I'm not quite sure if its pinging but i guess from some of things i read it might be...my car is pretty much stock and is getting about 170 miles on a full tank of gas. Also there is a odd metallic rattling sound that occurs when im pushing on the gas pedal and im at low rpms(usually happens if i shift from 4th to 5th at around 50 mph)...it also seems to occur way more when im low on gas...like a 1/4 tank. Anyone know what exactly might be happening with my car..any help would be great...thanks-kyle
pinging?
- Thread starter xtoadiesx0233
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legalize420
Active Member
HISSIN50 said:
the same thing happens to my car and it has progressivly gotten worse. it is worse with the a/c on. i was thinking its a u joint problem since my mechanic replaced my first driveshaft with on from a junk yard and it was fine for a couple thousand miles but it making a similar noise as the original one was doing but not as bad yet. could i be wrong and its actually a fuel problem. i do have a vacuum leak somewhere that i hope to fix when i swap the intake next weekend. thanks
Lugging is when one is too long in the power band for present conditions (and gearing). An example. If someone has stock-ish gears and is in 5th gear at 40 mph and tries to accelerate hard or go up a hill. The rpm would be at like 1100 rpm (Making that # up - I have no idea since I dont do it) and it would ping till one gets up to a decent place in the powerband (or one kicks it down a gear or two).
Since people report it being worse with the A/C on, It sounds like heat induced detonation. The condensor kicks heat into the radiator, making the radiator less able to reject heat from the cooling system.
I would give the cooling system a once over, check ignition timing, etc. Also one can clean the MAF, ECT and ACT sensors, which really helps some folks (especially if one has an oilable air filter element). One can up the octane rating to help out as well. Top end cleaner also works for some folks.
A bad U-joint can cause noise, but not pinging.
And the U-joint does not care if the A/C is on. One can check out the U-joints within about 2 minutes. Now lugging can load U-joints up, or allow one to hear squeaking within the joints, which one normally does not hear.
Good luck.
Since people report it being worse with the A/C on, It sounds like heat induced detonation. The condensor kicks heat into the radiator, making the radiator less able to reject heat from the cooling system.
I would give the cooling system a once over, check ignition timing, etc. Also one can clean the MAF, ECT and ACT sensors, which really helps some folks (especially if one has an oilable air filter element). One can up the octane rating to help out as well. Top end cleaner also works for some folks.
A bad U-joint can cause noise, but not pinging.
And the U-joint does not care if the A/C is on. One can check out the U-joints within about 2 minutes. Now lugging can load U-joints up, or allow one to hear squeaking within the joints, which one normally does not hear. Good luck.
stangbanger94
New Member
what octane gas are you running?If you are running pisswater here in NJ, I'd step up to a better fuel grade first.Try the simplest diagnostics first before you go ape ****. If you are running 87 octane, try an 89 or maybe "splurge", and throw in a couple of gallons of "SUNOCO" Ultra 94....see if that helps 
mo_dingo
20+ Year Stangneter 
Start with the simple stuff. Check plugs/cap/wires/rotor, base timing, fuel pressure w/ & w/o vacuum, check vacuum.
Scott
Scott
mo_dingo
20+ Year Stangneter
Prince95GT
Founding Member
stangbanger94 said:what octane gas are you running?If you are running pisswater here in NJ, I'd step up to a better fuel grade first.Try the simplest diagnostics first before you go ape ****. If you are running 87 octane, try an 89 or maybe "splurge", and throw in a couple of gallons of "SUNOCO" Ultra 94....see if that helps
If the car is supposed to be running 87, why pay more for anything else? I could see if it required it but they dont so why wanna pay more when its not even recomended in the manual?
Because the cars are not new. Add to that a horrible computer tune and many folks require higher octane to not ping. I thought the same thing you did, but unless someone has beautiful CC's, a tune, etc, it is not hard to ping.Prince95GT said:
I agree that if one does not need the higher octane, dont run it. But when all else fails and someone is running less than stock timing and still pinging, higher octane fuel is often the easiest fix.
Scott_95GT
New Member
I had the exact same problem. The best gas you can get out here in CA is 91, which I always run. But I was having pinging with the a/c on and off. I cleaned my MAF, and the problem went away. I can stand on it when it's 95* and humid with no pinging with no pinging.
- Clean your MAF
- Run a tank of good gas with some good injector/fuel sys. cleaner, and replace your fuel filter.
- Make sure your timing is set within reason, and your car is in otherwise proper tune.
- Clean your MAF
- Run a tank of good gas with some good injector/fuel sys. cleaner, and replace your fuel filter.
- Make sure your timing is set within reason, and your car is in otherwise proper tune.
18mustangs
New Member
Prince95GT said:
Not only are out cars not new, but 99% here are not stock and certain performance modifications will demand more octane.
Tim
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