Pinging problem...any suggestions?

[DMage]

Purchased a 2000 V6 about a year and a half ago used. After 6 months (when the weather was getting warmer) the car started to have a rattling/pinging noise that came from in front of the driver in the engine compartment. Had my mechanic check it and he said it is probably a fuel sensor but received no error message on the computer. Said to just run higher octane gas. I have been, and it helps a bit, but still have a rattling/pinging problem. After reviewing the forum, it seems it could be one of many possibilities. Now I am familiar with some engine components, but am far from a car junkie. If anyone could help suggest what from the following to try first, I would be thankful.

The noise occurs during acceleration, seems to happen more in the summer, and can happen one time but not the next. It seems that if it begins rattling at the start of a trip, it will continue for the length of the drive. However if it is not happening at the beginning, it rarely starts during a drive. The car is completely stock, and I do not push it or kill it.

From the possibilities I have:

ACT / ECT sensor

Heat shield on catalytic converter

Breakdown of metal in the catalytic converter

Any other ideas or suggestions? I am hoping someone here has experienced a similar problem. Thanks.

-D

 

[97Superjet701]

Well, i had that same problem on my 2000 v6. When i first bought it, it had a no ping. Then when i got around to changing the sparkplugs it had a miserable ping...i figured i gapped them wrong but i didnt. My friend nick has a f-150 and his truck pinged after we put spark plugs in too. So we came to the conclusion that we need to run MOTORCRAFT sparkplugs...we put in a new set of 6 motorcraft plugs and it seems to not ping at all anymore, no matter how hard i hit the throttle. If u are running any other kind of spark plug i would recomend changing it. ts a cheap fix and it worked on both of our fords so i would give it a try if i were you!
Travis

 

[DMage]

Well, changed the ACT sensor out on it today. Very quick and easy to do. Going to work on the spark plugs over the weekend. Temperature dropped here to the low 40s so even if the ACT sensor didnt fix the problem, I wont know until it gets warmer.

 

[mnauta]

Purchased a 2000 V6 about a year and a half ago used. After 6 months (when the weather was getting warmer) the car started to have a rattling/pinging noise that came from in front of the driver in the engine compartment. Had my mechanic check it and he said it is probably a fuel sensor but received no error message on the computer. Said to just run higher octane gas. I have been, and it helps a bit, but still have a rattling/pinging problem. After reviewing the forum, it seems it could be one of many possibilities. Now I am familiar with some engine components, but am far from a car junkie. If anyone could help suggest what from the following to try first, I would be thankful.

The noise occurs during acceleration, seems to happen more in the summer, and can happen one time but not the next. It seems that if it begins rattling at the start of a trip, it will continue for the length of the drive. However if it is not happening at the beginning, it rarely starts during a drive. The car is completely stock, and I do not push it or kill it.

From the possibilities I have:

ACT / ECT sensor

Heat shield on catalytic converter

Breakdown of metal in the catalytic converter

Any other ideas or suggestions? I am hoping someone here has experienced a similar problem. Thanks.

-D

I have a 99 V6, had the EXACT same problem. I went on the 3.8mustang forums and finnaly got the solution. Only put 5 quarts of oil in the engine no matter what the dipstick reads. Also read http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/pcv_filter.htm

and http://www.3.8mustang.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64972

manuel

 

[fastmax]

What spark plugs are you using. You can use Motorcraft or I have run Autolites, they seem to work good.

Matt

 

[DMage]

Put Bosch Platinum plugs in it the other day. Even with new plugs and ACT sensor, still get a metallic rattling noise when accelerating some times. Happens randomly, so if it starts at the beginning of the drive, it will happen until I stop. But if its quiet at the beginning, it usually never rattles during that drive.

 

[semperfistang]

exhaust leak

check out this service technical bulliten...04-21-6 it is a leak right past the exhaust manifold...




Jake

 

[SrA FlyBoy]

Purchased a 2000 V6 about a year and a half ago used. After 6 months (when the weather was getting warmer) the car started to have a rattling/pinging noise that came from in front of the driver in the engine compartment. Had my mechanic check it and he said it is probably a fuel sensor but received no error message on the computer. Said to just run higher octane gas. I have been, and it helps a bit, but still have a rattling/pinging problem. After reviewing the forum, it seems it could be one of many possibilities. Now I am familiar with some engine components, but am far from a car junkie. If anyone could help suggest what from the following to try first, I would be thankful.

The noise occurs during acceleration, seems to happen more in the summer, and can happen one time but not the next. It seems that if it begins rattling at the start of a trip, it will continue for the length of the drive. However if it is not happening at the beginning, it rarely starts during a drive. The car is completely stock, and I do not push it or kill it.

From the possibilities I have:

ACT / ECT sensor

Heat shield on catalytic converter

Breakdown of metal in the catalytic converter

Any other ideas or suggestions? I am hoping someone here has experienced a similar problem. Thanks.

-D

Usually the pinging noise you hear in an engine is caused by Pre-Ignition. This can be caused in several ways, but the most common are low octane fuel, and timing too far advanced. The other way it can happen is when the engine is VERY hot causing the fuel to ignite before the piston reaches Top Dead Center (TDC). Other things you might check would be the KNock Sensor, or your O2 sensors. If your O2's are bad the computer will not know if it is supplying enough fuel. I am having the same prob with my 06 GT, but it has to do with a diablosport tuner I used. I think I just need to back out of the timing just a bit.

 

[TMX]

On a 99-00 V6 engine, alot of the times the pinging id caused by low-octane caused by oil coming through the PCV. In 2001 the valve covers were redesigned with a baffle that prevented this, so either a new valve cover or an oil seperator is needed. I bought an inline fuel filter and hoses for about $15 and installed that.

 

[zincyellow03]

Sweet mother of God is this thread old! Good thing TMX resurrected it to provide an answer

 

[TMX]

=P. No SrA Flyboy resurrected it first. I merely provided an answer.

 

[zincyellow03]

=P. No SrA Flyboy resurrected it first. I merely provided an answer.

Whoops, sorry about that then.