Among the popping on my front suspension, the crappy automatic transmission, and now a crack I noticed in my radiator the engine pinging is more consistent or maybe getting worse. I usually drive with the cd player on so I never notice how loud the engine pinging is when you drive with the radio off. I've been driving with the radio off lately to listen for anymore pops that I didn't hear before my suspension was rebuilt and now I can hear the engine pinging pretty good. Maintenance has been strict on my truck, everything listed in the factory service manual has been replaced according to the guide, with the exception of the transmission fluid/filter and the timing belt. The transmission there's no hope for so it doesn't matter how often you service it. The timing belt I replaced at 120,000 miles, which is when the Ford service guide said to Inspect only, but I changed it anyway. I use to have the Superchip performance chip in since the truck had like 15,000 miles on it and had to use 93 Octane for the chip. It now has 190,000 miles and I've been using 87 Octane since the chip is gone. I took the chip out about 10,000 miles ago. The pinging has always been with the truck except when was brand new and it's always done it on our 93 2.3L. I recently replaced the spark plugs with the factory specified Motorcraft platinum plugs, and put new Accel Superstock Spiral Core wires on. It has the Accel Super EDIS coil packs. Now I'm hearing the pinging a lot more, especially from about 30-60 MPH and more prevalent when more throttle is needed up the hill. It feels like it's loosing some power, but I actually don't think it's the transmission. I hope it's not a weak fuel pump. Fuel mileage has gone down to 20 MPG, I was getting 21-23MPG not too long ago. I filled it up with 89 Octane tonight, added two bottles of Valvoline Synpower Fuel Injector Cleaner last night and tried a couple ounces of Seafoam Injector Cleaner fed through the manifold vacuum hose. It puffed a big cloud of smoke at first start up, but not much else after that and still I could hear the pinging just driving around the neighborhood at 30mph. I'm sure it has some carbon deposits, but it shouldn't be that bad. Could it be a sensor going bad? Sometimes idling at stop it will randomly run rough a brief second or two just so you can feel it, like it's loosing vacuum. I've got an oil change to do, so I'm going to do an engine flush, and throw on a fuel filter I have and see if the filter might be clogged. Timing belt is coming up at 200,000. Anyone try the 3 part fuel system cleaning kit from Berryman with any success? What's causing the pinging? Has the gas been altered?

 

Sooooo many variabes, it's difficult to decide where to begin.

This engine isn't designed to operate on premium fuel, as it can cause the deposits your now trying to remove & other driveability problems.

Good idea imo, to go back to the stock set up & try to get things squared away.

The fuel detergent additives are probably a good start, so I'd wait until you run this treated tank out & see if things improve.

If so, then maybe combustion chamber deposits were/are part of the problem.

If you've also changed out the stock air filter, with a oiled gauze, or foam type element, then a dirty MAF sensor should probably on your suspect list.

There have been some reports of Purolater air filters not fitting Ranger air boxes right & bypassing dirt to the MAF sensor, so if your using one of those, check it's fit & if not good, replace it & remove & carefully clean the MAF sensor with "throttle body" spray cleaner.

If you find the MAF is dirty & the filter fit is ok, make sure the air box was/is properly buttoned up.

Check for vacuum leaks.

Check for low fuel pressure.

Correct heat range spark plugs.

Make sure your using a good quality gasoline.

My Fords like Texaco or Chevron & I get the best mileage on them the way they're formulated in my area.

Chevrons "Techron Concentrate Plus" is a very good intake & combustion chamber deposit tidy upper, if you think maybe you need another enema treatment for the carbon deposits!!!!

It's not uncommon to need two treatments, along with some sprited driving, if the deposits are heavy.

Just a few thoughts to ponder.

 

I tried a couple ounces of the Seafoam fuel system cleaner fed through vacuum hose and it helped quiet the pinging down, but it's not gone. I do have a Volant intake kit on, since probably 20,000 miles, and it's got 190,000 miles. I recently swapped the MAF out with a remanufactured one because it was stumbling a lot at idle. It cleared it up. The oil gauze filter is an open element conical one and is just a few months old as well. The spark plugs I replaced for 3rd time at 180,000 miles with the Motorcraft OEM plugs and new Accel Superstock Spiral Core wires. I've had the Accel Super EDIS coil packs on since about 70,000 miles. So the ignition is strong. I do always add a fuel injector cleaner when I do an oil change, which no more than 3,500 miles at the latest. Fuel filter I changed at 51,000 miles, 102,000 miles, 153,000, and I've got one coming up too, I'll probably go ahead and change it since I've got it already. It's a Motorcraft filter too. I try and use Ford only parts or performance parts for maintenance. I'm going to try the Professional 3 part fuel system cleaning from Berryman that they carry at Advance. It comes with a throttle body cleaner safe for Ford coatings, Super Concentrated Fuel System Cleaner to be fed through the included vaccum hose, and a large bottle of Fuel Injector Cleaner. It's only $25, and it's basically the same thing used at the Tune-up shops. I remember when I just recently changed the spark plugs and wires, I actually removed the throttle body to get to the left side spark plugs and I manually cleaned the throttle body with coating safe cleaner. There was quite a thin layer of carbon on the back of the throttle plate. I'm going to try all these maintenance items in the next few weeks and see if anything changes. Now my Ranger is starting to show it's age, but I'm still amazed that our 93 2.3 with 218,000 is still ready to crank up and go whenever needed, with just the slightest turn of the key it still fires on the first try everytime.

