Hyundai says very light 'ping is normal'

[wemay]

2014 Sonata 2.4
12,000 miles
87 octane or higher is what the owner's manual specifies.
Recently been using 93 with no evidence of pinging but wife did last fill from almost empty w/87.
Car runs great and consistently returns a mixed-driving 28 mpg.

In the recent past I drove my Sonata with the radio off, just to hear if any strange noises were present. I dont blast the radio, mostly listen to sports talk and news with a rare blast of music. I mention that to establish how light the pinging is. I noticed some pinging on acceleration when gears up-shift between 3-4-5. It lasts about one or two seconds only and no one hears it unless I point it out (wife). I thought it was bad gas so i refilled with another brand (but 89) and the pinging went away, I thought. It actually didnt. So, I took the Sonata (filled w/87) to two dealerships this week and both hooked up a scan tool and drove the car. No codes came up. Both advised that the condition is absolutely normal and gave me a printed invoice indicating as such. The Svc Advisors each advised it's a d.i. high compression design characteristic and fine.

Thoughts...

 

[Drew99GT]

Every car I've ever owned has very light ping on dip in throttle at lower rpms with 87 or lower octane (we get 85 here as low grade); it goes away as rpms rise. Everything I've read over the years says it's perfectly normal. It's the constant heavy ping at all rpms and throttle positions that is harmful.

 

[y_p_w]

Pretty normal. Knock sensors basically detect light knock and the ECU backs off on the timing to prevent the engine from destroying itself.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

I agree with Drew. My Hyundai DI occasionally pings for just a second like that but it's usually more related to low rpms approaching lugging with the manual transmission. I can see an automatic doing the same thing with the shift programming that comes with the car and the right circumstance and/or quality of gas.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I think most owner's manuals say that light spark knocking is normal.

The pinging during shifting like that demonstrates to you that Hyundai is getting every bit of spark advance out of that fuel that it possibly can. My 2011 Camry was the same way. I started filling my Camry with 93 octane and I kept running it with 93 octane because the computer was able to adjust for it and advance the timing even further. Not far enough to cause more knocking, but far enough to where fuel economy was improved and it didn't really cost me any extra money to run it.

 

[Eddie]

Normal for most vehicles I've owned. Ed

 

[wemay]

Thanks guys. What I figured as well.

Vuflanovsky reminded me of something else concerning shift logic. I drive the Sonata in 'ECO' mode often. This may lug the motor further. I will admit though, the ping occurs with or without that mode selection.

 

[Swift101]

I only use 93 octane in my 2.0T, I ran 87 octane for first 10k miles but had a few instances were I heard a loud bang/ping under WOT. I actually don't mind paying more for premium, Hyundai engineers claim the car can make 10 more HP using 91 or higher octane rated fuel (who knows if this is actually true).

However my mom's 2011 2.4 non turbo has never exhibited anything out of the ordinary. IMO that particular engine is a bit noisy, nothing to worry about.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I think most owner's manuals say that light spark knocking is normal.

The pinging during shifting like that demonstrates to you that Hyundai is getting every bit of spark advance out of that fuel that it possibly can.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Every car I've ever owned has very light ping on dip in throttle at lower rpms with 87 or lower octane (we get 85 here as low grade); it goes away as rpms rise. Everything I've read over the years says it's perfectly normal. It's the constant heavy ping at all rpms and throttle positions that is harmful.


I live on a hill and hear that quite often if I'm at the bottom and people are just starting to head up the hill.

 

[badtlc]

I have never had a vehicle ping under any condition that I have owned.

 

[Vuflanovsky]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
I have never had a vehicle ping under any condition that I have owned.


Oh man...you haven't lived. I think every car that I've owned since I began driving in the 70s has pinged at one time or another.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
I have never had a vehicle ping under any condition that I have owned.


Same here - I've never had a car ping or knock that was in good shape. Even non-audible knock picked up by my Cobb Accessport wouldn't pick up any more than a degree or so of feedback retard, usually at tip-in.

