Any advice on "Ping" issue?

[panthermike]

Hey guys,

My girlfriend has a 2000 Corolla W/ 3spd Auto. It has 140K now but since around 100K has had a ping issue.

It is mostly on the freeway at around 60-70, sometimes not so bad and sometimes really bad.

Also, it seems it pings more in the summer time when it's hot?

Here are some things I've done to no avail:

Plugs(Twice), Air Filter, Cleaned MAF(Twice), Replaced PCV Valve, Multiple Fuel Treatments(Good ones), Seafoamed once a while back. Can't think of anything else right now.

Car has no codes, had some at 120K in which the cat and o2 sensors were replaced(reason I don't want to use seafoam again).

Does anybody have any ideas on what else could cause this ping?

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

[Quest]

Have you check the idle ignition timing (static)?

Q.

 

[panthermike]

No I haven't, not really sure what that is, just the timing?

Thanks.

 

[alreadygone]

Timing, probably have to get pro help with this.

Alternative would be buy premium,, when gas was a buck and premium was .10 more, made quite a bit of difference, with current prices it's less than 2 bucks per tank difference.

Bob

 

[JasonC]

could be carbon build up on the pistons which in turn is raising the compression ratio.

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: JasonC
could be carbon build up on the pistons which in turn is raising the compression ratio.


With that many miles, this would be my guess as well.

Pull a spark plug or two and look at the tops of the pistons to see if they look black. If they're black and pitted that's even worse since the pits cause hot spots that make detonation even worse.

 

[BuickGN]

Check timing. It takes 1 minute.

 

[panthermike]

Ok will definately check timing and when I do the plugs next time, I'm going to do it myself so I can check things with my own eyes.

Thanks.

 

[wcbcruzer]

Pinging is due to timing. Did they use a distributor cap on that car? If so, it's easy to check.

 

[widman]

Check the timing, but it is very likely carbon build-up on the heads and pistons, reducing head space, increasing compression, and turning white-hot to pre-ignite. Run one, or maybe two tanks of gas with bottles of Techron. 90% probability it will take off the carbon and eliminate the problem.

 

[F23A4]

You might want to check or change the plug wires. I had a similar problem with my Nissan a number of years ago. A plug wire went bad causing incomplete combustion in one cylinder. The sensors would see it as an over rich condition and the computer would jump in and lean everything out to compensate. Net result, pinging.

 

[Johnny]

If it's carbon, when the tank is almost empty, put in a full bottle of Red Line SI-1 then only fill the tank to half full. When this is gone, if it still pings, carbon was not your problem.

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: F23A4
You might want to check or change the plug wires. I had a similar problem with my Nissan a number of years ago. A plug wire went bad causing incomplete combustion in one cylinder. The sensors would see it as an over rich condition and the computer would jump in and lean everything out to compensate. Net result, pinging.

Not ragging on you, but you need to study how O2 sensors and combustion work. Missfires cause O2 sensors to read lean, not rich.

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: punisher
Originally Posted By: F23A4
You might want to check or change the plug wires. I had a similar problem with my Nissan a number of years ago. A plug wire went bad causing incomplete combustion in one cylinder. The sensors would see it as an over rich condition and the computer would jump in and lean everything out to compensate. Net result, pinging.

Not ragging on you, but you need to study how O2 sensors and combustion work. Missfires cause O2 sensors to read lean, not rich.


Misfires make the sensor read rich which it tries to correct, making the normal cylinders go lean.

 

[chevrofreak]

When there isn't enough fuel in the cylinder to burn all of the oxygen, the O2 sensor detects that. If the cylinder fails to fire then there will be a high level of oxygen detected.

O2 sensors detect oxygen, not fuel.

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
When there isn't enough fuel in the cylinder to burn all of the oxygen, the O2 sensor detects that. If the cylinder fails to fire then there will be a high level of oxygen detected.

O2 sensors detect oxygen, not fuel.


The 02 reacts off of hydrocarbons and produces a voltage. A misfire due to anything but a non-functioning injector will send raw unburned hydrocarbons into the exhaust which will show up as pig rich.

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: panthermike
Hey guys,

My girlfriend has a 2000 Corolla W/ 3spd Auto. It has 140K now but since around 100K has had a ping issue.

It is mostly on the freeway at around 60-70, sometimes not so bad and sometimes really bad.

Also, it seems it pings more in the summer time when it's hot?

Here are some things I've done to no avail:

Plugs(Twice), Air Filter, Cleaned MAF(Twice), Replaced PCV Valve, Multiple Fuel Treatments(Good ones), Seafoamed once a while back. Can't think of anything else right now.

Car has no codes, had some at 120K in which the cat and o2 sensors were replaced(reason I don't want to use seafoam again).

Does anybody have any ideas on what else could cause this ping?

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Mike

Have you checked the cooling system? You said it seems to do it more in summer. Has the thermostat been replaced recently?

 

[Ryan]

I'm not a rocket scientist, but I would bet my life that a 2000 Corolla is not going to have adjustable timing, there is no distributor cap on there. He would have to reprogram the PCM to change the timing. Even my POS 95 Neon had computer controlled timing.

 

[Jimmy9190]

BG or Ever Wear fuel induction service might help.

 

[mechtech2]

Carbon build up will raise the compression, and cause pinging.
An engine that is running too hot will also spark knock when normally it wouldn't.
Over advanced ignition timing will also do this.
So will an over advanced cam timing belt.
If the air inlet is getting hot air instead of cool air, it will knock and ping. Often there is a thermostatic valve to allow cooler ambient air into the air filter assembly. If this sticks, you will knock.
If your timing is adjustable, reset it, as it will cover other faults. See where it is at, and retard it 2 degrees. An occasional knock here and there is OK. Retard it 2 deg again if necessary.