 

As engines get older, the combustion chamber builds up with carbon which raises the compression ratio and causes pinging. If you put higher octane gas in your truck and it goes away then the timing needs to be retarded a few degrees to correct it.

 

so you ran 93 octane with a chip....Did you take any measures to reset things when the chip was removed? The computer may still be running on that same program. Also you upgraded the ignition, higher flow filter, and an intake. Sounds to me like you created your engine to ping. pinging is made by preignition which is caused by too high of combustion temps. You not only made the spark hotter, you now probably leaned out the fuel mixture with the intake. With the two combined you can de carbon the engine all you want but you'll probably never find your problem.

 

My 2.3 will ping if I use 87 or 89 octane and pulling 5x8 trailer with equipment, but with 93 from BP, it has not pinged since then. Also, many recommend Amsoil PI to add with your gas tank every time you visit gas station. PI help clean injector and intake valve. I have noticed engine run like top and gas mpg is at 24 for a full tank of 14 gallon with city driving. Now it is inching 178k on the way to 200k. So let see, how many more legs she got.

 

I've had the Superchip since it had about 15,000 miles on it. You had to use 93 Octane with the chip because 87 would cause pinging. Later on like a few months ago it was still pinging even with the chip and 93 Octane. The intake kit was put on when it had about 30,000 miles on it. Then the Coils were put on at 60,000 miles. First the company Superchip told me the Performance chip advanced the timing, moved the shift points 300-500RPM, increased the line pressure, and increased the governor 20 MPH. Now they tell me that it only increases the governor speed. They have gone back and forth on their story and no one can give me any facts on it. I bought it on the assumption that it did all that and now that I'm wanting some information about what it does, they don't want to give any to me. The chip has also failed twice, causing random check engine light problems, when the system was fine, finally shooting up a Computer Programming Error. So I decided to take it out for good. They told me as soon as you unplug it from the back of the computer it converts back to the factory settings. Anyway after I took it out, I had to replace my battery so it's been reset. I'm thinking my fuel pump is getting weak because it requires extra throttle pressure to get up the hills and there is no slip in the transmission oddly. It feels down in power too, something that I hadn't noticed before. I usually run the tank until almost empty everytime and one mechanic told me that will burn out your fuel pump, but it's lasted 188,000 miles so I don't see how. I was thinking of putting back the stock air filter system, but adding the cold air intake kit gave the biggest improvement in power, it always felt like that it did more than the chip. Maybe if I ever finish my Charger I'll just put everything back to stock on this Ranger. I've kept everything I've taken off.

 

My 2000 4 cyl started a ping sound about a month ago and got bad in the last week, then . . . CEL, code PO402. dont know if its the same as yours. My "ping" is not quite the same a ping/knock that Ive heard before. its more like a faster rattle . . . like tin viberation and is very loud under load or exceleration. Im convinced that with my EGR malfuction it must have changed the combution sound or . . . i dont know what? Im certain there's a connection between my ping and the EGR problem. If all else fails maybe check it?

 

I changed my fuel filter yesterday while I was doing some other maintenance. I relieved the fuel system pressure by unplugging the inertia switch in the cab and also by loosening the cap. I hate that tool you have to use to get the fuel lines off, it never works easily. I finally got the filter off and it released a lot of pressure from the filter. It's never happened like that before and I've changed this filter 4 times. I also noticed that the gas that poured out of the filter was rusty colored which is strange. I've never had a fuel problem or the fuel system worked on. It's only been about 30,000 miles exactly since I've changed it. I use to do it every 51,000 miles like stated in the factory service guide. Pinging has gone down considerably, but not absent. I've only had the Check Engine Light come on twice both times when the Superchip malfunctioned and there was never anything really faulty except the chip. It never came on when the transmission quit 2 times or the idle air control valve went out.

 

Kinda sounds like you've been buying gas at a station with dirty tanks, or maybe filled up while a tanker was making a delivey or shortly thereafter, if that tank hadn't been taken off line, for the specified time, by the attendant, as he's supposed too, during a delivery.

Our vehicles fuel system also needs the specified delivery rate, at the specifed pressure, to do it's thing!!!! Sometimes we forget the "delivery rate" part of the equation, when checking fuel pressure & if the pump can't pony up the needed volume during high demand driving, the air/fuel mixture can then go lean!!!!

Just some thoughts to ponder.