Ping
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New User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Silver City Nm
Ping
Ping in my '93 Aerostar, 4.0L, 80,000mi. Ping ( pre iginition) has developed over last 3000mi., getting very bad on up hill. Have already changed fuel filter, MAF, PCV valve, and air filter. Does not seem to be "bad gas" (have changed brands, added octane booster etc with no improvement) Seems to start and idle ok. Any suggestions before my engine self destructs! Thank you.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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you may have carbon build up in the cylnders. there is a number of things you can get at autoparts store to run through engine to clean it. also in the mean time you could retard the timing to get rid of the pinging. it may not run as good but at least you wont hurt the engine
thats all i know
thats all i know
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New User
Joined: May 2004
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From: Silver City Nm
Re:ping
Thanks Lasher, I'll try to blow the crud out of the cylenders first. I recall that you used to be able to do this by spraying cool water into the throttle body. I can't adjust the timing on an Areostar, it's set at 10BTDC. Do you (or anyone else) know how to read the computer codes? I've heard you can hook a volt meter in someplace and count pulses but that's as much as I know. I have been searching the previous questions on ping and come up with the following things to check or do: O2 sensor, ERG sensor, DPFE sensor, temp sensor, clean injectors, change plugs and wires. Sure would be nice to limit the possibles with this code checker thing I hear about. Any other suggestions? Thanks again.
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i remember spraying water also. it worked. most of the time you dont get any codes when it just pings and still runs good. i think now days ya really need the code reader.
i remember counting pulses also along time ago that i got out of a factory manual.
i dont have a factory manual for my aerostar so cant help you with that if it is in there. if you do have a code showing up you should be getting a yellow service engine light staying on.
i remember counting pulses also along time ago that i got out of a factory manual.
i dont have a factory manual for my aerostar so cant help you with that if it is in there. if you do have a code showing up you should be getting a yellow service engine light staying on.
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: BC, Canada
Hi DaddyMouse and welcome to the forum 
Rather than using cold water to decarbonize the engine I would get some combustion chamber cleaner. Your dealer should stock TuneUp Cleaner and it works well. Lots of people on here recommend Seafoam.
Does your engine use any coolant or oil?
Rather than using cold water to decarbonize the engine I would get some combustion chamber cleaner. Your dealer should stock TuneUp Cleaner and it works well. Lots of people on here recommend Seafoam.
Does your engine use any coolant or oil?
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If you have a check engine light on, some of the national autoparts stores will read the codes for you for free. I know that autozone does in my area. If you have a check engine light on I'd check the codes before you try decarboning the engine. The store I work at sells "fuel injection cleaning" that also involves running cleaner through a vacuum line into the engine, and I've seen that set an 02 sensor code a couple times. Also I've heard that the cool water trick should only really be done on a carbed car, someone said that it will permanently hurt the 02 sensor. Don't know if that part is true or not. Good luck
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From: Silver City Nm
Ping update, need code interpretation
After reading the replys and everything I could find on this site about ping, I ran the moth and cob webs out of my wallet and headed for the parts store. They didn't have "Sea Foam" (this is south west New Mexico and the closest thing to Sea Foam around here is Sand Dune) so I settled for a bottle of STP fuel injector cleaner. I also bought a code scanner and after reading about seventy pages of safety warnings in thirty-seven different languages I figured out how to hook the thing up and run the tests. On the first test - key on, engine off - I got 1-111, 1-111 which says that there is nothing in the stored memory. Then during the second test, key on, engine running I got code 536 and 538. Code 536 was break on-off (which I ignored) but 538 gives three possibles: Insufficient RPM change during dynamic responce test OR invalid cylinder balance test- throttle position movement OR invalid cylinder balance test - cylinder identification problems. My third test shows that I have six cylinders, which when last I checked, I do. Can anybody tell me what these test results mean? Is this a bad injector and if so can it cause ping?
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Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: BC, Canada
Did you do the dynamic response part of the KOER test?
First you should get the 30 code which means it's a 6 cylinder, then after a bit more time you should get a 10 at which time you are supposed to perform a quick WOT (stab the throttle to the floor as fast as you can, the engine RPM doesnt have to change much) and then a few seconds later you will get a code, either 111 which means it's ok or a trouble code.
First you should get the 30 code which means it's a 6 cylinder, then after a bit more time you should get a 10 at which time you are supposed to perform a quick WOT (stab the throttle to the floor as fast as you can, the engine RPM doesnt have to change much) and then a few seconds later you will get a code, either 111 which means it's ok or a trouble code.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Silver City Nm
Thanks Racerguy, Give me a day or two to try to run this test properly (looks like it takes two people - one to push the gas pedal and one to watch the code reader) and I'll get back with the results. I'm a "senior" (damn I hate that label) and I don't move as quick as I used to. I really appreciate your help.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,452
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From: Southern California
Pull the vacuum line on your transmission modulator. If you see transmission fluid there, that's your source of the pinging. Tranny fluid got sucked into the combustion chamber that way and that causes pinging. At least, that's what happened with my van.
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Southern California
Originally Posted by aerocolorado
You guys are missing the obvious first place to look - plug wires and plugs, then start chasing gremlins afterwards.
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Joined: Apr 2001
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Originally Posted by copper_90680
He he, aerocolorado. I'd rather have a root canal before I'd do those plugs.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Orland USA
DaddyMouse:
I have a Super Pro Dual Decoder. When I hook it up and sit inside the car my Check engine light flashes the code. I wonder if anybody elses does? Looks like they did that so you can read the codes either in or out of the car.
I have a Super Pro Dual Decoder. When I hook it up and sit inside the car my Check engine light flashes the code. I wonder if anybody elses does? Looks like they did that so you can read the codes either in or out of the car.