The 87 Sunfire (I think that's what it was call) used to flash at me on even moderate acceleration, but that thing was a piece of junk that received very little maintenance.

//

I've always been curious why people who drive vehicles spec'd for 87 AKI (but can take advantage of a little more advance) run 93 instead of 89. Are the ECU's really retarding so much timing that only 93 provides max advance? I don't mean cars like my FXT, which can take advantage of the increased octane due to the turbo, even though the ECM can account for lower octane by retarding knock and maybe increasing fueling.

Also, regardless of compression wouldn't DI result in less likelihood of knocking, not more. An aggressive tune, eeking out max economy on the min octane sounds more likely; the aggressive tune for advertised HP and MPG and the low octane, because your average Joe may not want to be bothered with the additional cost of premium fuel, regardless of the benefits - "minimum of 87 octane" sells.

 

[OneEyeJack]

It appears that to meet smog requirements an mileage estimates that manufacturers are willing to give up a bit of reliability. Since most people don't keep cars and would not know a ping from a knock, have the climate control going and something playing on the sound system it will make no difference at all. So, if you notice a bit of pinging turn up the sound. It's a lot cheaper than buying more expensive gasoline or wasting your time trying not to lug the engine. They'll be a better model out next year, anyhow.

 

[crazyoildude]

very very slight ping is fine you can reprogram the ecm but your gas mileage and power will suffer slightly. Hyundai engines are good engines but they are not the quietest.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
very very slight ping is fine you can reprogram the ecm but your gas mileage and power will suffer slightly. Hyundai engines are good engines but they are not the quietest.


Our 2.0T is quiet enough. The 2.4 is definitely diesel sounding at idle and part throttle due to the (often addressed) high pressure fuel pump. The sound has grown on me. GDi is a learning experience when it comes to sounds, for many owners

 

[SteveSRT8]

The slight knock at the shift is aok and does not indicate a problem rather it is simply a programming issue. Hyundai simply did not want to back off the timing at the shift.

Some cars never knock, my 6.1 is one of them. Wife ran an entire tank of 87 through it when it was new and it never made a peep.

I can see them wanting to get the last bit of mpg, and in a modern engine a light tinkle now and then won't hurt anything...

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My Taurus used to ping HORRIBLY. I always say if I come across that in a junkyard, I'm going to pull a head to see how bad the pistons are.

Spent a LOT of time and money replacing this and reflashing that. Was about to spend $500 on getting the computer a custom tune to retard timing so it wouldn't ping

Turns out it was a bad DFPE sensor for YEARS that wasn't out of whack enough to cause a check engine light.

Replaced the sensor and it never pinged again. Then it rusted in half ...

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
My Taurus used to ping HORRIBLY. I always say if I come across that in a junkyard, I'm going to pull a head to see how bad the pistons are.

Spent a LOT of time and money replacing this and reflashing that. Was about to spend $500 on getting the computer a custom tune to retard timing so it wouldn't ping

Turns out it was a bad DFPE sensor for YEARS that wasn't out of whack enough to cause a check engine light.

Replaced the sensor and it never pinged again. Then it rusted in half ...

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
My Taurus used to ping HORRIBLY. I always say if I come across that in a junkyard, I'm going to pull a head to see how bad the pistons are.

Spent a LOT of time and money replacing this and reflashing that. Was about to spend $500 on getting the computer a custom tune to retard timing so it wouldn't ping

Turns out it was a bad DFPE sensor for YEARS that wasn't out of whack enough to cause a check engine light.

Replaced the sensor and it never pinged again. Then it rusted in half ...

How old? My cousin drove a first generation Taurus while going to college and used premium in it because he couldn't stand the sound of the engine lightly knocking going up the hill where he lived. He knew it wasn't harmful, but he just couldn't stand the sound.

And yeah - that was a pretty sad car. My aunt got him that one after he wrapped a Mustang around a tree.