Horrible Pinging!!! AHHHHH

[jzenvoy]

As soon as i get on the throttle the engine pings like crazy. Even when cruising at 65 and slightly on the throttle you can still hear it. It has gotten worst since i installed the westers tune. I tried running higher octane to see if it goes away but it doesn't. Does anyone else have this problem or know how to fix it???

[tblazed]

87/91 tune shouldn't do that. I have the 87-93 tune running 87 and no pinging whatsoever. Runs great, very impressed with it especially with my 3.42 gears.

It was pinging before the Wester's and it' now worse? Did it ping from the get-go with the tune? What brand of gas are you running? Is the K&N intake isolating the intake air well enough from the hot engine bay air?

Maybe you need to get the CASE relearn done. Did you have the original PCM programmed or send in a second used one?

Not much else I can think of.

[jimmyjam]

put your stock ecm back in and call westers asap

jman423 had a similar problem....

[trailblazer02]

Mine does it a little too. Didn't do it before the tune. I really dont want to have to send my ECU back to Westers. Is this a common problem with the tunes?

[jzenvoy]

It was doing it before i got the tune but not nearly this bad. i have my stock ecu, i sent them one i got from work to tune so now i have two. i usually only run sunoco 87 or 91 hince the 87/91 tune. but it seems like the pinging is getting worst. One of the transmition guys at my work said to spray some carbon cleaner into an intake port to get the crabon off the valves. I am not sure what to do. What would westers do about this if i call them?
Thanks for all the help,
Jay

[jimmyjam]

they're probably going to need to modify your tune

[ylab]

If you exchanged PCMs and didn't have your original PCM tuned, you may need to have the CASE relearn performed. If its far enough out of adjustment for your specific vehicle, the PCM may not properly detect detonation (ping). - This applies to anyone's tunes, which is why Wait4Me recommends having the relearn performed on after any PCM swap. - Some 4.2s seem to be more picky about the crank position sensor than others. There's also the possiblility that the gas formulation in your area isn't up to snuff with the warmer than average temps we've been having. (Although higher octane fuel should have solved the problem, unless you chose the 'HOT' tune.....which will ping a bit in hot weather).

I have the Wester's 87/91 tune and have no pinging issues what so ever, even with the Ethanol stuff being used to increase octane. I also have an exhaust that should allow more efficient evacuation of the previously combusted gas out of the cylinders and more 'virgin' air/fuel into them.....which should increase ignition pressure. What caught my eye is that you mention you had ping and now its worse with the Wester's tune.......that has me thinking there was a problem with something on the vehicle to begin with, either deposits causing higher than expected cylinder pressures or a bad knock sensor perhaps? If you were pinging to begin with, I'd toss the stock tune back in and bring it to the dealer to have the cause corrected and then re-install the Wester's tuned PCM.

[GTPprix]

Well if you had pinging BEFORE the westers tune you should have gotten it taken care of before getting a tune that increases timing :) We need to help you find the root cause first so I guess lets start with the basics..

1. What fuel do you use? Supplier/Octane/Ethanol Content?
2. How many miles are on your truck, have you replaced the fuel filter? Ever run injector cleaner?
3. Have you replaced the plugs?
4. Do your cats/exhaust smell bad after a WOT run?


This will help a bit so lets hear it :)

[tblazed]

If it was pinging before the Wester's tune with the stock PCM, I'd try a couple of 20 oz bottles of Techron Concentrate over a couple of tankfuls before putting it in the shop. They will probably tell you you need an injector cleaning or decarboning or somesuch, and try to sell you an expensive in-shop process.

http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/additives/concentrate_plus.shtml

[MTPockets]

2 knock sensors on the 4.2L and you are STILL getting an audible ping? I'm surprized the SES light isn't lit. :undecided

Joel

[tblazed]

2 knock sensors on the 4.2L and you are STILL getting an audible ping? I'm surprized the SES light isn't lit. :undecided

Joel

I wondered that myself seems it would hear the knock and pull back timing. Unless it's already retarding as far as it can go. Then you'd expect a DTC if it still exceeds a knock limit. I think it may do a self-test at startup to test the knock sensors too.

[Trailblazin]

I had a few problems with pinging once the heat got really intense here... we're at 53*C + during the day and on light loads (2k-3K) is where most of the pinging is heard... although on WOT there is nothing at all... i had to retune a friends TB as the noise was just crazy, even my car was pinging like a b*tch soon as the summer months peaked...

The only solution i could do was to turn down the timing, it worked but not completely.. ask westers if they can retard the spark a little more then stock once the car gets into any knock retard.. this will be my next course of action on my ride...

other thing im thinking to do is decrease 3-4* of spark from the low rpm region octane tables...

[jzenvoy]

this is the exact problem i am having! its been about 100 - 105 degrees here on any given days. and when it is that hot the pinging is worst

[tblazed]

Shouldn't the IAT sensor signal cause the PCM to automatically retard timing as the temp increases?

