started noticing a ping noise when going up hills then temp rises.I have done the typical fixes(temp gauge,sensor,tune up,higher octane fuel..) now what?

 

Have you removed the carbon deposits from the engine. Also, your year should still have the vacuum modulator on the trans. If that modulator goes bad, trans fluid can get sucked into the engine which will cause horrible pinging. If your trans fluid is a little low and there are no spots on your driveway, this is most likely the problem. The modulator should be replaced every other fluid change, so about every 60,000 miles.

 

No I havent removed the carbon deposits from the engine.I dont think trans fluid sucked into the engine.

 

Yeah, if it's a 3.0, they recomend running seafoam through the engine when they start getting alot of miles. It wouldn't hurt no matter what engine it is, but the 3.0 is bad to carbon up according to the ford service tech.

 

I ran seafoam through the engine and octanboost no change

 

Hows your cat, I have heard cases where a plugged up cat will cause temp issue's and pinging under a hard pull like going up hill. I know one sign of a plugged cat is that it will glow cherry red after a hard pull. If it's not rusted out, I supose it's hard to know the condition of a cat without removing it.

 

funny u say that about the cat a guy at work told me same thing

 

How's your radiator? Did you look to see if there was any 'bloom' on the ends of the tubes? Where does the temp gauge read during these uphill runs? Has your EGR system been checked, could it possibly be plugged a little?
How did you fix the temp gauge? I could see replacing the thermostat, but not the gauge. Has the coolant been maintained? The system sounds marginal, in the when you put a load on it, heatwise, it seems to be not up to the job of cooling the engine.
Check the standard items: belts, stat, pump, and radiator. Assuming the timing is correct, and the knock sensor (if equipped) is functional.
tom

 

A cat doesn't fail or plug by itself, something caused this. EGR problems can definitely cause pinging. Have you actually checked the transmission modulator, they are a common failure, and it will cause pinging, and may not immediately cause shifting issues.

Back to the cat theory, it is a possibility that should be checked out, but it is not a common problem if the vehicle has been maintained. A plugged cat would also cause a severe lack of power, and remember, a lot people say that a lot of problems could be that cat, but I do cats for a living, and I am familiar with people saying that. It seems a lot like a catchy thing to say, but without diagnostics to lead you in that direction, it is really more like an ignorant shot in the dark, one could just as easily suggest half a dozen other options without getting any closer.

To test the plugged cat theory, remove the O2 sensor, and see if the relived backpressure helps. If it does, then pursue further tests for the cat, like vacuum tests, etc. Other very real possibilities include a partially plugged injector(s), which can cause one or more cylinders to lean out, which causes a pinging. A plugged fuel filter can lean the engine out, or a fuel pressure regulator that does not respond to load changes, spark plugs with an incorrect heat range, a faulty fuel pump, any condition that causes the engine to lean out even slightly can cause pinging.

 

Well Bear, I think your right about the cat theory. I have decided to get used engine and have it installed.

 

Whoa, thats a jump, straight to an engine? Have you considered that the overheating might be causing the ping, and not the sequence you suggested? If the coolant is poorly circulating, of the radiator is not getting rid of the heat quickly enough, the heads might heat up enough to cause a ping.

 

well it does use some coolant and most time that means head gasget right?It almost cheaper to get used motor.

 

Using coolant means its getting sucked into the engine through the head gaskets or intake. I don't think getting new headgaskets would be more expensive then a new engine...You can do headgaksets yourself with a decent torque wrench and some spare time.

 

Where can I get Instructions or step to doing it myself? I thought you had to have special tools?I have a torque wrench and garage just figured too big a job for me.

 

If the head gaskets are bad you should have several indicators. Oil in water, excess water being pumped out the tail pipe, miss when running, open the rad cap and fill to top, look for bubbles in the opening while at operating temp. Depends on where the veh came from, my 94 4.0 DOES NOT have an EGR, the ones from calif do, not sure about the ones from anyplace else. The exploders of this year also had EGR.s not sure about the 3.0.

Before doing anything get he vehicle to a shop, school someplace that can put it onto a computer and have it analyzed. could possibly be a bad ECM/ECU/PCM but I mean onboard computer, yes they do fail. Might be a bad MAF insufficient fuel for confitions. There are a lot of things that need to be checked and a shop is the best place to start. Most will pull computer readings for around $50-75. I do not mean the simple plug and count for codes, I am saying actual computer readings by snap-on, or someother computer system that are out there. check first is the best advice I can give ya.