Pinging just started today. 2007 Mazda 3i 2.0L

[Greggy_D]

ARRRRGGGHHH!!

Out of the blue, my 2.0L engine just started pinging today under light loads. 18,000 miles on the engine. Car has seen mostly FP60 and some Lucas UCL runs in the tank.

This tank I added Regane and I'm at the tail end of the tank. Also tried the Italian Tune Up to knock the carbon out (if there was any).

Any ideas? Do you think a trip to the dealer is in order? I'm filling up tomorrow and will add FP3000.

 

[simple_gifts]

Try a different gas station.

 

[Greggy_D]

Already have that in mind. If it was the current gas in my tank, I'm surprised the pinging didn't start a week ago when I filled up. I'm almost empty on this tank and it just started on the way home from work.

 

[kd5byb]

I vote for bad gas.

Could be also that the Regane never really mixed well when it was added and its dropped the octane down a bit leading to the pinging near the end of your tank.

Perhaps since you're in Michigan (my Father's side of the family is from Ypsi) you've got some water formed in the tank from the Michigan winter? When I lived up north (Connecticut) I never let my tank get less than 3/4 full in the Winter to prevent condensation in the fuel tank. HOWEVER, I wouldn't expect the water to mix with the gas and if it was water, I'd expect very poor running rather than pinging.

Could also be a finicky thing - my '97 Mustang GT used to ping like crazy on full throttle upshifts on 87 octane. I went to 89 and it went away. Then when gas hit $3 a gallon, I went back to 87 and guess what, no pinging! Very odd.

Try another gas station, don't use additives and see what happens.

later,
b

 

[mechtech2]

Any check engine lights? Maybe a bad EGR system?
Temperature get too high?

 

[Greggy_D]

No CELs. Temp is normal.

If it continues tomorrow after a morning fillup at a new station, I'm calling the dealer.

 

[simple_gifts]

Was it warm today? "Winter gas" is more volatile; seem like warm days in the winter used to cause my 1984 impala to diesel @ shutoff, never really did it other times.

 

[Greggy_D]

Nope, high 20's.

 

[glennc]

Both our Infiniti G20s developed detonation which I traced to air leaks in the PCV system hoses. The service manual had a useful flow chart that helped me diagnose it. The SR20DE engine is normally resistant to detonation so the difference was very clear.

If it's not the fuel it could be something along those lines.

 

[bdcardinal]

if you want i can run your VIN and see if there are any open recalls on your car or if there are any applicable TSBs before you go to the dealer. PM if you want, i wont see it while im at work, but i will see it when i get home.

 

[Greggy_D]

Fueled up at a BP and I don't hear the pinging now. You guys were probably right....either bad gas or the Regane lowered the octane.

 

[mechtech2]

The odd thing is that it took awhile to occur after the last fill up.
It should have started knocking in a few miles.
Avoid that gas station in the future, as it is proven unreliable.

 

[Greggy_D]

It was a Mobil station that I never go to.

Had to fillup that day because I was on Triple E.

It was odd that the pinging started at the end of the run.

On a related note, the Regane really brought back the performance of the engine. Kinda disappointed in that fact since I've run FP60 and Lucas UCL (and mostly Shell gas) since the car was new . I thought that my valves and pistons should have been squeaky clean. Obviously not.

 

[mstrjon32]

More Italian Tune-Ups are in order. I drove my '97 GM 3.1L powered car far and hard, and when I took the intake manifolds off to replace the gasket at 191k miles, the valves looked brand new.