Still hunting for the solution...
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 44
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From: DESTIN FL
Still hunting for the solution...
Is your truck flex fuel? My 2000 is and its has had valve noise since18000 miles. I have tried everything under the sun, recently changed to88 octain and no more noise.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
Still hunting for the solution...
Hello James. My truck is a flex fuel. It sounds like your valve noise may actually have been pinging if the higher octane gas got rid of it. I know that my pinging does vanish if I use the higher octane gas. Maybe running higher octane gas is the best solution for pinging?
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Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 355
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
Still hunting for the solution...
Actually, from what ive been told by mechanics and service depts. is that running a higher octane gas can increase the amount of carbon deposits in your engine and after time make the pinging problem worse. I wish I knew this before I went to a higher octane gas...I went up to 89 and stopped the pinging for year or so then started to come back and had to go up to 93. At that point I decided to go back to 87 and spend $200 to get the carbon removed by a dealer.
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 295
Likes: 1
From: poughkeepsie ny
Still hunting for the solution...
If your vehicle was not designed to run on anything beyond 87 octane, buying higher octane fuel is NOT the proper way to solve the problem. When higher octane helps elimate a pinging problem it almost always points to the timing being too far advanced.
With the cost of high octane fuel, it would be more cost effective for you to find the root of the problem if you plan to use the truck for a long time to come.
With the cost of high octane fuel, it would be more cost effective for you to find the root of the problem if you plan to use the truck for a long time to come.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
Still hunting for the solution...
Thanks for the feedback reguarding the drawbacks of higher octane over the long-term. I had no idea that higher octane gas had this effect. Maybe I'll give the 180 degree thermostat a try before I switch to the higher octane gas. Bass, I am just curious if having the carbon deposits cleaned from your engine helped the pinging?
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
Still hunting for the solution...
Woops! Sorry Bass... I just back-tracked through the posts here and it doesn't sound like cleaning the carbon deposits helped. Let me know how the thermostat mod goes....
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
Still hunting for the solution...
Have any of you guys tried wrapping your air filter intake tube with reflective heat wrap to help with pinging? I haven't tried this either but have heard it suggested to keep the incoming air cooler.
New User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas
Still pinging?
I've been reading all these posts and this problem seems to be a real puzzle. I have a 94 B4000 2wd ext. cab, auto, with 118K. The truck ran beautifully for 20K (bought used with 99K) I had my local mech. do a full tuneup. The air filter was almost clogged so replaced it.
When I drove home from the shop it started pinging under load (approaching crest of hill, etc) No CEL, and the only error showing is that the timing is advanced 20 degrees instead of the normal 10. Higher octane fuel will help, but I am really puzzled.
I'm taking the truck in to Mazda next week but don't have great expectations.
What can cause the timing to advance 10 degrees above normal?
Thanks much!
jb
When I drove home from the shop it started pinging under load (approaching crest of hill, etc) No CEL, and the only error showing is that the timing is advanced 20 degrees instead of the normal 10. Higher octane fuel will help, but I am really puzzled.
I'm taking the truck in to Mazda next week but don't have great expectations.
What can cause the timing to advance 10 degrees above normal?
Thanks much!
jb
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 132
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
JB, I am still working on this issue although temporarily I am still running 89 octane which takes care of it for the most part. I believe that, in general, these engines run too advanced on their timing as you have pointed out--likely due to the PCM module. Please see the following thread with special attention to the latest posting by Rocklegde. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...7&goto=newpost
Good luck and let us know if you have any luck.
John
Good luck and let us know if you have any luck.
John
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 295
Likes: 1
From: poughkeepsie ny
What can cause the timing to advance 10 degrees above normal?
Older systems relied on the centrifugal or vacuum in the distributor to advance the timing. Pinpointing advance/retard problems with these setups was a lot easier.
