has begun to ping when shifting into second or into third, on hard shifts. Not on easy shifts, not in higher gears, and not when just stepping on it to pass. Only on hard shifts in the lower gears. Has anybody experienced this and is it something that the dealer can tune out? Faulty knock sensor or some other sensor? I read the statement in the manual about occasional pinging being o.k. but I thought that pinging was never good long term. Thanks

PHAQ · Jul 2, 2007

1st of all why do you use that ****ty fuel? it won't cost you but a couple bucks more per tankful to go with the higher octane.
Is it stock? No tune, CAI? etc....

66x49 · Jul 2, 2007

ping on hard shift

yes, completely stock. tried a tank of 91 no different.

ski · Jul 2, 2007

Did you try different brands of fuel?
Does the pinging happen at night when the ambient temperature is cooler?

66x49 · Jul 2, 2007

ping on hard shifts

actually more prevalent as the engine gets warmer. night or day.

hethj7 · Jul 2, 2007

PHAQ said:
1st of all why do you use that ****ty fuel?

Why is it you consider 87 octane ****ty fuel? I understand the advantages of high octane fuel, if your car is set-up to run it. But if you can get away with running 87, you're just throwing your money away on buying high octane fuel when it is not needed.

ScottM · Jul 2, 2007

hethj7 said:
Why is it you consider 87 octane ****ty fuel? I understand the advantages of high octane fuel, if your car is set-up to run it. But if you can get away with running 87, you're just throwing your money away on buying high octane fuel when it is not needed.

Exactly. People just think the higher the octane, the better it runs. I remember one of my first cars (an old Grand Am) that I put some octane booster in it thinking it made it run a lot better!!!

There isn't any reason you should need a higher octane than 87, unless it's really hot. You mentioned it did it during hard shifts, I remember when I still had some 87 in my tank and it pinging when I put my 93 tune in, it did it at WOT, not at shifts. Not meaning any disrespect, but are you sure it's "pinging" and not a rattle or something?

Edit: It wouldn't by chance be the injectors you're hearing, would it? They sound like more like a constant clicking though. These 3V's tend to be noisy.

ScottM · Jul 2, 2007

Whoops, double post, meant to edit my post...

66x49 · Jul 2, 2007

I'm 99% sure its a ping, but I admit I dont know the sound of clutch chater. Does that sound like a ping on hard shifting? Also you mention not needing to run 89 'unless its really hot'. Do you mean better to run 89 in July-August summer months? The 'ping appears after driving awhile and the car is hot.

ski · Jul 2, 2007

Did you try different brands of fuel, like Shell, Sunoco, or BP?

DarkFireGT · Jul 2, 2007

The manual calls for 87 octane. Mine starts pulling timing when I go over 5k RPMs running on 89 octane. But where do you live? if you live in a lower elevation, you may need to go down to 85 octane. Best thing you can do is a get a good tune and intake combo. You'll get a lot better performance over all, and that should take care of your problem.

hethj7 · Jul 2, 2007

DarkFireGT said:
The manual calls for 87 octane. Mine starts pulling timing when I go over 5k RPMs running on 89 octane. But where do you live? if you live in a lower elevation, you may need to go down to 85 octane. Best thing you can do is a get a good tune and intake combo. You'll get a lot better performance over all, and that should take care of your problem.

While no doubt a good tune would fix him up, it's sad that is the advice is so commonly given here. I love my new Stang, but I shouldn't have to get an aftermarket tune to have it run right from the factory. But I digress as I've learned most new cars have their problems. It just frustrates me to put down that much on something that I've then got to tweak and modify to make it run the way it should from the factory.

That being said, I recently installed a CAI and Brenspeed tune and absolutely love it

bigcat · Jul 2, 2007

you dont need an aftermarket tune. take it to the dealer and have them fix it for you under warranty. they will probably reflash the ECU with an updated tune.

DarkFireGT · Jul 2, 2007

hethj7 said:
While no doubt a good tune would fix him up, it's sad that is the advice is so commonly given here. I love my new Stang, but I shouldn't have to get an aftermarket tune to have it run right from the factory. But I digress as I've learned most new cars have their problems. It just frustrates me to put down that much on something that I've then got to tweak and modify to make it run the way it should from the factory.

That being said, I recently installed a CAI and Brenspeed tune and absolutely love it

I agree. You shouldn't have to do anything to make the car run right from the factory. But at the same time, getting a good intake and tune is really needed for enjoyment of these cars.

I agree with bigcat though, definitely take it into the dealer. Then order a tune and intake

hethj7 · Jul 2, 2007

No doubt, I was really impressed by how much the tune woke my car up. Now I just need a blower..... and the money to run the higher octane fuel

Mr_Q · Jul 3, 2007

If you don't know the "sound" of pinging it's easy to "see" if it is. When you get this suspect situation...does the rev limiter float? Do you seem stuck at a certain rpm (before redline that is?).

If you are, then you may indeed be pinging. You then are either suffering from really, REALLY crappy local gas or something else is wrong with the motor.

PDXStangDude · Jul 3, 2007

I liked to list some observations about my experiences

-When it is warm my mustang will ping (above 4500 or WOT) for the first and second pull with second pull not as much. The third pull it is gone. I have tried this a least twice and both time with the same result

-Many people have experienced that over time our ponies learn our driving habits and if you drive soft and then drive the car hard the ECU has to adjust.

-When it is hot my car runs like crap...

66x49 · Jul 3, 2007

I am constantly going from soft shifts in town to hard shifts when on the outskirts and I can wind it out. Does the ECU actually adjust? Say after so many hard shifts does it adjust the timing or fuel mix then back after so many soft shifts? Anyway I will be filling up with 89 tomorrow. Will post the results then.

ScottM · Jul 3, 2007

I'm curious to see the results. The only reason I mentioned "unless it's really hot" is because that's when you have a better chance of pinging, at least in my experience, but yeah, mine runs like crap when it's really hot as well.

Five Oh Brian · Jul 3, 2007

My 07 GT does not ping at all. Didn't when it was stock, doesn't with any of the Diablo tunes I've used.

An often overlooked fact, though, is that when they build engines there are certain tolerances that are considered acceptable in mass production. This is why two identical cars may not perform exactly the same. Specifically, I've been told by a Ford engineer that while they aim for a specific initial advance, the actual tolerance is +/- 5 degrees for a total possible delta of 10 degrees between a car that's totally 5 degrees advanced past the bogey and one that's totally 5 degrees retarded under the bogey. Those that are on the advanced end of the spectrum are more susceptable to pinging.

That said, have the dealership reflash the computer. They can reduce initial timing a bit until the pinging is gone. You do not need a gas with an octane more than 87 as designed from the factory, but you do need to avoid crappy fuels that are not Tier 1 rated. In the NW we have several choices for gas stations that carry Tier 1 fuels (i.e. Chevron, Texaco, Shell, etc.). Then we have the real crap that clogs fuel filters and is nasty long term with sludge buildup (i.e. Arco or AM/PM stations). Whatever brand gas stations you have in your area, just be sure they sell Tier 1 fuels and your car will love you.

pinging on hard shifts

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start with the upper hole, and if more traction is

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