[Trailblazin]

from what i've seen on HPT is that the IAT spark correction only goes up to 198*F = 92*C.... it only cuts spark even then by -3*... all the stock TBs i've taken a look at here in Kuwait have looooads of knock retard with the factory tune, averaging 7 counts of KR with normal! I managed to get those down to an average of 1-2 knocks on normal driving....

I don't think GM ever expected the world to get this hot :no: and specially since I know the states can get very humid which adds to heat as water is dense.. only compromise we have here in Kuwait is that even though the heat kills us, but we have hardly if any humidity for us to feel it.. our engines do though :rolleyes:

[kickasstahoe]

mine makes a ping now that i have the westers only when i give it the gas off the line or when i get on it on the highway. anyone else have this?

[ylab]

If it pings when you first hit the gas from a stop or drop the hammer for just a split second or two, that's 'tip-in' ping and perfectly normal....even the stock tune does that a bit. (There's actually a load a spark advance at idle w/o any load and actually pulls when you hit the gas). It's only a problem if it continues to ping beyond that or the entire time you're on the throttle.

Thought occurs that perhaps some of you have faulty IAT sensors or your CAI (if equipped) is affecting the IAT's readings? Just a though mind you, but those of you experiencing pinging, do you have and intake and if so which one?

[Trailblazin]

had one and sold it... wish i didn't now coz i've seen a decrease of 3-5kPa in my Manifold pressure :rolleyes: SO CAI DO REALLY WORK!!!! lol

but my friend doesn't have an intake either and he still pings at low rpms

[kickasstahoe]

i have the volant with a TBS

[jzenvoy]

1. sunoco 87 or 91 octane, i dont know the ethanol content
2. 78000 miles on the truck and no i have not replaced the fuel filter yet, and yes i have run fuel injector cleaner
3. No i have not replaced the plugs
4. and no there is not any smell from the cat, or the exhaust.

If the pinging from a stop to wot is normal then that is the problem i heard before the tune, but now i am hearing that and pinging between 2k and 3k when slightly on the throttle. So i would assume that it has something to do with the tune.

[tblazed]

from what i've seen on HPT is that the IAT spark correction only goes up to 198*F = 92*C.... it only cuts spark even then by -3*...
I don't think GM ever expected the world to get this hot

Isn't the amount of timing retard to IAT programmable with the HP software? Up to 198°F should about cover any heat range one could expect. I've seen mine get up near 160° before when it was near 100° outside, then I did my CAI, now absolute worse case it may run about 20-25° over ambient, lower than that when moving.

HOT? Nah.. ain't even close to as hot as it got here 26 years ago in 1980 (when we were all being told we were going into another ice age!) In '80, DFW had over 44 days in a row over 100°, and several days in the 110-113° range. 1980 set new record temps for DFW. I will take 100-105° any day to 113!

[TuneTimePerformance]

1. sunoco 87 or 91 octane, i dont know the ethanol content
2. 78000 miles on the truck and no i have not replaced the fuel filter yet, and yes i have run fuel injector cleaner
3. No i have not replaced the plugs
4. and no there is not any smell from the cat, or the exhaust.

If the pinging from a stop to wot is normal then that is the problem i heard before the tune, but now i am hearing that and pinging between 2k and 3k when slightly on the throttle. So i would assume that it has something to do with the tune.

1st change the plugs and clean the MAF while your at it .
2nd the fuel filter is an intank sock.
3rd Techron every 7500-10000

Will it do it a night when it's cooler ?

[MTPockets]

.HOT? Nah.. ain't even close to as hot as it got here 26 years ago in 1980 (when we were all being told we were going into another ice age!) In '80, DFW had over 44 days in a row over 100°...

Hehehee.. I remember that. We've had a hot summer in the Buffalo NY area, had days in the 90's, major humidity, but summers ~25yrs ago were hotter.

Joel

[jzenvoy]

2nd the fuel filter is an intank sock.??? what are you talking about. I dont have a MAF sensor, and yes it still does it when it is coler outside.

[blownv6]

Check your Fan Clutch!

They make an audible pinging very similar to detonation (which is what you're describing). With two knock sensors, that truck should not even run if you have audible engine knock.

Just my :m2:

D

[MTPockets]

.. With two knock sensors, that truck should not even run if you have audible engine knock.

Just my :m2:

D

I agree- or atleast it shouldn't run without a SES light from a knock sensor. Then again, the OP does have a 'modified' ECM.

Joel

[ScarabEpic22]

What year is your TB? If it is an 02-04, then replace the fuel filter. If it is an 05+, its in the tank.

I would also suggest new plugs, clean the throttle body as long as you have the resonator off for the plugs, clean the IAT sensor (no MAF on the I6 until 06), and run a bottle or 2 of Techron.

[dionmckinney]

have the exhaust manifold checked out. I was having the exact same symptoms