My '92 F-150 4x4 runs great . . except on hills or under load. The pinging and loss of power are my only complaints with this truck. Friends are telling me maybe the EGR valve or MAP sensor is bad? Plug wire condition & routing seem OK. I have another MAP sensor from a good-running Mustang 5.0 (same part number). Suggestions?

 

Check to see if there are any trouble codes . That way you can narrow down your diagnostics .

 

I'm pretty new to all this . . . I see a lot of your messgae posts saying "check codes". How do I do this in my driveway? Do I have to go to dealer and pay cubic dollars to have them tell me what they think could be wrong (and then charge me again when they find out "that wasn't it")? Isn't there a mechanic left in the world anymore? I don't have any computer diagnostic equipment . . . guess I'll have to start driving my '47 Chevy pickup again, that doesn't need any. Thanks anyway.

 

Dont let Efi scare you , its not hard at all . Having a repair manual for your truck like a Chiltons or whatever would help you a lot , most of them are around $20 . To check for trouble codes on your truck all you need is a small jumper wire connected to the proper terminals of the EEC IV Connector under the hood . The 2 terminals are the Self Test Input & Signal Return . A lot of diagrams show using an analog volt ohm meter & counting the sweeps of the needle to count the code numbers , but I find sitting in the truck counting the Check Engine Light Flashes easier & fewer things to connect .

Also look over the basic maintenance items before you go on to more complicated things .

 

I'm a mechanic by trade and would suggest checking your timing and do you use good gas?? If not I would change.As for checking engine codes,I normally dont get into the computer unless the light has come on.Also when was the last time you changed your fuel filter?? Good luck.Windsor

 

 

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I have an 89 F-150 that had the same problem with ping & knock. I took the advise from some guys at f150.com and treated a couple full tanks of gas with CHEVRON TECHRON Total fuel system cleaner. I had my doubt when they told me to try it but it worked. It will cost you around 10 - 13 dollars at an auto parts store but you'll find it cheaper at wall mart. Don't confuse it with the injector cleaner, that is not the same product.

I also changed my air filter with a K&N filter which improved the performance and power of the engine.

The cleaner is a cheap attempt to fix but to me it was better than buying new parts right away.

By the way you may want to make sure your running no less than 91 octane in through it. 87 octane will cause this problem as well, I found this out because I failed to treat the rear tank and when I switched the knock and Ping came back... after treating the tank it went away. AND DON'T USE ETHENOL !


James Newman
Des Moines, IA.