New User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3
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I bought my truck used and it pinged with 87 Octane right from the beginning. I had an extended warranty, I brought it in for them to look at it and they said that I should run high octane for a couple gas tanks full and then go back to 87 and that didn't help. They also said that for them to do the Full Diagnostics on it that I would have to pay for them to do it. My warranty is up now. I am still trying to figure it out. I have checked the EGR system and it seems to be operating fine. I have cleaned the MAF and it doesn't seem to help. If the MAF was bad, would it or would it not, activate a code?? I was looking at getting the Granetelli MAF, but I wanted to wait to see if it would solve my problems. Any advice at all would be great.
Jay
Jay
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 355
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge, LA
I was also wondering if a bad MAF would throw a code, and I didnt want to spend the $170 on a new MAF just to see if it would help. So I went to a local parts store and for $120 i bought a new MAF, tried it in my truck for a few hours with no improvement, and then took the new MAF off...cleaned it up and brought it back to the parts store for a full refund. Basically, i now know that the MAF is not the cause for my pinging. Anybody know how much it would cost to completly overhaul the EGR system, hoses included?
New User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas
Guys:
I took my Mazda (B4000) to the dealer...they did a complete diagnostic and came up with the conclusion that the timing was advanced 20 degrees. (10 degrees more than normal)
Their only proposed solution was the PCM module, so I am looking for a used one since their price was $800 plus, with no guarantee and no return. (the good thing was that they did the diagnostic at NO CHARGE!)
I have since driven the truck to VA and back (2400 mile round trip) with little pinging, however I laced the regular gas with HEET to up the octane a little.
I'm taking it back to my regular mechanic because the last two stops on the trip, the engine would miss on startup. This may be a headgasket or head problem which may be related to the timing advance??
Any thoughts or discoveries will be appreciated.
cheers,
jb
I took my Mazda (B4000) to the dealer...they did a complete diagnostic and came up with the conclusion that the timing was advanced 20 degrees. (10 degrees more than normal)
Their only proposed solution was the PCM module, so I am looking for a used one since their price was $800 plus, with no guarantee and no return. (the good thing was that they did the diagnostic at NO CHARGE!)
I have since driven the truck to VA and back (2400 mile round trip) with little pinging, however I laced the regular gas with HEET to up the octane a little.
I'm taking it back to my regular mechanic because the last two stops on the trip, the engine would miss on startup. This may be a headgasket or head problem which may be related to the timing advance??
Any thoughts or discoveries will be appreciated.
cheers,
jb
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,873
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From: St. Peter
How was your engine acting when it was missing?, and why do you think its a head/head gasket problem, cause thats what my 94 ranger 4.0 does somtimes, after you've driven it for a while, and i was also thinking it might be related to a head / head gasket problem...... are there any ways to be 100 percent sure besides pulling off the heads and having someone look at them?
New User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas
Peter:
About the missing on startup....the mechanic said it could also be a dirty or failing injector.
I'm going to try to get the truck in this coming week and will let you know what I find out.
A compression check might show a leaking gasket.
The missing started when I stopped for gas after running at highway speed for a couple of hours. When I restarted the engine after gassing up, I noticed a distinct miss that gradually disappeared after a few seconds...maybe 30 seconds. I think the first time it happened I shut off the engine and looked for a missing plug wire, and when I started up again the miss was gone. The second time, which was my last stop before arriving home, I let it run and the miss disappeared after some 30 seconds or so. I haven't driven the truck since.
jb
About the missing on startup....the mechanic said it could also be a dirty or failing injector.
I'm going to try to get the truck in this coming week and will let you know what I find out.
A compression check might show a leaking gasket.
The missing started when I stopped for gas after running at highway speed for a couple of hours. When I restarted the engine after gassing up, I noticed a distinct miss that gradually disappeared after a few seconds...maybe 30 seconds. I think the first time it happened I shut off the engine and looked for a missing plug wire, and when I started up again the miss was gone. The second time, which was my last stop before arriving home, I let it run and the miss disappeared after some 30 seconds or so. I haven't driven the truck since.
jb