Ping and Knock
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,968
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From: So Cal
Ping and Knock
Ping and knock are related. Ping is just a milder and less harmful form of knock. Both are caused by the fuel air mix igniting or exploding too early in the compression stroke.
Ping is very minor and may gas comapnies and car companies say very slight occasional pinging is an indication that the engine settings are near optimum for gas mileage. Ping is kind of like a, well ping of a slight rattle sound from the engine. Usually you will get pinging when the engine is under heavy load, going up hill, hot weather or the gas is marginal. Light pinging can usually be cured by a slightly higher octane gas, a tune up or a good carbon cleaning.
Knock is a much stronger and destructive form of ping. It is usually loud and sounds like someone is banging on your engine with a hammer. They are, the exploding fuel air slams down on the top of the piston and eventually melts the piston top of pounds the bearings until you get engine failure. Knock usually is a sign that something is seriously not right. You may have really crappy gas, bad ignition timing, heavy carbon in the cylinder etc.
Light ping is usually not worth worrying about. A knock should be attened to.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
Ping is very minor and may gas comapnies and car companies say very slight occasional pinging is an indication that the engine settings are near optimum for gas mileage. Ping is kind of like a, well ping of a slight rattle sound from the engine. Usually you will get pinging when the engine is under heavy load, going up hill, hot weather or the gas is marginal. Light pinging can usually be cured by a slightly higher octane gas, a tune up or a good carbon cleaning.
Knock is a much stronger and destructive form of ping. It is usually loud and sounds like someone is banging on your engine with a hammer. They are, the exploding fuel air slams down on the top of the piston and eventually melts the piston top of pounds the bearings until you get engine failure. Knock usually is a sign that something is seriously not right. You may have really crappy gas, bad ignition timing, heavy carbon in the cylinder etc.
Light ping is usually not worth worrying about. A knock should be attened to.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
