What does engine pinging sound like?

[Evil Techie]

does anyone have a sound clip of what an engine that is pinging sounds like

i can faintly hear something rattling when i throttle my car sometimes

not sure if its pinging or not so id like to hear a sample and see if it sounds similar

[Menace]

Is this your new car? If yes, that is pretty normal.

[otaque]

If you've driven an older car, it's like what happens when you're going up a slope and not giving it enough gas.
Engine Knock (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEi99mYN1Bw)

[stevethewheel]

I don't know why the term was changed to "pinging". It definitely sounds more like a knock than a ping.

[DragonZealot]

It sounds like a hammer tapping on an anvil, more noticible at mid throttle under load on high gear (like going up a hill).

[Evil Techie]

yeah i think that is it
but only when i do like half throttle
as for hills, im not so sure

this is weird
my car only has 22,000 miles (american car) on it
and ive been doing maintenance regularly

also i have been fueling it with 91 octane Shell V-power gas as premium is required
i better change the brand of gas and see what happens

does pinging/knocking cause any permanent damage to the engine?

i think i better change back to using Esso 91 octane or even Petro Canada/Chevron 92 octane

[mau108]

Chevron 92 is what I would put in...what car is it?

[MkmBandit]

use Sunoco 94!

What are ya driving?

[Evil Techie]

no sunaco here in BC

2001 Lexus GS300
3L I6 220bhp, about 220 ft lbs of torque too

only 22,000 miles so i have no idea why it is knocking

[mau108]

use Sunoco 94!

What are ya driving?

i would have said that but hes in BC they dont have sunoco there I believe.

[MkmBandit]

no sunaco here in BC

2001 Lexus GS300
3L I6 220bhp, about 220 ft lbs of torque too

only 22,000 miles so i have no idea why it is knocking

lmao you told me what car you drove less then a month ago didnt you.. :lol:

maybe it could be the control arm or ball joints? Thats an issue I have with my FWD

[Evil Techie]

hmm
my car is RWD though
does RWD cars can still have control arm or ball joint problems?

it sounds like it was coming from the hood area

i guess i should take it to my mechanic soon when im free in a few weeks

[Menace]

If you hear that sound while you're turning, it could be the cv boot.

[MkmBandit]

hmm
my car is RWD though
does RWD cars can still have control arm or ball joint problems?

it sounds like it was coming from the hood area

i guess i should take it to my mechanic soon when im free in a few weeks


oh for some reason I thought gs300's were FWD

in any event, valve pinging is a common problem with Toyota's. Try an octane booster first before spending the extra on a higher octane, because if the booster doesnt work then you'll just be wasting your money. Just a thought.

[Evil Techie]

well im already paying for premium gas already

might as well go for 92 octane at petro canada or chevron since price is pretty much similar to shell and esso's 91 octane

i dont get the sound when im turning
when i heard it, i was going straight about 40km/h and up when accelerating
but i have never heard it when im about above 70km/h

[DragonZealot]

Does it ping when the engine is cold? And at what RPM.

Check with the manufacturer there may be a TSB for this situation. It could be a re-programming of the ECM (computer) to correct this.

[Evil Techie]

i think it has happened before when the engine has NOT warmed up to the normal operating temp yet

and the RPM should be about 3500rpm ~ 4000rpm
i think...

ill try put the car in park and throttle to see if its something like the heat shield is lose or what

[dealhunting]

depending on how bad it is, intermittant pinging can be normal is some cars. Reasoning behind this is that the car's ECU is constantly adjusting ignition timing in accordance with driving conditions. It may occasionally advance it too far and will eventually dial it back to a point just before the pinging starts. any number of sensor inputs could cause an adjustment to the ignition advnace curve. Manufacturer's actually go as far as stating this condition is their owner's manuals. another reason is a build up of combustion chanber carbon due to oil burning or as a normal porcess of combustion. often a overnight carbon soak will cure this problem. and as some have already said some manufacturer's come up with ECU firmware updates to change the ignition map to lessen instances of pinging. but in my experience these "updates" can sometimes cause more problems than they cure. have a professional listen to your noise and go from there. if it is only once and a while or if it is very very light I would ignore it and turn up the radio.....